We caught this guy in the office today. I was catching up on some work and the legal assistants were chatting out in the corridor. Suddenly, a shriek! I thought it must be a sighting of the mouse which a month or so ago was making hay of any unattended bananas or floral arrangements. But no. Instead, our senior legal assistant had spotted a . . . gecko.
A gecko in Washington DC is an unusual sight. In the middle of winter no less. I suspect he hitched a ride in on a poinsettia plant, or possibly a Christmas cactus. Anyway, we trapped him in a styrofoam cup, after which we transferred him to a beta aquarium that a consultant left behind when she left the job in April. As you can see, he stands out rather nicely against the purple decor.
Now, geckos eat live bugs and I am not keeping a pet that I have to feed other living things to. But I couldn't really put him outside, where he would freeze, and he didn't really belong at the office, either. So when I left work this evening, I transferred him again to an empty tupperware container, and brought him home, where I let him go in the philodendron plant on my windowsill. Now it's up to him. It's warm in here, and I'm sure there are plenty of bugs hiding in corners or under floorboards, etc. He is about the size and speed of a house centipede, and has all the wall and ceiling-climbing abilities of same, so I figure he has a place in the food chain all staked out. If he plays his cards right, he might just be able to ride out the winter, swell to an enormous size, and scare the bejesus out of someone come July.
If I spot a foot-long gecko hauling off one of my Independence Day hotdogs, I'll be sure to let you know.
posted by Reen |link| ...talkety...0 comments
