Two-headed, six-legged baby gecko found in Thailand

Three men who share a house in Patong, Phuket were woken at around 1am a couple of days ago by a baby house gecko. 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, said: “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 said; “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.” Many Thais are fascinated by deformed animals, regarding them as something supernatural, and examine them and their surroundings for any clues as to the winning lottery numbers for the week.