Baby gecko discovered alive in dad's bag of frozen chillies - and gets new home

26 January 2024 , 23:17

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A dad was astonished to find a baby gecko in a bag of chillies bought from Asda (Image: DAILY POST WALES)

A dad who discovered a live baby gecko in his Asda bag of frozen chillies managed to keep it alive in an ice cream tub - and even gave it a name.

Kevin Cuthbert was left stunned after the critter dropped from the bag onto his kitchen worktop. But his initial shock was still not enough to prepare him for when the reptile began wriggling and showing signs of life.

The dad-of-three from Llandudno, North Wales, had bought the bag of Scotch bonnet chillies a week earlier and they'd been mostly eaten except for one when he made the bizarre discovery. But after noticing signs of life, the 53-year-old was determined to keep his new pet going, and ordered a delivery of crickets to keep it alive.

Named Scotty after the chillies it was found hitchhiking in, the tiny gecko was kept going in an ice cream tub lined with stones. "When I found the gecko, it was missing its tail," he told North Wales Live. "It must have shed it when it was being packed."

"After a couple of days I noticed it was growing back, so I thought there was a chance it might survive. I have three young boys and they're always asking for a pet – a dog or something – and I've always said no. Then all of a sudden, one drops onto my worktop, so I had to keep it."

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Experts at nearby Welsh Mountain Zoo were able to determine the family's new pet was a crocodile gecko, also known as a Moorish gecko which is typically found in North Africa and the Mediterranean, coinciding with the chillies which were imported from Spain.

Scotty miraculously survived the journey inside the bag of frozen veg (DAILY POST WALES)

Sadly he was unable to survive the rest of his ordeal (DAILY POST WALES)

"I went back to the store to tell them what I'd found," said Kevin. "They couldn't believe it, so I showed them a photo. They told me to bring in it and they'll send it to the head office. I said I couldn't do that, it's still alive!"

But Scotty's Welsh adventure would soon harbour worrying news, after Kevin's local council environmental team revealed geckos are known carriers of salmonella and other bacteria. The dad said he immediately cleaned out his freezer, making sure to wear gloves when moving the ice cream tub.

Feeding the gecko was more problematic than feeding the boys. Losing a tail can be costly for reptiles but US researchers found that, despite being more clumsy without them, they retain the ability to hunt. In trials, geckos successfully captured crickets about 77% of the time with or without tails.

"It was hard catching the tiny crickets from their container," said Kevin. "I used tweezers to grab them, then had to slam down Scotty's tub before they jumped out again. But then I noticed he stopped going for them."

Experts identified him as a crocodile gecko (DAILY POST WALES)

Sadly things took a sad turn when Kevin went shopping for a specialist reptile heat bulb, only to come home and find Scotty had died. "He was stiff as a board," said Kevin. "Apparently you have to provide temperatures of 80F-90F (28C-32C)."

He'd managed to keep the baby gecko alive for 10 days after being released from its bag of chillies. Now he wants to discover how it managed to survive days if not weeks sealed inside a bag in chillers, cold storage and his own fridge.

Like other reptiles, geckos can survive colder temperatures by hibernating – but they won't survive being frozen. Kevin is hoping the Welsh Mountain Zoo will provide answers.

"The tub with Scotty is still in the hallway," he said. "If the zoo doesn't want him, we'll find a nice place in the garden. The boys understand what's going on."

Asda has said it has "robust" washing and quality controls for fresh fruit and vegetables. The retailer said that "very occasionally, hitchhikers may make their way onto our produce".

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The company has since written to Kevin. As a goodwill gesture, he's been offered £50 for lost fridge contents and the cost of buying crickets and a heat bulb.

Susie Beever