Gecko Psycho!

This month marks 20 years that we have lived in Louisiana. Although I have never been wild about being here, I have adapted, with one exception. - About 6 years ago, I realized that Mediterranean geckos were also living in Louisiana, in Baton Rouge, IN MY HOUSE. And I am psychotic on this point!

Last night, I encountered TWO of these things in my bathroom, so, naturally, I am now terrified to sit down on the toilet.


Yes, I killed them... Sorry, but, like snakes, I don't want these things in my house!

These hideous-looking creatures are not native to Louisiana and some articles say they threaten the native species. This particular article shows the distribution of Mediterranean Geckos in Lousiana: http://www.herpconbio.org

[One of those stars is obviously my house.]

The article states there are no predators of these awful, ugly things, so they are thriving! They come out at night, and they are stuck all over the outside of the house, including on the ceilings. And they live in the walls of houses, meaning IN houses.

At the first house we bought when we moved here in 1989, I never saw this type of gecko. We had skinks (black with blue tails) and a variety of other similar creatures, such as the black one with a red head that ran out of the wood in the fireplace one night, thus eliminating any possibility that I will ever burn wood again.

But these Mediterranean geckos are different and scarier because of their ugliness. At night, they are flesh-colored - sort of translucent - with big eyes.

Last year, I was on a plane leaving from Baton Rouge. The lady seated next to me started chatting... She was about my age, and a life-long resident of Baton Rouge. She asked how we like living in Louisiana after coming from the north. Of course, I launched into the gecko story. The woman said, "I've never seen anything that looked like that -- and if I did, I'd move!"

And that isn't the first time someone has said that.... Lived here all their lives and never saw any of these hideous things.

Granted, we have plenty of the green kind of gecko or lizard - or whatever they are. - I don't want them in my house either, but they don't terrify me.

So, I guess I'm saying it is the appearance that makes the difference... "Judging a book by its cover..." "Discriminating on the basis of skin color...."

I'M GUILTY! But you don't see GEICO using Mediterranean Geckos in the commercials.