Geckos are small-medium lizard species that mainly live within the temperate regions across the planet. The Geckos are commonly seen within the southern hemisphere as well as around the Equator-crossing, nonetheless there are a couple of gecko species found in the warmer regions north of the Equator-crossing.
It is estimated that there are more than two thousand different gecko species living across the planet and research clearly shows that there are even a lot more other types of geckos that have not yet been discovered. Different species come in a variety of colors and have different pattern marked on their bodies.
Generally, geckos live in a wide range of habitats especially within the rocky deserts, grasslands, urban areas including inside houses of people, up in the mountains, rainforests as well as jungles.
The different species also differ in sizes from the very small ones which are just a couple of centimeters to fairly bigger ones that are over fifty centimeters. Delcourt’s gecko is the largest ever documented gecko species although currently it’s assumed to be extinct. This species was known to live in New Zealand and grew to a length of approximately 60 centimeters. On the other hand, the Jaragua Sphaero is the smallest recorded gecko species and is known to live in South America within the Dominican Republic; on average it has a length of 2 centimeters.
They are best known for their unique walking ability which enables them to move up on vertical surfaces as well as smooth walls including glass. Their feet are covered with very small hairs which stick to which ever surfaces they are walking on just as sucker pads. It is because of this unique adaptation that the gecko is considered to be a very alert animal.
What do Geckos Eat?
Generally, geckos are considered to be carnivorous reptiles and their diet comprises of meat. They mainly eat insects as well as worms, however a number of the larger gecko species are known to hunt small mammals including mice, birds as well as reptiles. A few other gecko species have been observed to feed on plant matter including moss.
Their Predators
Since they are very small in size, these geckos have several natural predators across the continent. Snakes however are their main predators although big spiders, birds plus several types of mammals have been said to prey on the geckos.
Reproduction among the Gecko
Once the female finishes mating with male gecko, it lays a pair of sticky eggs white in color having a very soft shell. Within a very short while, this shell hardens protecting the developing gecko within the egg-shell. It takes between one and three months depending on the gecko species and the area of locality for the eggs to hatch. Once they hatch, the females nurse the young ones.
International threat to the Geckos
Currently most of the gecko species are thought to be extinct across the planet with their number one threat being habitat loss as well as population.
Secondly, several people love or enjoy keeping geckos in their homes as pets. Today several gecko species are being trapped from their natural habitat and sold off internationally as pets.
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