What the geck! Father-of-three stunned after baby gecko falls out of bag of chillies from Asda - then starts wriggling around

 Kevin Cuthbert, 53, found the tiny reptile in a bag of Scotch bonnet chillies

A father-of-three found a surprise baby gecko in a bag of chillies bought from a supermarket and was shocked to discover it was still alive and wriggling.

Kevin Cuthbert, 53, bought the packet of red-hot Scotch bonnet chillies from an Asda Superstore in Llandudno.

The bag of spicy vegetables had been in his fridge since the previous week and nearly all of the chillies had been eaten before he made the shocking discovery.

Kevin, from Conwy in Wales, was determined to keep the tiny reptile alive despite it missing its tail.

Kevin Cuthbert, 53, bought a packet of red-hot Scotch bonnet chillies from an Asda Superstore in Llandudno and found a baby gecko wriggling inside

Kevin was determined to keep the tiny reptile alive despite it missing its tail

At only 2.5cm, the baby gecko had survived against the odds and was named Scotty, in reference to the Scotch bonnet chillies.

He popped Scotty in an ice cream tub lined with stones and ordered a delivery of crickets for food.

The father-of-three said: ‘When I found the gecko, it was missing its tail – it must have shed it when it was being packed.

‘After a couple of days I noticed it was growing back, so I thought there was a chance it might survive.

‘I have three young boys and they’re always asking for a pet – a dog or something – and I’ve always said no. Then all of a sudden, one drops onto my worktop, so I had to keep it.’

Inquiries at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, Colwyn Bay, revealed the tiny critter to be a Crocodile Gecko, also known as a Moorish Gecko. Typically they are found in North Africa and Mediterranean countries.

This identification matched place-of-origin labelling on the chillies, which were imported from Spain.

Kevin said he told the store where he had bought the chillies from what he had discovered.

He said: ‘They couldn’t believe it, so I showed them a photo. They told me to bring in it and they’ll send it to the head office. I said I couldn’t do that, it’s still alive!’

Calling on help from other reptile keepers, Kevin placed Scotty’s tub on a tea towel draped over a radiator at his Llandudno home, to keep it warm.

However, further inquiries to Conwy Council’s environmental health team produced worrying news about the risks of the gecko.

Inquiries at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, Colwyn Bay, revealed the tiny critter to be a Crocodile Gecko, also known as a Moorish Gecko

Kevin said: ‘I learned that geckos are big carriers of salmonella and other bacteria.

‘So I immediately cleared out the fridge and scrubbed it clean. From then on, I wore gloves when moving Scotty’s tub.

‘It was worrying I’d already used the other chillies to make savoury rice for the boys. I place the chillies in whole with the rice and let the goodness but not the spiciness soak into the rice, then remove the chillies. I’d not long recovered from food poisoning and I didn’t want them to go through the same thing.’

Feeding Scotty proved to be a tricky task for Kevin, he said: ‘It was hard catching the tiny crickets from their container.

‘I used tweezers to grab them, then had to slam down Scotty’s tub before they jumped out again. But then I noticed he stopped going for them.’

Realising the tub temperature still wasn’t high enough, Kevin went shopping for a specialist reptile heat bulb. By the time he arrived back, Scotty had unfortunately died.

Kevin said: ‘He was stiff as a board. Apparently you have to provide temperatures of 80F-90F (28C-32C).’

Kevin bought a specialist reptile heat bulb and crickets to try and keep the gecko alive

He had managed to keep the baby gecko alive for 10 days after being released from the bag of chillies. Now he wants to discover how it managed to survive days if not weeks sealed inside a bag in chillers, cold storage and his own fridge.

Like other reptiles, geckos can survive colder temperatures by hibernating – but they won’t survive being frozen. Kevin is hoping the Welsh Mountain Zoo will provide answers.

He said: ‘The tub with Scotty is still in the hallway. If the zoo doesn’t want him, we’ll find a nice place in the garden. The boys understand what’s going on.’

Asda has said it has ‘robust’ washing and quality controls for fresh fruit and vegetables. The retailer said that ‘very occasionally, hitchhikers may make their way onto our produce’.

The company has since written to Kevin. As a goodwill gesture, he’s been offered £50 for lost fridge contents and the cost of buying crickets and a heat bulb.

A spokesperson for Asda said: ‘Whilst we have robust washing and quality controls in place, the nature of using fresh fruit and veg means that very occasionally hitchhikers may make their way onto our produce. We are pleased that this customer has accepted a gesture of goodwill.’