Geckos - The Animal Answer Guide

177 Pages·2013·8.295 MB·English

by  Aaron M Bauer

VISIT…
Geckos: The Animal Answer Guide
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Geckos
The Animal Answer Guide
Aaron M. Bauer
The Johns Hopkins University Press Baltimore
© 2013 The Johns Hopkins University Press
All rights reserved. Published 2013
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4363
www.press.jhu.edu
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bauer, Aaron M.
Geckos : the animal answer guide / Aaron M. Bauer.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4214-0852-1 (hdbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4214-0853-8
(pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4214-0925-2 (elecronic) —
ISBN 1-4214-0852-X (hdbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 1-4214-0853-8
(pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 1-4214-0925-9 (electronic)
1. Geckos. I. Title.
QL666.L245B375 2013
597.95'2—dc23 2012027048
A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.
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please contact Special Sales at 410-516-6936 or [email protected].
The Johns Hopkins University Press uses environmentally friendly book
materials, including recycled text paper that is composed of at least 30 percent
post-consumer waste, whenever possible.
The Gecko lying on its stone
Is always very much alone,
Nor is the reason hard to trace
By those who’ve seen its form and face
It’s hard to realise a mite
Can be so venomous a sight,
Or in its little frame compress
Such concentrated ugliness . . .
Yet underneath its skin, we’re told,
There beats a heart of purest gold.
Its children do not know neglect;
It treats its mother with respect . . .
Its aspect is its sole defence
Against the world’s malevolence.
From “The Gecko” by Leon Gellert
Beastly Australians, Hodder and Stroughton,
London, 1964
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Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
1 Introducing Geckos 1
What are geckos? 1
Where does the name “gecko” come from? 2
Why are geckos important? 2
Why should people care about geckos? 4
Where do geckos live? 4
What is the difference between geckos and other lizards? 6
How many kinds of geckos are there? 8
What is the current classification of geckos? 10
What characterizes the major groups of geckos? 10
When did geckos evolve? 11
What is the oldest fossil gecko? 14
Where have fossil geckos been found? 15
What did extinct geckos look like? 16

2 Form and Function 18
What are the largest and smallest living geckos? 18
When are geckos active? 19
Do geckos sleep? 23
Why do geckos have big eyes? 24
Can geckos see color? 24
Do geckos have eyelids? 25
Why do geckos lick their eyes? 25
What are the bulges on the necks of some geckos? 26
Are some geckos limbless? 27
How do geckos climb? 28
How fast can geckos run? 31
Can geckos run upside down? 32
What are flying geckos? 32
How strong is a gecko’s grip? 33
Can geckos hang on when they are dead? 33
Can geckos swim? 34
Can all geckos lose and regrow their tails? 35
Why do geckos shed their skin? 38
At what temperatures are geckos most active? 38

3 Gecko Colors 41
What colors are geckos? 41
What causes the different skin colors of geckos? 42
What color are a gecko’s eyes? 44
Is there a reason for specific patterns on a gecko’s skin? 44
Are male and female geckos colored differently? 45
Do a gecko’s colors change as it grows? 47
Can geckos change color? 47
Is there much geographic variation in a single gecko species? 48

4 Gecko Behavior 50
Are geckos social? 50
Do geckos fight? 52
Do geckos bite? 52
How smart are geckos? 54
Do geckos play? 54
How do geckos communicate? 55
How do geckos make noise? 57
Do geckos have good hearing? 58
How do geckos avoid or escape predators? 59

5 Gecko Ecology 62
Where do geckos sleep? 62
Which geographic regions have the most species of geckos? 63
Do geckos burrow? 63
How do geckos survive in the desert? 65
How do geckos survive the winter? 66
Do geckos bask? 67
What animals eat geckos? 68
Do geckos get sick? 69
How can you tell that a gecko is sick? 70

6 Reproduction and Development 72
How do geckos reproduce? 72
How can you tell the sex of a gecko? 73
Do all geckos lay eggs? 74
How long do gecko eggs take to hatch? 76
Where do geckos lay their eggs? 77
Why do geckos lay hard-shelled eggs? 78
viii Contents