Gecko

Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous <a href="/facts/Lizard/VPCpCwjT">lizards</a> that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except <a href="/facts/Antarctica/bEM5Lem5">Antarctica</a>. Belonging to the <a href="/facts/Infraorder/GKLJvIpt">infraorder</a> Gekkota, geckos are found in warm <a href="/facts/Climate/f57XrNFU">climates</a> throughout the world. They range from 1.6 to 60 <a href="/facts/Centimetre/urPkBdGR">centimetres</a> (0.6 to 23.6 <a href="/facts/Inch/CocFfm8p">inches</a>).
Geckos are unique among lizards for their <a href="/facts/Animal_communication/nHBjVw3c">vocalisations</a>, which differ from species to species. Most geckos in the family <a href="/facts/Gekkonidae/mVqSrVkU">Gekkonidae</a> use chirping or clicking sounds in their social interactions. <a href="/facts/Tokay_gecko/Slm7F8fE">Tokay geckos</a> (Gekko gecko) are known for their loud <a href="/facts/Mating_call/SwzWBYHr">mating calls</a>, and some other species are capable of making hissing noises when alarmed or threatened. They are the most species-rich group of lizards, with about 1,500 different species worldwide.
All geckos, except species in the family <a href="/facts/Eublepharidae/QCdodDSh">Eublepharidae</a> lack eyelids; instead, the outer surface of the eyeball has a <a href="/facts/Transparency_and_translucency/PRryNNW6">transparent</a> membrane, the <a href="/facts/Brille/hhXAfx7j">brille</a>. They have a fixed <a href="/facts/Lens_(anatomy)/yWz7AdHV">lens</a> within each <a href="/facts/Iris_(anatomy)/e774BXL8">iris</a> that enlarges in darkness to let in more light. Since they cannot <a href="/facts/Blink/mU9QH9hV">blink</a>, species without eyelids generally lick their own brilles when they need to clear them of dust and dirt, in order to keep them clean and moist.
Unlike most lizards, geckos are usually <a href="/facts/Nocturnal/PqAkbpKf">nocturnal</a> and have excellent <a href="/facts/Night_vision/tm6ToQgg">night vision</a>; their <a href="/facts/Colour_vision/j3ou3Izz">colour vision</a> in low light is 350 times more sensitive than <a href="/facts/Human_eye/a24ua4fy">human eyes</a>. The nocturnal geckos evolved from <a href="/facts/Diurnality/GgXnXvN7">diurnal</a> species, which had lost the <a href="/facts/Rod_cell/mNd9Sf1E">rod cells</a> from their eyes. The gecko eye, therefore, modified its <a href="/facts/Cone_cell/JoQeEzoF">cone cells</a> that increased in size into different types, both single and double. Three different photo-pigments have been retained, and are sensitive to ultraviolet, blue, and green. They also use a multifocal optical system that allows them to generate a sharp image for at least two different depths. While most gecko species are nocturnal, some species are diurnal and active during the day, which have evolved multiple times independently.
Many species are well known for their specialised toe pads, which enable them to grab and climb onto smooth and vertical surfaces, and even cross indoor ceilings with ease. Geckos are well known to people who live in warm regions of the world, where several species make their home inside human habitations. These, for example the <a href="/facts/Hemidactylus/egvKRQoI">house gecko</a>, become part of the indoor menagerie and are often welcomed, as they feed on <a href="/facts/Insect/IgDNvnUL">insect</a> <a href="/facts/Pest_(organism)/mXGHJ8s7">pests</a>; including <a href="/facts/Moth/bPrkvkGh">moths</a> and <a href="/facts/Mosquito/u8hTMTfc">mosquitoes</a>. Like most lizards, geckos can lose their tails in defence, a process called <a href="/facts/Autotomy/4PBAwg9u">autotomy</a>; the predator may attack the wriggling tail, allowing the gecko to escape.
The largest species, <a href="/facts/Gigarcanum_delcourti/jGoUGMKS">Gigarcanum delcourti</a>, is only known from a single, stuffed specimen probably collected in the 19th century found in the basement of the <a href="/facts/Mus%25C3%25A9um_d%2527histoire_naturelle_de_Marseille/CFrhKSSD">Natural History Museum of Marseille</a> in <a href="/facts/Marseille/kj7te1HG">Marseille</a>, France. This gecko was 600 <a href="/facts/Millimetre/25mdTXpa">millimetres</a> (24 <a href="/facts/Inch/CocFfm8p">inches</a>) long, and it was likely <a href="/facts/Endemic/xt4IpIsl">endemic</a> to <a href="/facts/New_Caledonia/VI15kA61">New Caledonia</a>, where it lived in native forests. The smallest gecko, the <a href="/facts/Sphaerodactylus_ariasae/0Mr1FVcx">Jaragua sphaero</a>, is a mere 16 millimetres (0.63 inches) long, and was discovered in 2001 on a small island off the coast of <a href="/facts/Hispaniola/fPKbRTcD">Hispaniola</a>.

Gecko open-in-new

Gecko