But this was no ordinary house gecko. It has six legs and two heads. The second head and the extra two legs stick out from the left side of its body.
One of the trio, Ratchapol Pangsri, told The Phuket News this morning (December 26), “When my brother found it three nights ago, one of its heads was still covered with eggshell. It’s very small – about the length of a baby’s finger – and it was very weak.”
The baby gecko is being kept in a green plastic bowl. “We are treating it as a pet, giving it food and water.”
The men have been putting a little sugar in the bottom of the bowl, which then attracts ants. “We feed it with insects – ants and little bugs. I don’t know if geckos normally eat these things, but it looks much healthier now.”
Dr Sansareeya Wangkulangkul, biology professor at Prince of Songkhla University in Haad Yai, is an expert on geckos.
She told The Phuket News, “This is very unusual. House geckos usually live about one year, but I’m not sure about this one because it’s deformed.
“The owners could try feeding it with black ants, which will not sting the gecko, or with mealworms.”
So far, not many people know about the little two-headed gecko, but as word gets around, the trio can expect a steady stream of visitors.
Many Thais are fascinated by deformed animals, regarding them as something supernatural, and examining them – and their surroundings – for any clues as to the winning lottery numbers for the week.