Save The Gecko - Salvem As Osgas !!

Posted by Marianne Hoesen on Monday, September 12, 2011 Under: nature

This is a gecko, or in Portuguese: a osga, a harmless and very useful type of lizard that lives in all kinds of warm areas in the world. It is famous for its special toe pads, that enable it to walk on smooth and vertical surfaces and even to cross ceilings with ease. A gecko is unique in its vocalizations, making chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos. They are extremely useful to people because they feed on insects and mosquitoes.

It is hard to understand why the people living in this area are so repelled by these creatures and even afraid. Many locals believe that a gecko is poisonous and that it is a vector of dermatological diseases. The story goes that once upon a time a gecko fell in a saucepan and a mother and her children got very sick and died after eating of it later. Others believe that a gecko falling on your bare skin causes severe rashes and when one falls on your head you will get bold. Therefore many innocent geckos are being killed because of repulsion or fear.

This superstition is thought to be an inheritance from the Arab influence in the area hundreds of years ago, because in many Arab countries the same myths and tales are still being told. Many people do not know that the gecko is in fact protected by law in Portugal because it has the status of being Vulnerable.

The project "Salvem as Osgas" (Save the Gecko) was started by the Conselho de Estudantes de Biologio de Èvora (CEBE) and they try to make the people aware of the innocence and usefulness of this little creature. Geckos are absolutely NOT poisonous and do NOT spread diseases!

For more detailed information on this subject you can read this: www.ethnobiomed.com/content/pdf/1746-4269-7-26.pdf

Spread the word a make everybody aware that the gecko is our little friend, does not harm us at all, and catches many mosquitoes and other annoying insects for us.

In : nature

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