Uninvited house guest

Post by **barrys** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:49 pm

Just found this uninvited guest in the kitchen:

According to our maid, this is really good luck and we're going to have heaps of customers on our boats now.

Hope she's right !!

Spitfire · Post by **Spitfire** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:53 pm

Good size that one is.

As for luck, well, your maid will be getting her lottery ticket numbers off the pattern on the skin and praying infront of it.

Post by **lomuamart** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:20 pm

I'm no herpatologist, but that looks like a krait. Pretty dangerous. (And that's an understatement).

Spitfire · Post by **Spitfire** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:31 pm

At the risk of me sounding stupid.....but isn't a krait a snake?

Post by **lomuamart** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:43 pm

I'm blaming my monitor (not a lizard). It's about 9 years old and is on its last legs.
Viewing pictures can be difficult. The "thing" looked like snake to me

JW · Post by JW » Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:42 pm

CHANG????!!! Mr Lomu by any chance!

sargeant · Post by **sargeant** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:46 pm

Now come on JW there is no way that lizard is an elephant

Post by JD » Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:00 pm

Hope I'm wrong Barry, but two people have now called in 'Tor nging tor thong'.

It is certainly not lucky according to them.

One other person said it is 'tor heeya', I think they meant the crude meaning for 'heeya'.

I've never seen one myself, after those two descriptions, I hope I never do.

Post by **dtaai-maai** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:08 pm

Nice one, Barry. Mrs DM doesn't know what it's called, but apparently we passed one crossing the road in Ratchaburi yesterday...

She wasn't impressed with the good luck theory (maybe that cropped up because it hadn't fallen!) and no mention was made of it being edible, which was a surprise.

I can't ID on the internet. Can anyone give it a real name? (Please don't say 'Archie" etc.)

Post by **dtaai-maai** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:15 pm

OK, breaking news, Mrs DM is now going steadily through her phonebook. There's obviously nothing on TV. She doesn't go with JD's "t-n-t-n", but is plumping for a 'tak-wat' (closest I can come), although apparently they are usually black and white, which would rather suggest it isn't, but who am I to risk my dinner?

Next...

Post by **Vital Spark** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:16 pm

JD's right - in laymen's terms (DM

) it's a water monitor lizard - this one's just a baby. They're nick-named 'tud-toos' at our campus and are crawling around all over the place. The adults are massive (up to 3 metres long) and are quite beautiful in a strange kind of way.

I'm surprised you don't see more of them around your place Barry, but I must say it's a bit odd to find one in the kitchen. Must have heard about the delicious lunches that you serve...

VS

sargeant · Post by **sargeant** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:18 pm

Just in case it doesnt have a name i will name it

Humungussonofabitchus

and JD i have 2 votes for tor heeya although one also said it can be called tor thong

Post by **crazy88** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:21 pm

Looks like a baby monitor to me by the shape of the head and the claws .Never seen such pronounced stripes before .Mayb e a different variety to the water monitors you see on the boat trips Barry or a clouration display if it felt threatened .

Crazy 88

Post by **barrys** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:30 pm

Didn't really mean to start a "what is that" thread!!

It's a very normal young monitor lizard - about 1 metre long.
We've heaps of them down here on the Pranburi River - we regularly see them over 3 metres long on our tours.

But it's the first time we've had one in the house!!

It went to sleep on the top of the kitchen door and then slid under a kitchen cupboard and just didn't want to leave.

We eventually got it out back into the river when it woke up a few hours later!!

There's a lot of superstition associated with them:

Thai people from elsewhere call them "tua heeya" (an abusive term for people also) and swear they bring bad luck.

The locals here refer to them as "tua ngeun tua tawng" (silver and gold animal) and believe that they bring good luck if they enter your property.

Post by **barrys** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:41 pm

Hi crazy88

The reason for the pronounced coloration is that it's a young animal - the colours then tend to fade as the animal gets older.

So it's a normal young amphibious water lizard - officially referred to as varanus salvator.

They really are magnificent creatures - protected here now, though this fact is ignored by some people because they have been a good source of protein in the past.

The Japanese, in particular, also process their skin to make highly sought-after leather goods.