This little mourning gecko has already been in the wars, having lost most of its tail. The tail will grow back. Geckos can shed their tails as a defensive mechanism, the idea being that the discarded tail, still wiggling, distracts an attacker long enough for the gecko to escape.

There seems to be a regular gecko cycle in the house. A new batch of eggs hatch and the number of baby geckos jumps. They can be seen scurrying over the walls and ceilings with great industry, if no apparent purpose. Over the next few days, their numbers decline until only an odd one or two are seen. Then, a couple of weeks later, a new batch hatches and off they go again.

They seem to succumb to three things: failure to find enough food, getting eaten by larger geckos, and being squashed by the large feet of yours truly. They’re hard to spot on the floor, especially in low light.

For more information about geckos, go to geckoweb.org.