Tokay Gekko or Tokai Gakki?
http://www.discovery.com/exp/lizards/low_tokay.html
Tokay Gecko, Gekko gecko (Southeast Asia)
Unlike most lizards, geckos can typically vocalize,
with squeaks and shrill whistles. But the tokay
gecko of Southeast Asia also growls, hisses and
barks.
At more than a foot long, among the largest
geckos, the tokay is a remarkable climber. Able to
scale a sheer wall, the gecko can then take a
right-angle turn and perform an upside-down march
across a ceiling. The toes of these lizards are
outfitted with enlarged overlapping plates called
lamellae, which, in turn, are covered by thousands
of microscopic spatula-shaped prongs (setae) that
operate in a suction-like fashion in the absence of
adhesive.
Happily, a gecko has the anatomical wherewithal to
counteract this stick-to-itiveness when traversing
the floor, making it possible to flee oncoming
enemies.
E X P E D I T I O N S
Main | Today's Dispatch | Lizards of the World | Squirting Blood
Lizards Without Dads | Send a Lizard E-Card | Lizard Crossword
At the Museum | The Scientists | Credits
Pictures: David A. Northcott/Corbis |
Copyright ? 2000 Discovery Communications Inc.