Tag Archives: Geckos

The things we do

A gold dust day gecko in a house

I was going through some old photos, came across this one, and realized I’d never posted it before. This was a gecko that lived in our house a few years ago. We called him Jones because he had a peculiar fondness for ant bait.

Like all geckos, he shed his skin periodically, but on this occasion he was having difficulty getting rid of the old skin around his feet. That’s a problem for a gecko because it meant he wasn’t able to climb around everywhere having lost the ‘stickum’ qualities of his feet. So he would wander around on the floor and once in a while make his way into the bathroom and be unable to navigate the step to get out. So I made this little set of steps for him, shoved it up against the big step, and waited. Jones quickly got the hang of it and used it for several days until he finally shed the last remnants of his old skin.

Pink flowers

A Leafcutter bee on a zinnia violacea flower

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘The Pink Side of Life.’ See more responses here.

The top photo shows a leaf cutter bee on what I think is a zinnia violacea flower. Next we have a ball of Egyptian starcluster (Pentas lanceolata) flowers and Pinkfringe (Arthrostemma ciliatum) flowers.

  • A ball of Pentas lanceolata flowers
  • Arthrostemma ciliatum flowers

Next comes the lovely marking of a shell ginger flower and the puffy blooms of a sensitive plant.

  • Shell ginger flowers
  • Sensitive plant flowers

Finally, there’s a pink banana hosting a visitor, a gold dust day gecko after a little something to drink.

  • A gold dust day gecko on a pink banana flower
  • A gold dust day gecko on a pink banana flower

Also posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Past Squares – In the Pink/Flowers.’ See more responses here.

In a tropical garden

A bunch of bananas in Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘In The Garden.’ See more responses here.

Since I don’t have a garden currently, I’ve gone for some images from my most recent visit to Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, north of Hilo.

For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, go to htbg.com.

  • A gold dust day gecko on a torch ginger
    A gecko on a torch ginger
  • A Dwarf Pineapple in Hawaii
    Dwarf pineapple
  • An Orchidantha flower in Hawaii
    Orchidantha flower
  • Palm leaves in Hawaii
    Palm leaves
  • A lollipop flower in Hawaii
    Lollipop flower
  • Anthurium leaves growing on a tree
    Anthurium leaves growing on a tree
  • Drooping flowers of a Chenille plant (Acalypha hispida)
    Chenille plant (Acalypha hispida)
  • A Dendrobium secundum orchid or toothbrush orchid
    Dendrobium secundum orchid

Mourning gecko on a line

  • A mourning gecko clings to a washing line.
  • A mourning gecko clings to a washing line.
  • A mourning gecko clings to a washing line.

I played a game of peek-a-boo with this mourning gecko as it clung to a clothes line. I leaned one way to get a photo, it scooted round the other way, keeping the line between me and it. But patience won out and I was able to get several good views.

Powder puff tree

A Powder Puff Tree flower being visited by geckos
A Powder Puff Tree bud and spent flower

This tree was labeled Powder Puff Tree, Brownea Sp. at Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden. I suspect the Powder Puff name is given to a variety of plants with flowers like this one, so I’m not sure if this is really the correct name.

I do know a couple of things about this tree. The flowers were a brilliant orange and very popular with the gold dust day geckos. They grow directly out of the trunk of the tree, starting as a pinkish bud and eventually dying out to a withered, brown remnant.

For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, go to htbg.com.

Posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Trees.’ See more responses here.

The great outdoors

A view of Hualalai from the water
Hualalai from the water.
A sailboat enters Kawaihae Harbor
A sailboat returns to harbor.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Great Outdoors.’ See more responses here.

In Hawaii, people spend a great deal of time outdoors. It’s common for people to have an outdoor kitchen, sometimes their only kitchen, sometimes a second one where a barbecue is the featured cooking apparatus. Carports often feature chairs and tables with cars parked elsewhere. The lanai, or deck, is as well-used as any room in the house.

Outdoor activities are popular here, too. Many involve the ocean and its inviting water: swimming, snorkeling, paddling, and of course surfing. Plenty of people go fishing and hunting, longtime sources of food for the table.

  • Palm tree on the coast in Hawaii
    Palm trees on the coast.
  • The Powerline trail in Hawaii passes through trees
    A trail through the woods.
  • Hilina Pali Trail view in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
    A view from the Hilina Pali Trail.
  • A Flow over Holei Pali in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
    View of an old flow over Holei Pali.

For me, experiencing the great outdoors primarily involves hiking and snorkeling. Hiking isn’t especially popular here, especially along the coast where it can get quite hot. I get strange looks when I hike the length of popular beaches togged out in hiking gear, including shoes, hat, and fanny pack loaded with water. For most, the beach is a place for stretching out and broiling in the sun, not actively working up a sweat.

  • A Hawaii Amakihi perched on the end of a branch
    Hawaii Amakihi
  • A great frigatebird flies low over some trees
    Great Frigatebird
  • A gold dust day gecko on yellow bamboo
    A gecko on yellow bamboo.
  • An Ashy grey lady beetle on a Plumeria tree
    An ashy grey lady beetle on Plumeria.

The vast majority of photos on this blog are taken in the great outdoors. These photos are a small selection of things I’ve seen while out and about, from sweeping views to birds and bugs.

A view of Kohala Coast from Koai'a Tree Sanctuary
A view of the south Kohala Coast from Koai’a Tree Sanctuary
View of Mauna Kea from Pu'u Wa'awa'a bench
A view of Mauna Kea from Pu’u Wa’awa’a.

Gecko games

  • A gold dust day gecko on a bird of paradise flower in Hawaii
  • A gold dust day gecko on a bird of paradise flower in Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘National Kids and Pets Day.’ See more responses here. I mentioned to Terri that I might have a hard time with this one, not having kids or pets, and she suggested I could use the ‘pet’ geckos around here.

So here’s a gold dust day gecko playing hide and seek with me from a bird of paradise flower.

Also posted in response to Becky’s April Squares challenge theme of ‘Bright.’ See more responses here.