2. Sun Skink
Step outside and you are in the garden. Somewhere among the grass and leaves, you may catch sight of a sleek bronze-colored lizard.
This is the Sun Skink (Eutropis multifasciata).
But take one step toward it and — nothing.
You saw it. Now you don't.
Unlike the gecko, the skink is a creature of the ground. Its kingdom is the soil and everything that lives in it: worms, beetles and caterpillars. The skink is the embodiment of concealed strength. Thai people traditionally treat these creatures with a certain degree of respect. And there is a reason for that.
Apart from keeping the garden's insect population under control, skinks are sometimes associated with earthquake prediction.
So if they suddenly disappear from your property, consider it a sign. Perhaps you should start packing.
Step outside and you are in the garden. Somewhere among the grass and leaves, you may catch sight of a sleek bronze-colored lizard.
This is the Sun Skink (Eutropis multifasciata).
But take one step toward it and — nothing.
You saw it. Now you don't.
Unlike the gecko, the skink is a creature of the ground. Its kingdom is the soil and everything that lives in it: worms, beetles and caterpillars. The skink is the embodiment of concealed strength. Thai people traditionally treat these creatures with a certain degree of respect. And there is a reason for that.
Apart from keeping the garden's insect population under control, skinks are sometimes associated with earthquake prediction.
So if they suddenly disappear from your property, consider it a sign. Perhaps you should start packing.
3. Tokay Gecko
The Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) is the undisputed king of the property.
Sometimes it moves into the house, which is generally considered a good sign. But according to the textbook, this is a tree-dwelling creature, and it spends most of its time among branches.
Its unmistakable, almost vacuum-cleaner-like call — “Tuk-Kae!” — can be heard in the evenings.
And the gecko itself has little interest in being modest about its appearance. Its patterned body, splashed with bright orange spots, can reach around 15 centimeters in length.
Think of it as 15 centimeters of reptilian protection against evil spirits. Thais call it Tokay, after its characteristic call.
But there is one important rule.
If you hear a Tokay calling during the daytime, people tend to get nervous. Tokays normally sleep during daylight hours. So if one suddenly decides to raise its voice in the middle of the day, it may be interpreted as a warning.
Think twice, as they say.
The Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) is the undisputed king of the property.
Sometimes it moves into the house, which is generally considered a good sign. But according to the textbook, this is a tree-dwelling creature, and it spends most of its time among branches.
Its unmistakable, almost vacuum-cleaner-like call — “Tuk-Kae!” — can be heard in the evenings.
And the gecko itself has little interest in being modest about its appearance. Its patterned body, splashed with bright orange spots, can reach around 15 centimeters in length.
Think of it as 15 centimeters of reptilian protection against evil spirits. Thais call it Tokay, after its characteristic call.
But there is one important rule.
If you hear a Tokay calling during the daytime, people tend to get nervous. Tokays normally sleep during daylight hours. So if one suddenly decides to raise its voice in the middle of the day, it may be interpreted as a warning.
Think twice, as they say.
4. Oriental Garden Lizard
Continue through the garden toward the fence and you may notice something sitting almost invisibly on a branch: the Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor).
This fellow has a remarkable ability to change color, and does it so convincingly that people often mistake it for a chameleon.
It isn't.
It is a lizard.
In Thailand, that makes it a symbol of adaptability — a useful quality in life, particularly in the tropics.
And, like its fellow reptiles, the garden lizard is perfectly happy to make a meal of insects.
It is also, arguably, the most romantic lizard of the bunch.
During mating season, the male's head turns a spectacular red as he tries to attract a female, apparently deciding that reproductive success is worth abandoning all principles of camouflage and personal safety.
The Thai nickname given to it because of its red head translates roughly as “bloodsucker.”
Which is slander.
It doesn't suck blood, and it poses no danger to humans.
Continue through the garden toward the fence and you may notice something sitting almost invisibly on a branch: the Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor).
This fellow has a remarkable ability to change color, and does it so convincingly that people often mistake it for a chameleon.
It isn't.
It is a lizard.
In Thailand, that makes it a symbol of adaptability — a useful quality in life, particularly in the tropics.
And, like its fellow reptiles, the garden lizard is perfectly happy to make a meal of insects.
It is also, arguably, the most romantic lizard of the bunch.
During mating season, the male's head turns a spectacular red as he tries to attract a female, apparently deciding that reproductive success is worth abandoning all principles of camouflage and personal safety.
The Thai nickname given to it because of its red head translates roughly as “bloodsucker.”
Which is slander.
It doesn't suck blood, and it poses no danger to humans.
5. Water Monitor
And now you have reached the edge of the garden.
Ahead lies a body of water.
In the mangrove mud or beneath the shade of banyan trees, something considerably larger is moving slowly, one deliberate step at a time.
Meet the Water Monitor (Varanus salvator).
Or, more accurately, meet the lizard and its enormous tail.
Together, the two can reach around two meters in length.
The water monitor has little interest in attacking humans, but it can become aggressively defensive if it feels threatened.
And its bite is a thoroughly unsanitary proposition.
Water monitors are opportunistic feeders and will happily eat carrion, among other things. Ecologically speaking, this makes them excellent cleaners.
Socially speaking, it makes them rather less appealing neighbors. So if you encounter one, don't annoy it. Just make a polite exit. Locals call the animal hia, and this is a remarkably offensive word in Thai. So offensive, in fact, that its literal use acquired the meaning of something along the lines of “fucking animal.”
At some point, simply mentioning the reptile by name in polite company became somewhat less than elegant.
The King eventually took notice and issued a decree replacing the vulgar name with the considerably more dignified “silver-and-gold creature”, effectively cutting off the association with the offending expression.
The old word, however, has never completely disappeared.
In everyday Thai, hia can still describe someone associated with dirty water, disease, stealing livestock or generally bringing nothing good to the household.
Yet even here, respect survives.
If the animal's name became a swear word, the animal itself did not lose its status. The water monitor is traditionally associated with the spirit of death. And that, frankly, is a position deserving a certain amount of respect.
After all, every sacred place needs a guardian.
And now you have reached the edge of the garden.
Ahead lies a body of water.
In the mangrove mud or beneath the shade of banyan trees, something considerably larger is moving slowly, one deliberate step at a time.
Meet the Water Monitor (Varanus salvator).
Or, more accurately, meet the lizard and its enormous tail.
Together, the two can reach around two meters in length.
The water monitor has little interest in attacking humans, but it can become aggressively defensive if it feels threatened.
And its bite is a thoroughly unsanitary proposition.
Water monitors are opportunistic feeders and will happily eat carrion, among other things. Ecologically speaking, this makes them excellent cleaners.
Socially speaking, it makes them rather less appealing neighbors. So if you encounter one, don't annoy it. Just make a polite exit. Locals call the animal hia, and this is a remarkably offensive word in Thai. So offensive, in fact, that its literal use acquired the meaning of something along the lines of “fucking animal.”
At some point, simply mentioning the reptile by name in polite company became somewhat less than elegant.
The King eventually took notice and issued a decree replacing the vulgar name with the considerably more dignified “silver-and-gold creature”, effectively cutting off the association with the offending expression.
The old word, however, has never completely disappeared.
In everyday Thai, hia can still describe someone associated with dirty water, disease, stealing livestock or generally bringing nothing good to the household.
Yet even here, respect survives.
If the animal's name became a swear word, the animal itself did not lose its status. The water monitor is traditionally associated with the spirit of death. And that, frankly, is a position deserving a certain amount of respect.
After all, every sacred place needs a guardian.
We are in Thailand.
As is often the case in the tropics, the boundary between your home and the surrounding environment is rather theoretical: a few walls, doors and windows.
And yet the extraordinary nature of the Kingdom begins practically inside the house, leading from your hallway straight into endless tropical landscapes teeming with life — and with an impressive variety of classes and species.
Lizards can rightfully be considered the ruling class of your backyard. Given the abundance of insects, they perform an extremely useful regulatory function. To Thai people, these agile little creatures are guardians, neighbors and, occasionally, even swear words.
But let’s take them one at a time.
As is often the case in the tropics, the boundary between your home and the surrounding environment is rather theoretical: a few walls, doors and windows.
And yet the extraordinary nature of the Kingdom begins practically inside the house, leading from your hallway straight into endless tropical landscapes teeming with life — and with an impressive variety of classes and species.
Lizards can rightfully be considered the ruling class of your backyard. Given the abundance of insects, they perform an extremely useful regulatory function. To Thai people, these agile little creatures are guardians, neighbors and, occasionally, even swear words.
But let’s take them one at a time.
1. House Gecko
Sitting in your home, the first creature you are likely to encounter — quite literally on the wall — is the Common House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus).
Small, nimble and a rather fetching shade of greyish green.
Thais call it jing-jok, and its frantic little dashes around the walls seem almost perfectly suited to the name.
During the day, it hides somewhere discreet. But once the sun goes down and the mosquitoes come out, the geckos' working day begins.
Its menu includes practically every household insect you would rather not have around: flies, spiders and all manner of flying things that have somehow found their way inside.
So when a jing-jok suddenly appears on your wall, take it as a good sign. And smile.
Someone is doing pest control for free.
Sitting in your home, the first creature you are likely to encounter — quite literally on the wall — is the Common House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus).
Small, nimble and a rather fetching shade of greyish green.
Thais call it jing-jok, and its frantic little dashes around the walls seem almost perfectly suited to the name.
During the day, it hides somewhere discreet. But once the sun goes down and the mosquitoes come out, the geckos' working day begins.
Its menu includes practically every household insect you would rather not have around: flies, spiders and all manner of flying things that have somehow found their way inside.
So when a jing-jok suddenly appears on your wall, take it as a good sign. And smile.
Someone is doing pest control for free.
A Guide to the Lizards You’re Likely to Meet in Thailand
Top 5 Lizards of Thailand
Original text translated by Claude