Geckos are small lizards that usually live in the jungle. They are only one among many species like Komodo Dragons, Vivipar Lizards, Green Lizards, Sand Lizards and hundreds more reptiles.
In warm countries, where most geckos live, there are lots of houses that get annoying insects. Geckos sometimes come into people’s houses, and they are happy to have them there, because geckos eat the insects.
Like chameleons, geckos have the ability to change colour to whatever they want. This can help them blend in to the surroundings and stop predators from spotting them. This also includes hunters who sell their scales for a lot of money.
Scientists do not know how they do this. Most suggest there is a special organ in their body that stores chemicals and then, in a spraying-like action, it sends them up a tube which opens in a small whole in their body and it changes a colour when released to sunlight.
Adding to this, their tongues are actually longer than their body! Yes, you heard that right - their tongues can be over 30ft long!
They fly out at speed and capture anything the gecko wants. They could even capture predators - if the gecko has the strength, that is.
Sticky buds on the tongue stick to the insect and the tongue reels back in in less than a second. It goes though a complicated path of tubes until it reaches the stomach, and acids called enzymes dissolves the food and the gecko poos it out his bum.
Don't think I'd like a gecko in my house but I enjoyed reading about the m ***** article yet again.
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