The tiny gecko no bigger than a child's thumbnail that's become a house pet

Creature is believed to be a house gecko common in the Philippines
When first caught the size lizard was half the size of owner's thumbnail
After a year it has only grown to the size of his palm

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

My-newt: This is one of the worlds smallest reptiles that is no bigger than a child's thumbnail. The incredible creature, believed to be a typical house gecko common in the Philippines

This is one of the world's smallest reptiles that is no bigger than a child's thumbnail.
The incredible creature, believed to be a typical house gecko common in the Philippines, is not your typical first pet for children, but amateur snapper Corin Lenisco couldn't resist his charm.
The 14-year-old has always been excited at the sight of the mini lizards and has always been intrigued by their diminutive lives.

New pet: Amateur snapper Corin Lenisco couldn't resist his charm. When first caught the size lizard was half the size of Corin's thumbnail - and after a year it has only grown to the size of his palm

And after catching this cheeky critter to scare his sister, Corin decided to keep the lizard as a pet - as feeding and cleaning chores prove more than manageable for a teenager.

Corin, from the Philippines, said: 'My older sister has always been afraid of lizards ever since she was young so every time I see a lizard I try to catch it and scare her.
'I was just walking around the house when I saw the lizard and I moved to catch it right away. But because it was such a baby lizard I didn't think my sister would be too scared so I decided to keep him as my own.'
When first caught the size lizard was half the size of Corin's thumbnail - and after a year it has only grown to the size of his palm.

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2350789/The-tiny-gecko-bigger-childs-thumbnail-thats-house-pet.html
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Disco gecko oozes cool as he dances himself dizzy in hilarious set of images

By LEON WATSON

Gettin' Jiggy wit It: Indonesian photographer Shikhei Goh took these snaps of geckos getting the party started

Here's some disco-dancing that's really off the scale - a group of groovy geckos who know how to party.
The rhythmic reptiles are proving themselves to be little John Travoltas with their dazzling dance routines.
Owner Shikhei Goh photographed the creatures after buying them from a pet shop and getting them home.

Watch and learn, Peter Crouch: This little mover looks like he's doing The Robot

He placed them on a reflective surface and watched as they got a bit excited and started lashing out with their arms and legs and shaking their bootie.
Their actions mimicked a series of funky disco moves similar to those seen on the film Saturday Night Fever.
One hilarious image shows a gecko striking a legendary Travolta pose with one of its arms in the air while another is of a reptile doing a 'kung-fu fighting' cameo.
Shikhei, 37, uploaded the pictures onto the internet and now thousands of people from around the world have viewed them.

Busting some moves: Photographed on a glass sheeted dance floor with a simple black background, these rumba dancing go-getters know how to jiggle

Le Freak: There Ain't No Stoppin' the reptile with rhythm on the left, and the one on the right is definitely no cold-blooded lizard, this fella's Hot Stuff

Shikhei, from Indonesia, said: 'I mostly photograph insects but then I bought the geckos and decided to take some pictures.
'These geckos come from Pakistan and these three were difficult to picture because they kept moving.
'But it did look like they were dancing and one shot looks as if one is doing a kung-fu kick.
'I am a hobby photographer but I have received texts messages and emails from around the world since I put these online.'


He's the greatest dancer: John Travolta was the star of Saturday Night Fever, with the Bee Gees providing the soundtrack

source: dailymail

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Got it licked: Cheeky gecko uses tongue to drink morning dew from his EYES

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Eye drops: A Namibian web-footed gecko licks dew off his eyes that has accumulated when mist forms over the desert in the early morning


Photographer spent THREE DAYS waiting to take the perfect snap of gecko

Nocturnal reptile gathers moisture on eyes from morning mist

This cheeky gecko certainly has things licked as it gets the morning dew off its eyes.

The web-footed creature is a rare reptile found on coastal sand dunes in Namibia between the sea and the desert.

The nocturnal geckos collect water on their eyeballs in the early morning when a mist bank descends as cool coastal air hits the warmth of the desert.


Licked, never beaten: The rare creature was captured in action after Isak Pretorius spent three days tracking the reptiles


Then they lick it off to have a drink.

It took photographer Isak Pretorius three days to get the licking picture, following gecko tracks across the dunes through the mist.

The 32-year-old South African said: ‘In these coastal dunes, the warm desert air meets the cold air of the Atlantic ocean, creating a dense layer of mist almost every morning until about 9am.

‘This layer of mist only stretches about three miles inland and creates a very unique environment.

‘Their most fascinating characteristic is the way in which they gather moisture from licking droplets of water off their beautiful big eyeballs.


The skin of geckos is made up of shades of pink and very transparent which would offer no resistance to any harsh sunlight


‘Seeing them for the first time in real life I was amazed how small they actually are. Probably only 4in to 6in long in total.

‘Their skin is beautiful shades of pink and very transparent which would offer no resistance to any harsh sunlight.

‘We learnt that as long as we approach them very slowly, especially when stalking them from a distance, they would not run away from us.

source: dailymail

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Look what I got on eBay! Shopper's shock at finding gecko in parcel after internet mix-up

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Surprise delivery: Phillipa Durrant, from Berkshire, had bid for a belt on eBay - but when the package arrived it also contained Sahara the gecko


It's amazing what you can find on the internet - but not many would expect to get a gecko delivered by second-class post.

A leopard gecko called Sahara made a 100-mile trip in an envelope sent by his owner Lisa Richardson from his home in Sedgeford, near Birmingham.

The lizard spent two days inside the package before being opened by Phillipa Durrant, 44, who had been expecting the parcel to contain a belt she had bought on internet shopping site eBay.


Roving reptile: Thanks to the careful handling of the Royal Mail, Sahara the gecko was unharmed by his epic journey


Mrs Durrant, from Finchampstead in Berkshire, said: 'My daughter opened the envelope and came running upstairs saying ''There's something alive in the package''.'

The mother of seven took the reptile to a vet where it was given the all clear.

She said: 'I was worried that it might be poisonous but we soon realised it was harmless.

'We decided the best thing to do was to take the gecko to the vet as it was cold and looked a bit limp after its journey.'


Peek-a-boo! The gecko was unharmed after travelling around 100 miles from Birmingham to Berkshire


Mrs Durrant had bought the belt on eBay from Sahara's owner, Lisa Richardson. The package containing the belt had been left near the reptile's tank shortly before it was posted. It wasn't clear how he made it from the tank to the envelope.

Housewife Mrs Richardson, 33, said: 'We didn't realise Sahara was missing until we went to feed him later that night.

'There was absolute pandemonium. We cut the bottoms off the sofas to see if he was stuck in there. We were up until 2am looking for him.

'Then the email arrived the next day from Phillipa saying, ''Hi Lisa, received the belt in the post, only one problem - there's a live reptile in the parcel''.'


That's not what I ordered: Philippa Durrant, 44, had been expecting a belt in the post



Return to sender: Sahara the gecko was taken back home to Birmingham by courier


The gecko is now on his way back to Birmingham via a courier.

source: dailymail

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Satanic leaf-tailed gecko born on January 1, 2011,

The San Diego Zoo's first baby of the year, a satanic leaf-tailed gecko born on January 1, 2011, crawls on a keeper's finger at the San Diego Zoo January 3, 2011. The San Diego Zoo is one of only seven zoos in the United States with this species in its collection and one of only two breeding them. The gecko weighs less than a gram and is smaller than a dime and is not yet named.




source: Daylife
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New species of gecko discovered in Cambodian mountain range

By Wil Longbottom

Discovery: The Cnemaspis neangthyi gecko has been found in an unexplored part of Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains


Blending perfectly into the green of the tree underneath him, this new species of exceptionally well-camouflaged gecko has been discovered by a team of scientists in a previously unexplored part of Cambodia.

The species, named Cnemaspis neangthyi, was discovered during a reptile and amphibian survey in the rocky foothills of the Cardamom Mountains.

Its unique combination of colour pattern and scale characteristics mean it is almost undetectable when it blends in to the rock crevices and trees on which it lives.

It was found during a reptile and amphibian survey led by Dr Lee Grismer, La Sierra University and conservation charity Fauna & Flora International (FFI).

A statement from the FFI said: 'Cnemaspis geckos have a relatively ancient body plan characterised by a broad flattened head, large forward and upward directed eyes, flattened body, long widely-splayed limbs and long inflected digits that help them to climb trees and hide within crevices.'

There are now 75 species of Cnemapsis known to science, of which 30 live in Southeast Asia.

FFI's biological surveys of the Cardamom Mountains have shown the area to be one of the most important areas for biodiversity conservation in Asia.

The area is home to more than 62 threatened animals and 17 threatened tree species, many of them unique to the region.

The Cardamom Mountains contain three protected areas - Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, Phnom Aural Wildlife Sanctuary and the Central Cardamoms Protected Forest.

This gecko has been named after Cambodian scientist Neang Thy, who heads the FFI research group, in recognition of his studies into the country's reptiles and amphibians.

He said: 'I am very happy and proud to have a species named after me. It gives me much pleasure and makes me feel my work as a herpetologist is being recognised.

'There are likely many more species to be discovered in the Cardamom Mountains.

'Maybe this will also help to involve Cambodian people more in the conservation of species, landscapes and habitats.

'If we do not do this, many animals in Cambodia may soon become extinct and we will not be able to show them to our children.'

The Greater Cardamoms cover over 2million hectares of forest, one of the largest remaining blocks of evergreen forest in South East Asia.

It is under increasing pressures from development, the FFI added.


source: dailymail

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