Saturday, January 1, 2011

Plastic Bags Can Kill Geckos

Sando plastic bags can kill geckos. So what, you may say, but geckos play a very important role in your home that might change your attitude towards this friendly reptile. Here are facts about geckos that are worth pondering.

Geckos in Homes


Many people dislike the presence of geckos in their homes. They would do anything to shoo off the animal away or get rid of them by killing them. Some animal enthusiasts keep them as pets, however, and enjoy the cold feet and rough skin of the geckos.

What many people don't know is that geckos play a very important role in the house. They get rid of pests in the house because of their feeding habits. They feed on cockroaches, swarmers (these insects are the flying precursors of termite colonies), mosquitoes, centipedes and even rodents. Of course, they could not prey on the big rats; rather, on rat litter. These animals, therefore, should be treated as a friendly member of the house to keep the pests at bay. You just have to be sure that no gecko is on the ceiling when you eat because they might suddenly unload their poop. It also takes patience to sweep their exrements from hidden places they like to stay.

Sando Plastic Bags Can Kill Geckos


Sando plastic bags can kill geckos. How? They mistake sando plastic bags for something else because these plastic bags produce a sound similar to that of a struggling moth.
Just this morning, the author noticed a gecko struggling with a white sando plastic bag. Thinking this would likely kill the animal upon ingesting its "prey", the author tried and eventually removed the plastic bag from the gecko's grasp successfully after a few minutes of chasing and struggling.

 
The photo on the right showed that one end of the sando plastic bag has already made its way into the gecko's gut as evidenced by the soiled portion. As it escaped, the plastic bag was actually gradually ingested by the gecko but the author forced it out of the gecko's mouth.

What Does This Small Incident Mean?


This incident may mean nothing to the non-observant and those who take things lightly and shrug their shoulders about how wastes are being disposed. But there is wisdom in this incident that might have some implications on what is going on in our planet.

Plastics can make its way not only into the diet of geckos but many animals as well. Many sea turtles die due to the ingestion of plastics. Marine animals like the leatherback turtles mistake floating plastic bags for their natural food, the jellyfishes. Just like the geckos, ingestion of plastics can obstruct the gut, lead to absorption of toxins and reduce the absorption of nutrients from their real food (Turtles.org, 2004). According to Earth Resource Foundation, 100,000 marine animals die every year from plastic entanglement.

Banning Plastics


Plastics have already become an integral part of modern society. Many countries have banned the use of plastics. Other countries, however, dislike the idea of banning plastics as a measure to prevent environmental problems associated its use. Plastics which take many forms, are very useful inventions of man which can make life more convenient. It can even save human lives.
Therefore, the real issue that should be dealt with along this concern may not really be to undertake the extreme action of banning all plastics. There are always ways to manage this important product of human innovation.

Source: Plastic Bags Can Kill Geckos: So What?

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