Cape Dwarf Gecko

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CAPE DWARF GECKO

The speckled body of this tiny Cape Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus capensis) helps it to camouflage itself well – although these days I cannot miss them when they come out of their hiding places to enjoy the sunshine. Although they may look a little drab at first, closer observation shows they have a beautiful colouration – including an orange tint to the tail – and patterns. This one is on an ivy leaf.

I watch them daily as they move about the flower pots or the steps near to where I am sitting. While they catch the odd unwary fly, they mostly seem to eat ants.

These agile creatures climb everywhere and are not afraid to jump from considerable heights or across what must be for them vast chasms between flower pots or bricks. I have seen them scuttle up and down tree trunks and work their way along downpipes at speed for they have specialised toes that aid their grip on surfaces such as tree trunks and rocks.

I often see these geckos indoors at night, sheltering in the fold of a curtain or hiding behind a picture frame. On more than one occasion I have found one in the boot of my car when I open it to deposit my bags of groceries!

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FIFTEEN MINUTES IN MY GARDEN

After the chilly weather of the past few days, this morning is bright and mild. I spent a timed fifteen minutes sitting in one sunny place with my camera. This is what I saw:

A Black-eyed Bulbul (Dark-capped Bulbul) eyed me from the Cape Honeysuckle; it moved to another branch and gave me a good look-over before perching on the nectar feeder for a long drink; then it came down to peck at an apple not very far from me.

A fly that had been buzzing around inspected a brick.

A Cape White-eye flitted through the leaves to first drink from the nectar feeder, then it too came to taste the apple.

This Cape Dwarf Gecko, one of several around, came out to enjoy the sun with me.

A light plane flew overhead – our sky has been very quiet since the lock-down began in March.

Lastly, just fitting into my allotted fifteen minutes, a spider-hunting wasp alighted on a stone. I watched it move this way and that until it flew into the shrubbery.