When Makenna Beckman and her husband moved into their house about a year ago, they quickly noticed all the geckos running around on their porch. As soon as the couple got too close, the geckos would get skittish and run away — except for one.
One gecko, who was missing a tail, wasn’t afraid of the couple. He seemed curious and let them get close to him, so they started offering him bits of fruit. These acts of kindness built trust for the little gecko, whom the couple named Tailless, and as time went on, he became more and more comfortable with his new neighbors.
“We soon began recognizing him not only because of his missing tail, but because of the way he would actually look directly at us,” Beckman told The Dodo. “He has an intelligence and
curiosity about him that feels so different from the other geckos. He’s funny, curious, and naturally trusting.”
Over time, Tailless’ tail grew back, but the name stuck. His bond with Beckman and her husband grew stronger and stronger. Every time they open their door, he comes running — if he’s not already sitting there waiting for them.
“There are some days when he doesn’t feel like climbing all over me, but most of the time he’s always happy to see both me and my husband,” Beckman said. “He’ll jump from my hand to my husband’s hand and back again like he’s just hanging out with us.”
The couple doesn’t let Tailless inside the house, mostly because they don’t want him to get hurt. The gecko has a habit of disappearing, and they don’t want to accidentally step on him or lose him. They spend as much time outside with him as they can, though, and every time they see him, he’s just as thrilled.
“We’ve even come back from trips before and he’ll seem extra excited to see us, almost clingier than usual,” Beckman said. “Sometimes in the mornings, we’ll catch him staring through the screen door, waiting for us to come outside and hang out with him.”
Beckman posted about her friendship with Tailless on social media, and people have started calling the pair Rapunzel and Pascal from the movie "Tangled." It’s been the most unexpected friendship and brings everyone involved so much joy.
