Gecko

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A gecko, :, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. It is a carnivorous animal that is likely one of the first lizards you will encounter.

Chatting to a gecko or a monster that appears as one while you are hallucinating gives YAFM.[1][2]

Generation

Randomly generated geckos are always created hostile.

Strategy

Geckos are quite slow at 6 speed, and generally are fairly harmless to deal with unless a starting character is low on HP and/or immobilized by other means (e.g. drinking a random potion, being hit by a wand of sleep, bumping into a floating eye).

History

The gecko first appears in NetHack 3.0.6.

Origin

A gecko is a small, mostly carnivorous lizard that belongs to the infraorder Gekkota, and has a wide distribution in warm climates throughout the world: about 1,500 different species of geckos can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They range from 1.6 to 60 centimetres (0.6 to 23.6 inches), and are unique among lizards for their vocalizations - most geckos use chirping or clicking sounds in their social interactions, and some other species are capable of making hissing noises when alarmed or threatened; Tokay geckos (Gekko gecko) are particularly known for their loud mating calls.

Like most lizards, geckos can detach their tails as a defense mechanism to escape predators - unlike most lizards, they are often nocturnal (with some species being diurnal) and possess excellent night vision, with low-light color vision 350 times more sensitive than human eyes. Many species of gecko are well known for their specialized toe pads, which enable them to grab and climb onto smooth and vertical surfaces, and even cross indoor ceilings with ease; several such as the house gecko make their home inside human habitats, where they are often welcomed and allowed to feed on insect pests, including moths and mosquitoes.

All geckos minus species in the family Eublepharidae lack eyelids: the outer surface of the eyeball instead has a transparent membrane, the brille, and a fixed lens within each iris that enlarges in darkness to let in more light. Since they cannot blink, species without eyelids generally lick their own brilles when they need to clear them of dust and dirt, in order to keep them clean and moist.

GEICO is a private American auto insurance company that uses a gecko with a Cockney accent as its mascot in its various popular commercials, and is the basis for the response printed when speaking to a gecko (or a monster believed to be a gecko) while hallucinating.

Messages

15 minutes could save you 15 <currency>.
You chatted to a gecko or a monster appearing as one while hallucinating.[2]

Encyclopedia entry

See the encyclopedia entry for lizard.

References