Apart from their adhesive feet and lasting fame from so many car insurance commercials, it is possible you don't know so much about geckos. And yet this category of over 1,100 species of lizard has a lot of fascinating surprises.
Explore the world of the geckos and gain knowledge on how they stick to ceilings, change color, fly through trees, and even communicate with one another with "barks."
1. Amazing Toes of Geckos Aid Them Stick to Any Surface Excluding Teflon
One of the most well-known talents they have is their ability to hurriedly move with short quick steps along slick surfaces - even across ceilings or glass windows. Teflon is the only surface they can't stick to. Well, dry Teflon. Use water, however, and they can stick even to a surface that seems impossible for them to stick to! Specialized toe pads help them do this.
2. The Eyes of a Gecko Are 350 Times More Sensitive to Light Than That of Humans
Most geckos species are nocturnal, and can hunt actively in the dark.
As per a 2009 study of the helmet gecko, 'Tarentola chazaliae,' differentiate colors in dull moonlight when humans are color blind. The sensitivity of this helmet gecko eye has been estimated to be 350 times higher than the cone vision of humans at the color vision threshold. The essential reasons why they can make use of color vision at low light intensities are because of their optics and the big cones.
Also Read: Sexy or Freaky? This Gecko Gets Naked to Escape Predators
3. Geckos Can Produce Different Sounds for Communication, both Barks, Clicks, and Chirps
Geckos can vocalize, unlike most lizards which can't. They make chirps, clicks, barks, and other sounds to convey information to their fellow geckos.
The importance of the sounds could be to keep competitors away from a territory, to prevent direct fighting, or to attract mates, this depends on the species and condition. But if an odd chirping is ever heard in your house at night, this means you might just have a gecko as a guest.
4. They Are Masters of Color
Chameleons are not the only animal that can change color to fit their surroundings. Geckos can do that also. What's more, they can merge to their environment without even sighting their surroundings!
Domenico Fulgione and his team while studying Moorish geckos found out that they do not blend in with their vision, but instead the skin of their torso. Rather than see, they sense, their surroundings to camouflage themselves, with the use of light-sensitive proteins in the skin called opsins.
5. The Satanic Leaf Gecko Mimics Dead Leaves Perfectly
This species is worth talking about, since not too many geckos are so incredibly well adapted to entirely appear like a leaf - and a demonic leaf, for that matter! This species of gecko resembles dry leaves seen on the forest floor or even among branches.
Related Article: New Gecko Species Literally Jumps Out of Its Own Skin to Escape Predators -- How?
For more news, updates about geckos and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News!