Geckos Can Distinguish Their Own Odor From That of Other Members of Their Species by Using Their Tongue

A recent study indicated that geckos can communicate socially, implying that they are more intelligent than previously thought according to new research from the University of Bern.

Self-recognition is the ability to detect stimuli that originate within oneself.

When we look in the mirror, we can visually identify ourselves as humans and animals.

However, not all animals rely solely on their sense of sight.

Geckos, as well as other lizards and snakes, use their tongues to detect chemicals, known as pheromones, from other animals.

Geckos, for example, will pause every now and then to dart their tongues around while climbing a wall.

This allows them to identify potential partners or competitors.

Can geckos detect their own odor and recognize themselves through smell?

Gecko and peppermint odor on cotton swabs

(Photo : CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN/AFP via Getty Images)

In a recent study published in the journal Animal Cognition, researchers at the University of Bern's Institute of Ecology and Evolution investigated whether Tokay geckos can detect and distinguish between skin chemicals produced by themselves and those produced by other geckos of the same sex.

The experiments proved that geckos can do this. During the tests, the animals were more interested in other geckos' skin chemicals than in their own.

This demonstrates that geckos use pheromones to communicate with one another, as per ScienceDaily.

During the experiment, the researchers used cotton swabs to present the geckos with various odors.

These were odors from other geckos or control odors such as water and peppermint, in addition to their own.

The geckos reacted in two ways: on the one hand, they stuck out their tongues in the direction of the odor on the swab, and on the other, they stuck out their tongues in the direction of their own home enclosure.

The researchers interpreted this behavior as an indication that the geckos first detect the odor on the swab and then compare it to their own odor on the enclosure walls.

When confronted with the odor of another gecko, the geckos must compare it more frequently to their own odor.

According to Birgit Szabo, lead author of the study from the Division of Behavioural Ecology at the University of Bern's Institute of Ecology and Evolution, this indicates that they are aware of their own odor.

The team was also able to demonstrate that geckos detect and use the odors of their feces to distinguish themselves from others in an experiment.

Geckos, for example, use pheromones on their excrement to mark their territory.

This is due to the fact that, like many mammals, geckos have preferred areas for defecation in order to communicate their presence.

Also Read: 5 Enthralling Facts About Geckos, Are They Truly Masters of Color?

More social and intelligent than we thought

The study's findings show that geckos use chemicals from their skin and excrement to communicate socially and that they use these chemicals to distinguish themselves from other geckos, as per Phys.org.

Reptiles and lizards are generally regarded as unsocial primitive animals.

Birgit Szabo believes that reptiles are more social and intelligent than previously thought.

Reptiles, particularly geckos, are ideal for studying fundamental questions about the evolution of sociality.

Geckos have a diverse range of social structures and habitats.

This enables us to investigate the interrelationships of cognition, communication, and social living within a small taxonomic group - and compare these to other, more distantly related groups of animals, such as mammals and birds, said Eva Ringler, professor and head of the Division of Behavioural Ecology at the University of Bern.