How having a little creature living inside the door frame became a source of wonder and joy
We don’t have geckos in Scandinavia, so these creatures were new to me when I came to Sardinia. The geckos are not like the small, slim and quick lizards you see scuttling around everywhere during the day. They geckos come out in the evening/night and feast on the insects of the night. I think they are the cavalry of the insect eating lizards, stout and fat and solid. They can sit still and snap insects with stoic presence as darkness falls in the evening.
Gecko babies
But the gecko children seem to be almost like human children, not necessarily into sleeping and eating when the adults do. They seem to be active during the day too, and sometimes they come inside the house as they are so small they can crawl under the crack of the door!
I used to call them ‘gecko babies’, but I have never seen a gecko baby. According to Sardinian man ‘gecko babies’ are pink so I guess the ones around here are ‘gecko children’. They are about 4-5cm long including the tail so in a way quite adorable just because of how small they are!
Poopies!
Usually when they come inside they can be captured (after a little hunt) and released outside, but for 3 days there was a tiny one living in the ceiling of the stairs (out of reach from humans unfortunately). During the day the small gecko curled up as a tiny little ball, I thought it had died every day. But no, it came alive in the evening, moving back and forth on the ceiling of the stairs. Hopefully eating it clean of spiders and other bugs. Just a shame that what goes in must come out – geckos poop!! Little tiny black grains like mouse droppings. If it wasn’t for that they would be good to have as house pets to keep the house bug-free.
Oopsie daisy
One day when I opened the front door to go out I felt something soft and warm hit my naked foot with a little smack!. Looking down I saw this little creature scampering off! I think I was as startled as the gecko!! It’s tiny, it’s kind of cute – BUT it is still a lizard! He is now called the ‘door gecko’. The last 3 weeks he has been living in the door frame – on the inside! Between the door itself and the door frame. To begin with I worried it would be squashed between the door and the frame, but no, he was safe and sound every time I had a peek.
In hindsight it was interesting to observe that the gecko was quite warm when he hit my foot. This was in the afternoon and the sun had been shining on the front door for a couple of hours. This door seems to be made of some kind of metal or similar material so it heats up and acts like a heater. Which means the little gecko living in the door frame was heated too, I assume they like that as he chose to stay there.
Another time I opened the door he panicked and ran inside! I really don’t like them inside so I tried to shoo it out again. But before it reached a crack under the open door big enough for it to squeeze through it kept banging it’s little head against the door, I could hear little thumps!! Poor lizard, he must have had a headache that evening.
Every time I open the door now I open very slowly and have a careful look around the door frame before I step through, I really do not want it in my hair or on any part of my body, regardless of it’s cuteness.
Living in peace
After the first shocking (for both of us) incident when he fell on me we happily co-excisted. It was kind of fun to see how he was doing and growing, this little creature who had found a special spot to keep him safe.
This morning the door gecko was gone. Sardinian man decided to clean the front door and door frame of dust and spider’s web yesterday evening. Maybe the door gecko has now gone on to pastures new where there’s easy food. Sardinian man’s cleaning removed some potential food I can imagine, in addition to disturbing the peace.
Funnily enough I think I will miss the small gecko a little, it was like having a little friend living there in the door. We said our ‘hellos’ and ‘good byes’ every time I walked through the door.
If we let things be what they are and don’t stress about trying to change it – sometimes what we initially don’t like can become a source of wonder and joy. It’s all a matter of perspective and choosing to see it as such.
But it’s alright that he moved on before he got so big and fat that he’s WAY past the ‘cute’ stage!
lots of love,
Bee