A Mediterranean house gecko stowaway made a boy's dream come true last Christmas.
How is this for a Christmas story. Last year, then 11-year-old Charlie Martin was bugging his parents for a lizard. So, when his mother came home with a head of broccoli that had a lizard in it, guess what, Charlie’s Christmas wish came true as his parents let him keep the reptile, a Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus).
jolene martin
Charlie got his wish last Christmas when a Mediterranean house gecko stowed away in a head of broccoli.
At first, the Martin’s called the supermarket to inform them of the stowaway and after a bit of detective work they speculated that the reptile hitched a ride in the broccoli bag from Spain. They then contacted the RSPCA, which gave them advice on how to care for the reptile. Charlie’s mom, Jolene then contacted one of her friends who kept lizards and that friend set Broc, as Charlie named him, with a proper enclosure and equipment to keep the reptile safe and warm during the cold English winters.
Fast forward to Chirstmas 2015 and Broc the Mediterranean house gecko is a welcome member of the Martin family.
"We don't handle him as he is very delicate. We spray the vivarium with water every day and feed him crickets dusted with supplement powders. Charlie enjoys watching him in his vivarium."
Mediterranean house geckos are small lizards that are common in the Mediterranean and are introduced in other parts of the world, including much of the southern United States, the Middle East, Mexico, and some Caribbean islands. They are insectivores and can be often found under outside lights eating insects that are attracted to light.
