Latest Gecko Stories
Humidity softens setae to tighten gecko's gripHuman adhesives are famed for their fallibility. Gooey glues soon lose their grip, are easily contaminated and leave residues behind. But not gecko feet. Geckos can cling on repeatedly to the smoothest surfaces thanks to the self-cleaning microscopic spatula-shaped hairs (setae) that coat the soles of their feet. Back in 2002, Kellar Autumn found that these dry hairs are in such intimate contact with surfaces that the reptiles 'glue' themselves...
Geckos inspire new method to print electronics on complex surfacesGeckos are masters at sticking to surfaces of all kinds and easily unsticking themselves, too. Inspired by these lizards, a team of engineers has developed a reversible adhesion method for printing electronics on a variety of tricky surfaces such as clothes, plastic and leather.Researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign designed a clever square polymer stamp that allows them to...
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Gecko Hospitality, the nation's leading firm for high level management recruiting in the hospitality industry, is honored to announce their inclusion as #2213 in the prestigious 2010 Inc. 5000's list for fastest growing companies in America. This honor is particularly commendable as it is Gecko Hospitality's second appearance on the list since 2008, showing a remarkable 3 year growth rate of 116%. (Logo:...
The science behind gecko toes holds the answer to a dry adhesive that provides an ideal grip for robot feet. Stanford mechanical engineer Mark Cutkosky is using the new material, based on the structure of a gecko foot, to keep his robots climbing.A Stanford mechanical engineer is using the biology of a gecko's sticky foot to create a robot that climbs. In the same way the small reptile can scale a wall of slick glass, the Stickybot can climb smooth surfaces with feet modeled on the intricate...
Secretive Hemidactylus fasciatus is actually 4 species distributed in forest patches across W. AfricaThe West African forest gecko, a secretive but widely distributed species in forest patches from Ghana to Congo, is actually four distinct species that appear to have evolved over the past 100,000 years due to the fragmentation of a belt of tropical rain forest , according to a report in this week's issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.The discovery by former University of...
Scientists announced Wednesday that a new species of gecko has been found in the lower regions of the Cardamom Mountains in southwest Cambodia. Cnemaspis neangthyi, the official name of the gecko, is olive colored with light blotches each containing a central black dot. Geckos are a species of lizard found in warm climates and are known for their unique chirping noises. Fauna and Flora International (FFI) said the Cardamom Mountains are home to many endangered species found nowhere else in...
Researchers move one step closer to nature with the development of polymers and directional adhesion that follow the workings of a gecko's footNanotechnology has not only brought nature and engineering closer together; it has encouraged collaboration among researchers of different disciplines. In one such collaboration, two researchers drew on the extraordinary stickiness of a gecko's foot to develop a synthetic adhesive to help robots scale walls.NSF-funded researchers Mark Cutkosky, an...
The Aznalcóllar mining accident more than 11 years ago, which contaminated part of the Doñana National Park, also damaged reptile habitat there. Now a team of Spanish researchers, who have been studying the reptile community since 2000, have shown, by setting up artificial refuges, that the disappearance of natural refuges had a serious impact on lizard and snake numbers.Nine years ago, researchers from the University of Granada (UGR) and the University of Barcelona (UB) started to...
Geckos and other lizards have long been known for their incredible ability to shed their tails as a decoy for predators, but little is known about the movements and what controls the tail once it separates from the lizard's body.Anthony Russell of the University of Calgary and Tim Higham of Clemson University in South Carolina are closer to solving this mystery as outlined in a paper they co-authored published in the journal Biology Letters.The scientists demonstrate that tails exhibit not...
Geckos are very adept at climbing through difficult terrain using an intricate adhesive system. Until now it has not been known when and how they switch on their unique system of traction.Scientists at the University of Calgary and Clemson University in South Carolina have discovered that the geckos' amazing grip is triggered by gravity.This latest development in gecko adhesive research will be published Wed., Aug. 5, at 00:001 BST, by Anthony Russell of the U of C and Tim Higham of Clemson...
Latest Gecko Reference Libraries
The Texas Banded Gecko, Coleonyx brevis, is a species of small gecko native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. They are most commonly found in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico in the United States, and in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Durango in Mexico. They prefer semi-arid habitats, and are often found around rock piles or canyon crevices. Texas banded geckos are small, rarely exceeding 4 inches in length. They have alternating bands of yellow and...
Dull day gecko (Phelsuma dubia (BOETTGER 1881)) is a diurnal species of geckos. It is about 15 cm in length and lives on the western coast of Madagascar, in the Comoros, and the coast of East Africa. It typically inhabits trees and can also be found near human dwellings. The Dull day gecko feeds on insects and nectar. Scientific synonyms: Pachydactylus dubius BOETTGER 1881 Phelsuma dubia - KLUGE 1993 Phelsuma dubia - GLAW & VENCES 1994: 298 Phelsuma dubia - BROADLEY & HOWELL 1991: 10...
Geckos are small to moderately large lizards belonging to the family Gekkonidae. These lizards are found in warm climates throughout the world. Geckos are unique among lizards in their vocalizations, making chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos. Geckos are unusual in other respects as well. Many species have specialized toe pads that enable them to climb smooth vertical surfaces and even cross indoor ceilings with ease. These antics are well-known to persons living in...
Gold dust day gecko (Phelsuma laticauda laticauda) is a diurnal subspecies of geckos. It lives in northern Madagascar and on the Comoros. It typically inhabits trees and can sometimes be found in houses. The Gold dust day gecko feeds on insects and nectar. Description This lizard belongs to the smaller day geckos. It can reach a total length of about 13 cm. The body color is a bright green or yellowish green or rarely even blue. Typical for this day gecko are the yellow speckles on the...
Rodrigues day gecko (Phelsuma edwardnewtoni) is a now extinct diurnal species of geckos. It lived on the island of Rodrigues and typically inhabited forests and dwelt in trees. The Rodrigues day gecko fed on insects and nectar. Scientific synonyms Phelsuma edwardnewtoni VINSON & VINSON 1969 Phelsuma newtoni BOULENGER 1884 Phelsuma edwardnewtoni - KLUGE 1993 Phelsuma edwardnewtoni - RÖSLER 2000: 101 Description This day gecko is now extinct. It was described also as P....
