Geckos–Lizards that can walk up the walls–up glass windows and across the ceiling, as well!
We can find them in warm climates (mostly the tropics–but also in desert areas in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas), geckos are amazing critters! They come from the family of Gekkonidae, their toe pads enables them to run across walls, across ceilings, and even on glass windows.
But that’s not all the amazing things that geckos can do…
Unlike most other lizards that can only hiss (monitors and crocodilians can also make a variety of noises), geckos can vocalize — they make chirping sounds whensocializing with other geckos. Their name comes from Malayan word, gekoq–which imitates their cry.
They can also lick their eyes with their tongue, because they havetransparent membrane with no eyelids.
If you try to catch one and grab only their tail, the tail pops off and wiggles to distract you with the grossness while the gecko safely takes off and hides.
This is one of the ways they keep predators from getting the whole meal–better to lose the tail rather than lose the whole life. Not to worry, however–the tail eventually grows back so it can do this again.
Another way some species try to discourage predators is that they discharge a smell that confuses the enemy.
Also… some types are parthenogenic, and the females can lay fertile eggs even without having to mate with a male. This givegecko the power to spread on the scattered islands of the Pacific and Atlantic and to other isolated geographic areas. (This characteristic is also shared by the monitors.)
We can find as pets and you will it interesting that they eat various kinds of insects and even fruit.
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Geckos among us…
Learn more about them…Geckos are known to all the people living in regions with the warm climate and where somegroup of geckos settle in.These geckos stay in their homes and are rarely discouraged because the geckos feed on insect pests such as mosquitos, cockroaches, ants, and moths.
Colors vary from gecko to gecko and same goes for patterns. While some are patterned, and somehow rubbery looking, others are camouflaged to blend in with foliage and dried leaves, while we can find colored ones as well. Did you know that some of them change color, which helps them blend into surroundings they live in.
Fun with Sticky Paws!
In some tropical Asian areas, young boys have been known to tie a string around the waist of a gecko… and then the boys wait on a bridge over a walkway lower the gecko onto the hats of passersby.
When the gecko reaches the hat, it latches on with its sticky paws… and the boys can easily (with the help of the gecko, of course) lift off the hat. It makes a great prank… (And you can collect a lot of hats this way).
Geckos… Not Only in Tropical Asia, but Also in the Deserts of China, Africa, Australia, and the Americas!
These little guys get around!
To remember: The American Indians (Native Americans) have included geckos in their legends and paintings.