# The Intruder **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 2, 2001, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602 "2001-08-02T04:38:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/1 "2001-08-02T04:38:35Z")
My son has a bassett hound. She is playful with him but generally uses the time when he is not home to rest up. She naps _alot._ In fact, she doesn’t just nap, she hibernates snoring loudly all day long. She and I were home alone and she went beserk. She wasn’t quite barking but she was yipping and jumping around and her nails were clicking and sliding on the tiled breakfast room floor. I went to investigate and realized she was chasing something. We occasionally get junebugs, so I was going to just leave her to her game, when I noticed this creepy two or three inch black thing whipping and flipping around. It appeared to be a worm (ewww) but was way to quick and jumpy. Suddenly a tailess lizard darted out and of course the dog darted after it. Now not only is the dog yelping, so am I. I yelped so loud, I scared myself. I quickly composed myself and bravely snatched an empty #10 tin dry storage can from the pantry. Heart pounding, face flushed and stifling the urge to unleash a battle yell… I trapped the lizard under the upturned can and placed a full unopened can on top of it to make it heavy enough to keep the lizard underneath and left him there until braver souls than I arrived and breathlessly returned to the SDMB and my instant message. The lizard was eventually freed without suffering the loss of his life due to his confinement. He was set loose in the backyard suffering only the indignity of losing his tail (in the fray with the dog) and pooping on my breakfast room floor which was cleaned up by KidSthrnAccent’s friend’s younger brother. (Oh, the indignities of being the youngest in the crowd.) The boy has informed me that our intruder was not a lizard but a gecko. Whatever he is, he’s out in the wild’s of a suburban backyard where he belongs sans tail. Abby [sub]Was this mundane and pointless enough? [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/2 "2001-08-02T04:45:38Z")
I thought a gecko _was_ a lizard. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/3 "2001-08-02T04:47:12Z")
Actually, geckos are great for pest (bug) control. They’re self-propelled fly (and other bugs) paper ! ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/4 "2001-08-02T04:49:10Z")
I have no idea. The boy ‘corrected’ me when I told them to release the lizard under the can, saying it was a gecko not a lizard. Being a 12 year old boy, I didn’t argue. I was just glad he released the thing and cleaned its gift off the floor. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/5 "2001-08-02T04:50:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by detop \* > \*\*Actually, geckos are great for pest (bug) control. They’re self-propelled fly (and other bugs) paper ! \*\* Wow, really? Should I make the boys go back out in the yard, find it and bring it back in the house? ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/6 "2001-08-02T04:52:29Z")
I looked it up. \*\*gecko \*\*- : any of numerous small harmless chiefly tropical and nocturnal insectivorous lizards (family Gekkonidae) Now you can tell the boy that you were correct and reassert the adult dominance over preteen misconceptions. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/7 "2001-08-02T04:55:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crunchy Frog \* > \*\*I looked it up. > > \*\*gecko \*\*- > : any of numerous small harmless chiefly tropical and nocturnal insectivorous lizards (family Gekkonidae) > > Now you can tell the boy that you were correct and reassert the adult dominance over preteen misconceptions. \*\* \ ok will do CrunchyFrog. BTW are geckos and CrunchyFrogs friendly? ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/8 "2001-08-02T04:59:20Z")
I cannot speak for the gecko. We amphibians don’t mingle too often with lizards. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/9 "2001-08-02T05:05:12Z")
Are you sure it was a gecko, or GEICO insurance? Because, as those television commercials will show you, it can be pretty confusing. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/10 "2001-08-02T05:08:49Z")
I’ll tell you what Snooooopy, if the lizard says anything about insurance, I’ll give him your email and your dad’s phone number!!! 😃 Abby P.S. How are the creaky knees? ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/11 "2001-08-02T05:09:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AbbySthrnAccent \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by detop \* > > \*\*Actually, geckos are great for pest (bug) control. They’re self-propelled fly (and other bugs) paper ! \*\* > > Wow, really? Should I make the boys go back out in the yard, find it and bring it back in the house? \*\* Well, if it found its way indoor once, I don’t see how it couldn’t repeat its performance. [Here’s a site](http://www.dansgeckos.com/geninfo.htm) where you can find more info about geckos. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/12 "2001-08-02T05:12:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by detop \* > Well, if it found its way indoor once, I don’t see how it couldn’t repeat its performance. [Here’s a site](http://www.dansgeckos.com/geninfo.htm) where you can find more info about geckos. \*\* Thanks Detop, I’ll book mark it and make the boys do a summer report. (That’ll keep 'em busy tomorrow.) Abby ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/13 "2001-08-02T05:15:40Z")
My pleasure, you’re very welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/14 "2001-08-02T13:22:22Z")
We could tell what kind of lizard it was if we had a de-tailed description. ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-intruder/74602/15 "2001-08-02T14:27:37Z")
I think geckos are one of the few lizards that do lose their tails when trapped. I LOVED geckos when I lived in Okinawa - they were so cute, made this chirruping noise at night and kept the bugs down.