Workers at a warehouse in Attidiya were startled by the sight of an unusual lizard-like creature hiding inside a box of imported batteries.
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| The beautiful Tokay Gecko is believed to have come from Thailand with a shipment of batteries. Story and picture by Malaka Rodrigo |
Because of the creature’s size, the workers thought it was a type of garden lizard, or katussa.
In fact, it was a Tokay Gecko, the world’s second largest gecko species. It is believed to have travelled in a container all the way from Thailand, the country of origin of the imported batteries. The shipment had left Thailand in mid-June, and the boxes of batteries were opened this week.
The gecko is in the care of the Dehiwala Zoo, and is not open for public viewing. According to a source at the zoo, the creature likes to hide inside a piece of tree bark, in its glass enclosure, and remains motionless for hours on end. The Tokay Gecko’s daily diet is mainly grasshoppers and meal-worms.
The creature is about 7 inches in length, and has a bluish-grey body, covered in orange spots.
The Tokay Gecko is not a member of the 42 gecko species found in Sri Lanka. |
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