# A gecko in the house. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 14, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868 "2017-10-14T22:55:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868/41 "2017-10-17T15:01:24Z")
Since geckos are typically much slower than the garden variety lizards we typically see here in Florida, the easiest method to catch/release: 1. Find a drinking cup - disposable would be preferred if you don’t think washing it out afterwards would be sufficient. 2. Place inverted cup over gecko, hopefully without catching their tail. 3. Without lifting, slide a piece of paper (larger than the cup opening) under the cup. 4. Carefully lift the cup with the paper and gecko therein. 5. Release outside. ---
**Author:** ![Snake\_Plissken\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Snake\_Plissken\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake_Plissken_1)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868/42 "2017-10-17T19:12:47Z")
We have geckos, anoles and curly tailed lizards in abundance here in FLL. Many find their way onto my screened porch. Most of those are ambushed by the cat. The cat plays rough so most don’t survive. Anyway…a gecko was evidently shading itself in the gap between the top of my front door and the frame. When I opened the door it fell directly down the back of my shirt. I did a little dance in the front yard to the great amusement of my children. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868/43 "2017-10-17T19:23:01Z")
> [@Snake\_Plissken](#): > > We have geckos, anoles and curly tailed lizards in abundance here in FLL. Many find their way onto my screened porch. Most of those are ambushed by the cat. The cat plays rough so most don’t survive. Anyway…a gecko was evidently shading itself in the gap between the top of my front door and the frame. When I opened the door it fell directly down the back of my shirt. I did a little dance in the front yard to the great amusement of my children. Hence your online name? ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868/44 "2017-10-21T04:14:08Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I lived on Guam for a couple years. Lots of geckos and anoles everywhere. The geckos were more common but anoles were still pretty abundant. > > I never had problems with geckos as they kept the population of flies, ants, and cockroaches lower. But the tail thing was creepy. > > Anoles on the other hand could be aggressive. They were small but bigger than geckos and I had a couple jump on me and scratch me (not harmful but sure freaked me out). We had geckos in our homes on Saipan many times. The tails were unsettling when they were wiggling on the floor. Geckos, unfortunately, are quite adept at finding inconvenient places to die. The worst was recounted by a friend: bread in the toaster, an unpleasant burning smell, toasted gecko. Honestly, if geckos were controlling the roach population, we would have needed shovels to navigate our apartments. And then there were the termites… ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868/45 "2017-10-22T18:46:13Z")
There are all kinds of lizards in South Florida, including many invasive species. Last time I was there, my son caught loads of them. The curly tailed lizards were the most elusive AND the quickest to bite. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2017, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868/46 "2017-10-23T03:58:20Z")
I still have the same one.See [**Just bought pair o’ belly-to-belly spreadeagled dried bat lizards on a stick. What are they? [pix]**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=767252) ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868/47 "2017-10-23T14:09:30Z")
Also note: OP name/subject ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868/48 "2017-11-05T01:22:24Z")
I found one on the patio in fallen leaves. I brought him inside to show Mrs. Plant (v.3.0) and released him into the grass. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868/49 "2017-11-05T08:24:29Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I found one on the patio in fallen leaves. I brought him inside to show Mrs. Plant (v.3.0) and released him into the grass. … where he is now telling all the other geckos about his alien abduction. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868/50 "2017-11-05T12:35:05Z")
🙂 > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > … where he is now telling all the other geckos about his alien abduction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-gecko-in-the-house/798868.md?page=2)