Gecko – small lizard
Geckos are small lizards known for their incredible climbing ability. There are about 650 species of gecko. They live in warm areas of the world.
They are 3 to 15 centimeters long, including the tail. Geckos are gray, brown, dirty white and green. The texture and color of a gecko’s skin provides excellent camouflage.
They can climb very well. Each of its toes has thousands of tiny hairs on the bottom. At the end of each hair are hundreds of even tinier pads. As a gecko climbs, these pads spread out to create a strong sticking power. They are able to climb up polished glass walls and even run across ceilings. Unique legs of geckos allow them to hold weight, which is ten times greater than their own. Thus, a lizard weighing only 50 g can hold a load of 2 kg on its legs.
Geckos usually are active at night, when they feed on insects, including beetles, flies, crickets, spiders, and ants. Large species often eat small lizards, nestlings of birds and even sweet fruits.
They are the only lizards with a true voice. The Australian barking gecko barks and lunges even at humans. The Monito geckos are quite vocal—they croak, bark, squeak, and make clicking noises.
Geckos can run at speeds up to 1 meter per second even on the ceiling.
Geckos use their tongues to help capture prey and some use their tongues to clear their eye scales of dust and debris.
They are cold-blooded creatures and draw their body heat from their environment by basking in direct sunlight or on warm surfaces.
Geckos make popular house pets, since they are harmless, relatively unafraid of humans, and provide effective and natural control of insect pests such as the cockroach.
Geckos may live as long as 15 years in their natural environment.
The tail of a satanic leaf gecko looks like a fallen leaf.
There are individuals with red eyes which live in fallen leaves in dimly lit places.
The Turkish gecko has a tummy almost as transparent as glass.
New Zealand green geckos have a body completely painted in green, while their mouths and tongues can be red, blue, orange, black, pink or yellow!
The cat gecko is named so because of its habit of sleeping, turning its tail, just like a cat. This gecko uses claws and tail when climbing trees.