Geckos are one of the most fascinating and unusual groups of lizards that capture the imagination of many, myself included! Often they are small in size but big in personality, and some of the most flamboyant colouration seen in reptiles! Here are my top 10 facts about geckos!
Climbing
One of the most well-known special abilities of geckos is the ability to climb vertical surfaces, walls and glass - these animals can stick to almost anything!
This is achieved by microscopic hairs called setae which cover the underside of their toes. Millions cover each toe and create van der Waals forces - an interaction between molecules on a near-atomic level.
Spiderman has nothing on geckos!! Although not all have this ability, it is very common. Why would a gecko need to stick to something as smooth as glass? The answer is in their habitat, many rainforest leaves have a waxy layer to allow rain to flow down to the roots of the plant, and so geckos have adapted to walk over them!
Tail Regeneration
Geckos can drop their tail at will, a common defence mechanism that comes at a cost and is the last line of defence.
Should a predator successfully catch a gecko, the gecko can willingly allow their tail to break off and wriggle around by itself. This often gets the predator's attention so the gecko can make a break for freedom.
Some geckos can regenerate new tails within a few months; others cannot, so it's a one-time survival strategy.
Parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis means animals can have babies by themselves, a survival strategy for when an animal lives where finding a partner is hard.
The female gecko can self-fertilise her eggs and the babies are genetically identical to the mother. Yes, some geckos can clone themselves!
Long Lives
Geckos can be pretty long-living animals, especially given their size. One of the longest-living geckos is also one of the largest (and my personal favourite). The New Caledonian giant gecko can reach 15 inches long, and according to literature they will live for 30 years but I know someone who has a 55-year-old individual still laying eggs! Given the animal's overall condition, it may live for 60-70 years!
Did you know? The New Caledonian giant gecko pairs up for life, an unusual behaviour for any reptile!
Active Camouflage
Nearly all geckos can change their colour through special cells called chromatophores which can expand, contract and overlap each other thus producing different colours. For the most part, this allows geckos to match certain colours around them and allows for superb camouflage.
Colour changing is also used as a form of communication and for temperature regulation. If a gecko is too hot it can turn a lighter colour and reflect some heat and likewise, if they are too cold they can turn a darker colour which would allow them to absorb more heat.
The Madagascan leaf tailed geckos probably are the best examples of camouflage within the gecko family, they seamlessly blend into the mossy branches they inhabit.
Spectacular Colours
Not all geckos use colours for camouflage, many use bright colours to attract a mate. The most impressive has to be the electric blue day gecko from Tanzania. The male of the species is neon!
It's not just one of the most stunning geckos, it's one of the most stunning lizards in the world. Sadly it's only found in the Kimboza forest reserve and has an extremely small natural distribution and therefore at great risk of extinction in the wild (classed as critically endangered).
All day geckos are beautiful with mixtures of greens and reds but the 'glowing' blue seen in this species makes it stand out amongst the others.
Flying Geckos
Yes, some geckos can fly...well, glide really well!
The flying gecko found in South-East Asia is cryptically coloured, hiding on the trunks of trees hunting small insects, however, if a predator spots it, it has an ace up its sleeve. This gecko has unique folds of skin along its flanks and even along its tail which gives it a huge surface area ratio to its body and allows them to glide long distances to safety. Having a specifically flattened body also gives it an aerodynamic shape to help it move with more precision.
Extraordinary Eyes
Geckos have some of the most beautiful eyes in the animal kingdom, they also have some incredible functions.
Many geckos have a vertical pupil, which gives excellent night vision. Their eyes are so well adapted for a nocturnal lifestyle that they are 350 times more sensitive to light than our eyes!
They have specialized rod cells in their eye which allows for colour vision at night! More impressive yet, their eyes are tetrachromatic - they can see a wider spectrum of colours than us too (our eyes are only trichromatic).
Parental Care
Unlike most reptiles that lay their eggs and abandon them, many geckos exhibit some levels of parental care. Both males and females often work as guardians protecting the eggs until they hatch, this is when the care ends. This is a great advantage as it will increase the odds of them surviving. Geckos can only lay 2 eggs at a time so it's a considerable investment from the parents.
Not all geckos lay eggs however, some give live birth to their young (like the greater and lesser rough-snouted gecko), which may live with the parents until large enough to survive by themselves.
Vocalisations
Geckos are a noisy bunch, quite impressive given how silent most other reptiles tend to be. Squeaks, squarks, chirping and barking sounds can be heard from many species. The reasons for these strange sounds are many - declaration of territory, attracting a mate warning off predators to name a few.
Did you know? The Tokay gecko received its name from the sound it makes, 'Too-Kay'. The sound is made to alert other geckos to its presence.
Geckos are a truly awesome group of lizards, some of the most charismatic, beautiful and packed to the brim with unusual evolutionary adaptations. What's not to love about them!?