I had not planned to see a lizard the size of my hand, or the size of a human lizard, on my holiday overseas. The blue tongued skink, like a lizard, was in a friend's house. I was staying there for two nights. No escape. Australians and New Zealanders call the creatures blueys.
You never know what you will see travelling to visit a friend. People I have known for years.
The lizard is kept in what looks like an acquarium with a sliding glass door.
This creature is fairy sleepy during the day. Unlike the geckos we had on the walls indoors and outdoors, in Singapore, which, after a rest, watching you, would suddenly race off.
Greek Geckos
I recall the tiny ones on Greek islands at hotels with remote bedrooms. I was scared shocked, when the little things leaped off the wall onto my bedding or pillow, disappeared under bed clothes. Another alarmed me when it jumped out of a shoe under the bed, then disappeared behind or into another shoe.
Other guests and hotel management could not understand why I was alarmed. They attempted to assure me, 'They are harmless.'
How To Use NLP To Conquer Fear
Having studies NLP (neuro linguistic programming), I know to talk to the creature, indirectly to my own brain, telling it, 'Don't worry, the big lady human won't hurt you.'
However, the little lizards are reminders of larger ones.
Komodo Dragons
Komodo dragons, (don't let predictive text turn then into kimono dragons) are much larger, are another thing. Tourists are taken to see them, on Komodo Island, in Indonesia. They are reptiles, monitor lizards.
My host saw them on a tour with a guide, from about ten feet away. 'You don't wander around on your own.'
Whilst a small blue tongued skink might be held in the hand of its owner, Komodo dragons, like crocodiles and alligators, are unfriendly more like monsters. I was going to call them unpredictable, but as any paranoid tourist can tell you, their nastiness is predictable.
You might see a Komodo dragon from a more safe place, in a zoo, in the UK, USA, Singapore or elsewhere. Check your national zoos and those of the countries you are visiting.
A blue tongued skink, however, makes its trusting owner happy.
Wikipedia informed me that these short legged creatures are slow and friendly. The pets are nicknamed the dogs of reptiles.
Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-tongued_skink
https://www.quora.com/What-do-Mediterranean-geckos-eat-Can-you-keep-them-as-a-pet?top_ans=214911130
Please share links to your favourite posts.
No comments:
Post a Comment