Southern Leaf Tailed Gecko

At this time of the year I am especially alert to potentially lethal spiders that lurk in our gardens and right now are running about a bit earlier than usual looking for mates. Over the last week I have been digging trenches for new plumbing and have found a handful of their tunnels so am extra careful in the garden. But you can’t relax inside either, just in case they decide to hide in a shoe or similar. At the other extreme is this placid and very clearly non agitated gecko which tolerated me swinging a shovel past his head for five minutes before I noticed he was there. Hanging  on a vertical brick wall (I have flipped the photo) he was nicely blended into the dappled sunlight, taking on the  reddish tone of the brick - they are normally a darker shade of brown. In the middle of town it is nice to have your own zoo - or in this case a menagerie, for the placid nature of this little beast is more in keeping with the meaning of that word.