Super-large mutant geckos: whatever next?

In Indonesia there are plenty of nasty creatures that try to make your home their home. From huge sewer rats to mosquitoes and cockroaches, it really is a battle to keep your house vermin free. 

Actually, one of the most unpleasant experiences I’ve had in Indonesia was to be woken up by a small rodent who had somehow managed to get into my bedroom and was biting me on my hand. 

From then on, I have always made sure on my trips to Hero Supermarket to pick up loads of the wonderfully effective rattraps that they make here. My particular favorite is a simple wooden board that has been covered with the stickiest glue that you can imagine. 

When the little blighters walk on this they simply have no chance. How you finish ‘em off of course is up to you (if you really wanna make them squirm, just soak ‘em with a glass of boiling hot water). 

But not all uninvited guests into your home need to be terminated in such a way. Because some actually do a good job. Like the cecak (wall lizards), for example, who keep down mosquito numbers by feeding on them. 

 

Technically part of the gecko family, cecek apparently “thrive around man and human habitation structures in the tropics and subtropics worldwide”. 

But I’m sure I’m not the only person who has wondered how they are able to walk upside down, seemingly defying the laws of gravity. The answer apparently lies in their “specialized toe pads that enable them to climb smooth vertical surfaces and even cross indoor ceilings with ease”. 

 Pretty cool, huh? And if you’ve ever wished that you could do this, why not invest in a recently developed gekkomat? 

Inspired by the climbing prowess of its natural namesake, the "gekkomat" - meaning "automatic lizard-climber" - is an autonomous machine that enables the wearer to traverse walls, ceilings and overhangs by using intuitive movements and without drawing on external energy sources. 

But I’ll tell you one thing though. When I saw this gecko feasting on a bird at the weekend I really thought I had overdone it on the Bintangs!

Super-large mutant geckos: whatever next?!!!