Geckos will sometimes eat their own eggs.Ĭlassification: Class Reptilia ( reptiles), Order Squamata ( lizards and snakes), Suborder Lacertilia (lizards), Family Gekkonidae (geckos), about 400 species. The eggs are soft at first, but harden quickly. Females usually lay 2 white, sticky eggs. They are now found all over the world as pets (especially the tokay gecko). Habitat: Geckos live in a variety of warm habitats, including rainforests, deserts, grasslands, and marshes. When a gecko is caught by its tail, it releases the tail, which twitches for a while, allowing the gecko to escape capture.
Predators: Snakes are geckos’ main predators. They eat mostly insects (like crickets, springtails, and cockroaches) and mealworms, but they also eat young birds, eggs, and tiny mammals, hunting for their prey at night. The gecko’s eyes are covered and protected by a transparent membrane the gecko cleans this membrane with its long tongue.ĭiet: Gecko are carnivores (meat-eaters). Geckos range in size from 1/2 inch to about 14 inches (1.5 to 35 cm) long the largest gecko is the tokay gecko ( Gecko gecko).
Flying geckos (genus Ptychozoon) have wide flaps of skin extending from the abdomen and have webbed toes, legs, and tail that help them glide gracefully through the air. Desert geckos have fringed feet that let them run across sand very easily. Most geckos have sticky toe pads, composed of microscopic Velcro-like hooked bristles (called setae) on the bottom of the feet the bristles allow them to climb well, even on smooth surfaces or upside down. Most geckos are nocturnal (they are most active at night) they have large eyes and excellent vision.Īnatomy: Geckos have short, wide, fleshy toes with large, backward-curved claws. Some species of geckos make a squeaking or clicking noise that sounds like “gecko,” hence their name. Geckos are the only lizards that have a voice.