Geckos
Geckos are cool – they can magically lose their tail to shake off predators and they can delay popping out their babies until the conditions are just right!
Shaking it
Geckos and skinks both a nifty trick to escape predators – they can lose their tail. Even once it’s detached the tail still keeps thrashing about. This helps to fool their killer and gives them enough time to make a quick escape. Their tails take between one to two years to re-grow.
The way you can tell a gecko from a skink is by looking closely at their eyes – skinks blink whereas geckos don’t.
They don’t have eyelids, so they keep their eyeballs moist and clean by licking them! Neat eh?
Unlike skinks, they have a rolly-polly skin and some of them come fitted out in the most vibrant green and yellows. They also have big heads and they’re superb climbers.
Lots of people call New Zealand bird-land – in fact, it’s better described as gecko – land.
We have over 35 different species of geckos. In 1955, we thought we only had 10 geckos – in fact, geckos are being discovered every few years.
Unlike their cousins in the tropics who live for two years or so, our geckos live until they’re really old – some up to 40 years - and they give birth to live young, rather than laying eggs.
There are two types of geckos in New Zealand – brown geckos and green geckos.
On time
Did you know that geckos give birth at the best time to increase their babies’ chance of survival? An Otago University scientist recently found geckos living in alpine areas were more likely to hold onto their babies and give birth a few months later in spring or summer. Geckos found in a nearby area further down the mountain had a shorter pregnancy and gave birth in autumn.
Brown geckos are often found around rocky areas and tree trunks where they can blend in with the rest of the scenery.There are around 22 species of brown geckos.
Green geckos are a lot rarer. Their Kermit-green outfit gives you a clue as to where they live. Yep, they live high up in the tree canopy. There are only 8 species of green gecko.
Green geckos are known to be good talkers – some even bark!
These geckos are prize climbers and they use their tail to help them to scale trees.
Because their tail plays a helpful role in climbing it doesn’t come off as easily as the tails of non-climbers!
Geek alert! Here are some more gecko facts:
- Geckos have lots of predators - rats, cats, stoats, weasels, possums and tuatara all eat them.
- They smell with their tongues!
- They eat insects, fruit and nectar.
- They are known to roost with other creatures – and will sometimes snuggle up with a spider the same size as them!
- Their tongues vary in colour from species to species. They come in all colours - blue, pink, red, brown, grey, purple and orange.
- They have wonderfully sticky fingers – which gives them to ability to walk up walls and along window panes. Researchers working for the U.S Air Force have mimicked their design to create a material that can hold a great deal of weight.
