Geckos
Gold dust day gecko
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Lacertilia Family: Gekkonidae Gray, 1825
Subfamilies
Aeluroscalabotinae Eublepharinae Gekkoninae Teratoscincinae Diplodactylinae

Geckos are small to average sized lizards belonging to the family Gekkonidae which are found in warm climates throughout the world. Gold dust day gecko ( Phelsuma laticauda laticauda ( Boettger, 1880 (syn Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Squamata (scaled reptiles is the largest recent order of Reptiles including Lizards and Snakes Members of the order are distinguished by Lizards are a large and widespread group of Reptiles of the order Squamata, with nearly 5000 species and ranging across all continents except John Edward Gray ( 12 February 1800 &ndash 7 March 1875) was a British zoologist. The cat gecko, Aeluroscalabotes felinus, is a Species of Gecko found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand Eublepharinae is a subfamily of the Gekkonidae, or geckos Also called eye-lash geckos, the Eublepharines have more primitive features than other geckos Gekkoninae is a subfamily of Gekkonidae, geckos that contains the following 74 genera: Teratoscincus is a Genus of Geckos commonly referred to as wonder geckos or frog-eyed geckos, it is the only genus within the Diplodactylinae is a subfamily of Gekkonidae. They are found in the range of Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. Lizards are a large and widespread group of Reptiles of the order Squamata, with nearly 5000 species and ranging across all continents except Geckos are unique among lizards in their vocalizations, making chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos. There are 1,196 different species of geckos. ^[1] The name stems from the Indonesian/Javanese word gekok, imitative of its cry. The Malay word for gecko is 'cicak'. Most geckos have no eyelids and instead have a transparent membrane which they lick to clean. Many species will, in defense, expel a foul-smelling material and feces onto their aggressors. Many species have specialized toe pads that enable them to climb smooth and vertical surfaces and even cross indoor ceilings with ease. These antics are well-known to people who live in warm regions of the world, where several species of geckos make their home inside human habitations. These species (for example the house gecko) become part of the indoor menagerie and are seldom really discouraged because they feed on insects (pests). The House Gecko, scientific name Hemidactylus frenatus, is a native of southeastern Asia and the northern parts of Africa

Contents 1 Common traits 2 Common species of gecko 3 In culture 3.1 State symbols 3.2 Corporate symbols 3.3 Video Games 3.4 Literature 3.5 Film and television 3.6 Music 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Common traits

Geckos come in various colors and patterns. Gold dust day gecko ( Phelsuma laticauda laticauda ( Boettger, 1880 (syn Strelitzia is a genus of five species of Perennial plants native to South Africa. Some are subtly patterned, and somewhat rubbery looking, while others can be brightly colored. Some species can change color to blend in with their surroundings or with temperature differences. Some species are parthenogenic, the females capable of reproducing without copulating with a male. Parthenogenesis (from the Greek παρθένος parthenos, "virgin" + γένεσις genesis, "creation" is an asexual form This improves the gecko's ability to spread to new islands.

The toes of the gecko have attracted a lot of attention,as they adhere to a wide variety of surfaces, without the use of liquids or surface tension. Recent studies of the spatula tipped setae on gecko footpads demonstrate that the attractive forces that hold geckos to surfaces are van der Waals interactions between the finely divided setae and the surfaces themselves. Seta (plural setae) is a biological term derived from the Latin word for " Bristle " The Van der Waals equation is an Equation of state that can be derived from a special form of the potential between a pair of molecules (hard-sphere repulsion A single foot of a gecko can contain almost 500,000 setae each about twice the diameter of a human hair, i. e. 100 millionths of a meter, and each of these is in turn tipped with between 100 and 1,000 spatulae. Each spatula is 200 billionths of a meter long, or just below the wavelength of visible light. ^[2] These kinds of interactions involve no fluids; in theory, a boot made of synthetic setae would adhere as easily to the surface of the International Space Station as it would to a living room wall, although adhesion varies with humidity and is dramatically reduced under water, suggesting a contribution from capillarity. Synthetic setae emulate the Setae found on the toes of a Gecko and scientific research in this area is driven towards the development of Dry adhesives Geckos Capillary action, capillarity, capillary motion, or wicking is the ability of a substance to draw another substance into it ^[3] The setae on the feet of geckos are also self cleaning and will usually remove any clogging dirt within a few steps. ^[4][5] Teflon, which is specifically engineered to resist van der Waals forces, is the only known surface to which a gecko cannot stick. Teflon is a Registered trademark and Brand name of the DuPont company for products made from three types of fluorine-containing polymers ( Fluoropolymers ^[6]

Geckos' toes seem to be "double jointed", but this is a misnomer. Their toes actually bend in the opposite direction from our fingers and toes. This allows them to overcome the van der Waals force by peeling their toes off surfaces from the tips inward. In essence, this peeling action alters the angle of incidence between millions of individual setae and the surface, reducing the van der Waals force. Geckos' toes operate well below their full attractive capabilities for most of the time. This is because there is a great margin for error depending upon the roughness of the surface, and therefore the number of setae in contact with that surface. Roughness is a measure of the texture of a Surface. It is quantified by the vertical deviations of a real surface from its ideal form If a typical mature 70 g gecko had every one of its setae in contact with a surface, it would be capable of holding aloft a weight of 133 kg:^[7] each spatula can exert an adhesive force of 10 nN. Seta (plural setae) is a biological term derived from the Latin word for " Bristle " The newton (symbol N) is the SI derived unit of Force, named after Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on Classical ^[3]

The family Gekkonidae is divided into five subfamilies, containing numerous genera of gecko species. In Biological classification, family ( Latin A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Many geckos are kept as pets and will eat various kinds of insects and sometimes fruit. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. They change their sexes in different seasons. Geckos are found (rarely) in the Galapagos Islands.

Common species of gecko

• Bibron's gecko, Pachydactylus bibroni — Native to Southern Africa, this hardy arboreal gecko is relatively common as a pet. Bibron's gecko is a moderate-sized Gecko that when fully grown reaches between 6 and 8 inches Arboreal is a word meaning "related to or resembling trees"
• Crested gecko, Rhacodactylus ciliatus — Believed extinct until re-discovered in 1994. The New Caledonian Crested Gecko, Guichenot's Giant Gecko or Eyelash Gecko, Rhacodactylus ciliatus, is a species of Gecko native to southern Gaining in popularity as a pet. Unlike most other geckos, it prefers room temperature and is omnivorous.
• Crocodile gecko or Moorish gecko (due to their crocodile like looks. The Moorish gecko ( Tarentola mauritanica Linneus 1758 also known as Salamanquesa, Crocodile gecko, European common gecko ), Tarentola mauritanica — Crocodile geckos are very strong and heavily built for their size usually growing up to 15. 24 cm (6 in). A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. They are commonly found in the Mediterranean region from the Iberian Peninsula and southern France to Greece and northern Africa. The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Their most distinguishing characteristic is their pointed head and spiked skin with their tail resembling that of a crocodile's. A crocodile is any Species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the Subfamily Crocodylinae)
• Cyrtopodion brachykolon; commonly known as "bent-toed gecko", found in north-western Pakistan. Cyrtopodion brachykolon is a species of Gecko, also known as "bent-toed gecko" Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and
• Gargoyle gecko, Rhacodactylus auriculatus — commonly known as the New Caledonian bumpy gecko or gargoyle gecko. New Caledonian bumpy gecko or gargoyle gecko, Rhacodactylus auriculatus, is a Species of Gecko found only on the southern end of the island
• Gold dust day gecko (Phelsuma laticauda laticauda (Boettger, 1880) (syn. Gold dust day gecko ( Phelsuma laticauda laticauda ( Boettger, 1880 (syn Pachydactylus laticauda Boettger, 1880)) is a diurnal subspecies of geckos. It lives in northern Madagascar and on the Comoros.
• Golden gecko, Gekko ulikovskii — native to the warm rainforests of Vietnam. Gekko ulikovskii, or the Golden Gecko, is native to the humid tropical rainforests of Vietnam.
• House gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus — A species that thrives around man and human habitation structures in the tropics and subtropics world wide. The House Gecko, scientific name Hemidactylus frenatus, is a native of southeastern Asia and the northern parts of Africa
• Indo-Pacific gecko, Hemidactylus garnotii — Also known as a fox gecko because of its long, narrow snout. Indo-Pacific Gecko or Garnot's House Gecko Hemidactylus garnotii is a species of Gecko. This species is found in houses throughout the tropics. This gecko may eat leafcutter ants. Leafcutter ants are social Insects found in warmer regions of the Americas.
• New Caledonian giant gecko, Rhacodactylus leachianus — first described by Cuvier in 1829, is the largest of the Rhacodactylus geckos. The New Caledonian Giant Gecko, Leach's Giant Gecko or Leochianus gecko ( Rhacodactylus leachianus) is a large Species of
• Leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius — The most common gecko kept as a pet is the leopard gecko, which does not have toe pads with setae, but rather claws. The Leopard gecko ( Eublepharis macularius) is a Nocturnal ground-dwelling Gecko found in the deserts of Pakistan, Western India, These enable it to more easily climb on rough surfaces like tree bark. This gecko cannot climb the glass of a terrarium. A vivarium (Latin literally for "place of life" plural vivaria or vivariums) is an area usually enclosed for keeping and raising animals or The leopard gecko tends to be docile and calm. This gecko can eat butterworms, cockroaches, crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and superworms. Butterworms, like Mealworms are used as Food for Insectivore pets such as Geckos and other Reptiles as their scent and bright color Cockroaches (or simply "roaches" are Insects of the order Blattaria. Crickets, family Gryllidae (also known as "true crickets" are Insects somewhat related to Grasshoppers and more closely related to katydids Mealworms are the Larval form of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling Beetle. Waxworms are the Larvae of the Pyralidae (wax moths. There are two related species the lesser wax moth ( Achroia grisella) and the greater Zophobas morio is a species of Darkling beetle, whose Larvae are known by the common name superworm or zophobas.
• Mediterranean gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus — residential and wild, introduced species (USA). Mediterranean House Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus is a species of Gecko.
• Mourning gecko, originally and East Asian and Pacific species, Lepidodactylus lugubris is equally at home in the wild as in residential neighborhoods. The Mourning Gecko or Common Smooth-Scaled Gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris is a species of Gecko. Found in Hawaii, it may have been an early Polynesian introduction. The Hawaiian Islands, once known as the Sandwich Islands, form an Archipelago of 19 Islands and Atolls numerous smaller A parthenogenic species. There is a report from Hawaii of someone having seen a larger gecko of this type eating a smaller one (or rather, running away from view with a smaller gecko halfway out of its mouth) on two occasions.
• Ptychozoon, — a genus of arboreal gecko from Southeast Asia, known as Flying Geckos or Parachute Geckos, has wing-like flaps from the neck to the upper leg, to help it conceal itself on trees and provide lift while jumping. Ptychozoon is a Genus of Arboreal Gecko from Southeast Asia, known as Flying Geckos or Parachute Geckos.
• Stump-toed gecko, Gehyra mutilata (Peropus mutilatus) — This gecko, commonly referred to as a Gheckl, can vary its color from very light to very dark to blend into a background. The four-clawed gecko ( Gehyra mutilata, also known as the stump-toed gecko, tender-skinned house gecko, sugar lizard, or Pacific gecko At home in the wild as well as in residential neighborhoods.
• Tree gecko, Hemiphyllodactylus typus — Tree geckos are forest dwellers. The Indopacific Tree Gecko or Common Dwarf Gecko Hemiphyllodactylus typus is a species of Gecko found in South Asia and islands in the
• Tokay gecko, Gekko Gecko — a large, common, Southeast Asian gecko known for its aggressive temperament, loud mating calls, and bright markings. The Tokay Gecko ( Gekko gecko) is a Nocturnal Arboreal Gecko, ranging from northeast India and Bangladesh, throughout
• Western banded gecko, Coleonyx variegatus — Native to southwestern United States and northwest Mexico. The Western Banded Gecko (Coleonyx variegatus, is a species of Gecko found in the Southwestern United States (southern California, southwest

In culture

State symbols

• The Gold dust day gecko is the un-official Hawaiian state reptile. Gold dust day gecko ( Phelsuma laticauda laticauda ( Boettger, 1880 (syn The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the

Corporate symbols

• In the past few years, geckos have entered into the consciousness of the USA as the advertising icon for the insurance company GEICO, whose advertisements feature an animated anthropomorphic gecko (of the Phelsuma genus) that speaks English with an East London accent. An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. The Government Employees Insurance Company, usually known by the Acronym GEICO, is an American Auto insurance company Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely Human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings natural and supernatural phenomena material states and objects Day Geckos are small Lizards of the genus Phelsuma in the Gecko family English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States East London is the name commonly given to the north eastern part of London, England on the north side of the River Thames.
• The current mascot of SUSE Linux distribution is a gecko called Geeko, also known as the "SUSE Lizard", but is a Chameleon for the shape. SUSE (ˈsuːsə German ˈzuːzə is a major retail Operating system, produced worldwide and supported by Novell Inc Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are squamates that belong to one of the best-known Lizard families
• The logo of the car builder Wiesmann is a gecko. Wiesmann is an Automobile manufacturer in Germany. The company was founded in 1985 by the brothers Martin Wiesmann (graduate engineer and Friedhelm

Video Games

• Gex is an anthropomorphic, wise-cracking gecko and the protagonist of the GEX video game series. Gex is a Platformer Video game series developed by Crystal Dynamics, that details the adventures of a Gecko named Gex Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely Human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings natural and supernatural phenomena material states and objects Gex is a 2D, Platformer Video game, developed and published by Crystal Dynamics.
• The Pokémon Treecko, and its evolved forms Grovyle and Sceptile are based on the gecko, and so is the Neopet Techo. If you came here to express your personal opinion about Pokémon please go somewhere else At the core of the multi-billion dollar Pokémon Media franchise of various electronic games, ongoing anime, several manga series, At the core of the multi-billion dollar Pokémon Media franchise of various electronic games, ongoing anime, several manga series, At the core of the multi-billion dollar Pokémon Media franchise of various electronic games, ongoing anime, several manga series, Neopets (originally NeoPets) is a virtual pet Website launched by Adam Powell and Donna Williams on 15 November 1999

Literature

• A gecko called Geronimo features in the book My Family and Other Animals by the celebrated naturalist Gerald Durrell. My Family and Other Animals is an autobiographical work by naturalist Gerald Durrell, telling of his childhood spent on the Greek island Gerald ('Gerry' Malcolm Durrell OBE ( January 7, 1925 &ndash January 30, 1995) was a naturalist, Zookeeper
• Edgar, a character from the webcomic Pandect is an Ace of Blue and White geckos. He is possibly a piebald blue gecko. A piebald is an animal especially a Horse, that has a spotting pattern of large white and black patches
• In the book Spud, the narrator's friend (who dies of malaria) is named Gecko (due to the fact that he's always sick). Spud is the title of a 2005 book by South African author actor playwright and producer John Howard van de Ruit.

Film and television

• In the anime and manga One Piece, one of the character is named Gecko Moria, and has a Gecko theme. is a Japanese Shōnen Manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, that has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine
• In the horror film Aberration there were mutated geckos.
• In the animated film Madagascar there is a dancing Gecko used as the King Lemur's new crown
• the Malaysian superhero Cicak-Man is designed based on the gecko; cicak is Malay for gecko. Cicak Man (tɕɪtɕak mæn ''chee'-chuck man'') is a 2006 Malaysian comedy-superhero film
• the character for the Geico commercials is a gecko. The Government Employees Insurance Company, usually known by the Acronym GEICO, is an American Auto insurance company
• In TV-sitcom Frasier episode The First Temptation Of Daphne Niles and Frasier use a gecko to catch a cricket in Frasier's apartment. Frasier is an American sitcom, a Spin-off of Cheers starring Kelsey Grammer as

Music

• The horrorcore rap artist Geckolands often references geckos in his songs, mostly in his first album.

Gallery

A Mediterranean House Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) in Texas, USA	A gecko of the genus Cnemaspis from the Western Ghats	A Hemidactylus gecko	Close-up of Hemidactylus claws
Juvenile Leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius)	Northland green gecko, Naultinus grayii, New Zealand	Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko)	Leaf Tailed Gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus)
Bottom view of a gecko. Mediterranean House Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus is a species of Gecko. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Cnemaspis is a genus of diurnal Gecko found in Asia. Description They have slender clawed digits which are cylindrical The Western Ghats ( Kannada ಸಹ್ಯಾದ್ರಿ Marathi / Konkani - सह्याद्री Sahyadri Malayalam സഹ്യപര്‍വ്വതം Hemidactylus is a genus of the Gecko family It is the second most speciose genus in the family Hemidactylus is a genus of the Gecko family It is the second most speciose genus in the family The Leopard gecko ( Eublepharis macularius) is a Nocturnal ground-dwelling Gecko found in the deserts of Pakistan, Western India, The Northland green gecko, Naultinus grayii, is a Gecko found only in the Northland region of New Zealand, north of Whangaroa The Northland green gecko, Naultinus grayii, is a Gecko found only in the Northland region of New Zealand, north of Whangaroa New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Uroplatus fimbriatus is a Gecko which is found in eastern Madagascar and on the islands Nosy Bohara and Nosy Mangabe.	Small Gecko in L'Escala, Spain	A gecko in Kapiolani Park, Honolulu, Hawaii	Agamura persica hatching
Moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) in Greece	Moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) in Greece

See also

• Geckel

References

1. ^ http://www.star-telegram.com/629/story/256481.html
2. ^ Kellar Autumn; Metin Sitti; Yiching A. L'Escala is a Municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Alt Empordà in Catalonia, Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Kapiolani Regional Park is the largest and oldest public park in Hawai{{okina}}i, located in Honolulu Hawai{{okina}}i on the east end of Waikīkī. Honolulu is the Capital and most populous Census-designated place (CDP in the U Agamura persica (Duméril 1856 commonly known Persian Spider Gecko, hails from semi-desert regions of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan The Moorish gecko ( Tarentola mauritanica Linneus 1758 also known as Salamanquesa, Crocodile gecko, European common gecko The Moorish gecko ( Tarentola mauritanica Linneus 1758 also known as Salamanquesa, Crocodile gecko, European common gecko Geckel is a super-sticky adhesive that can attach to both wet and dry surfaces Liang; Anne M. Peattie; Wendy R. Hansen; Simon Sponberg; Thomas W. Kenny; Ronald Fearing; Jacob N. Israelachvili; Robert J. Full. Evidence for van der Waals adhesion in gecko setae. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 2002, 99, 12252-12256. doi:10.1073/pnas.192252799
3. ^ ^{a b} H. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. Lee et al. 2007. A reversible wet/dry adhesive inspired by mussels and geckos. Nature 448: 338-341. Nature is a prominent Scientific journal, first published on 4 November 1869 (19 July)
4. ^ PNAS study
5. ^ How Geckos Stick to Walls
6. ^ Research
7. ^ Kellar Autumn, Scientific American: Ask the experts. Accessed 5 June 2007

• Forbes, Peter (4th Estate, London 2005) 'The Gecko's Foot - Bio Inspiration: Engineered from Nature' ISBN 0-00-717990-1 in H/B

External links

• Gekkonids
• How Geckos Stick to Walls
• Comprehensive leopard gecko information
• Gecko Resource Forums
• Comprehensive Gecko Care Information
• Global gecko association site with pictures, caresheets, species list
• Leopard Gecko Care
• Josh Ellis and Katie Francis
• Leopard Gecko Care/Breeder
• Gecko anatomy picture
• The Gecko's Foot
• Artificial Gecko feet for a Spiderman suit (BBC 2007-08-28)
• Leopard gecko pictures, breeding, care sheet, chronology

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