My own private zoo

Three days ago, I noticed a tiny black undefined spot on the ceiling of the living room. At first, I thought it was a spider (I’ve been killing a few the last week, as they are coming in during the cooler evenings). A closer look was needed to identify it. After climbing the ladder – the walls are 3,5 m high – it occurred to be a cricket.

It is not moving. Yesterday evening it chanted weakly for 10 minutes. I’m wondering whether it is ill or it is spending the winter here ? Should it not be eating ? What does a cricket eat ? As I don’t know and the locals do not know neither, I decided to leave it be and observe it.

Last week, the tiny lizard living downstairs at the entrance came up to the first floor. It has grown bigger and is now about 8 cm head to tail. I like lizards. They eat the insects in the house. I hope it will become bigger and stronger and will keep us company for a long time.

At night a bat is flying around the balconies and the staircase. It also eats the insects, so very welcome.

And when we are cooking chicken, the neighbour’s cat is constantly trying to get in It has become easy for her to come onto the balcony, as the neighbour of the adjoining house has been building a second floor. This means that from now on, the door will be shut, when not at home. I am allergic to cats and I don’t want her to come in.

From time to time, I spot a mouse at the entrance downstairs. This is not a surprise. The fields and gardens are crawling with mice. The cats do not have to be fed here. There is enough running around. And not only for the cats.

Yesterday, A snake of about a meter long was killed right next to the house. It was killed with a rock, as is the habit here. I did not see it, but witnesses say it was about 1 meter long and few centimetres in diameter. It had the colour of cucumbers. Perfect camouflage, as the fields behind the house are still filled with cucumber plants.

I must say I heard the snake moving away when I was visiting on the other side of the field one night. I always forget to take a flashlight. Well, I think about it when I am in the middle of the field and am too lazy to go back to get it. Will probably think about it sooner for a while. At the same time, I am not really worried. It is getting too cold at night for the snakes to be active after dark.

Together with the birds living and nesting in the walls, these are the members of my own private zoo. I will be adding some chicken soon. Thinking about some tortoises. And the dogs are a (mid)long term project.

Having dogs is a delicate matter here. For Muslims, dogs are the lowest creature on earth. When they touch it, they have to wash their hands 7 times. This is because in the Koran is written that dogs carry a disease with them that makes the children go bald.

At the same time, this is Bedouin country, and Anatolian shepherd dogs are kept to guard the sheep. Regularly puppies are available and when a wall is built around the garden, I will have enough space for a few dogs to run around. I’m prepared to keep some sheep, as an excuse ;-)