Real geckos are amazing creatures. Check out these
seriously unique facts!
Geckos are the only lizards that have
a voice. Some species of geckos make a squeaking or clicking
noise that sounds like “gecko”…which is of course how they got
their name!
Most geckos have sticky toe pads,
composed of microscopic Velcro-like hooked bristles (called
setae) on the bottom of the feet. A gecko’s bristles allow them
to climb well - even on smooth surfaces or upside down!
A gecko can detach its tail if caught
by a predator, and can grow a new tail later. (Although the
green tree dwelling geckos are more reluctant to do this than
other geckos because they use their tail for climbing.)
Geckos shed their skins (which are
made of small scales) - every six weeks or so in warmer weather.
Geckos have two transparent eyelids
which are permanently fused together. They can’t blink but use
their spoon-like tongues to frequently clean their eyelids.
Most geckos are nocturnal (they are
most active at night) and have excellent vision.
Geckos range in size from 1.5cm to
about 35 cm long. That’s one massive gecko!
Desert geckos have fringed feet that
let them run across sand very easily.
Flying geckos have wide flaps of skin
extending from their stomach and have webbed toes, legs, and
tail that help them glide gracefully through the air!
There are over 800 different kinds of
geckos. They live everywhere in the world except Antarctica
where it is too cold for them. Geckos are cold-blooded which
means they need the suns rays to warm them. Their tiny scales
protect them from the sun.
Geckos are often kept as pets
(especially the Tokay gecko, which is the biggest kind of gecko
in the world).
Geckos hatch from eggs. Females
usually lay 2 white, sticky eggs. The eggs are soft at first,
but harden quickly.
The smaller geckos live for about 15 -
20 years but one type of gecko (called Duvaucel’s) has been
recorded as surviving for 36 years in the wild. Now that’s old!
