Most research on the anti-predator behaviour of vertebrate prey has focused on their responses to vertebrate predators. Nonetheless, invertebrates are abundant predators in terrestrial ecosystems, and some invertebrates (e.g., centipedes, spiders) attack and consume vertebrates. We used a combination of field data and laboratory experiments to determine whether a predatory centipede (Scolopendr...

Translocation is an important tool in the conservation of New Zealand reptiles. Despite this, it is generally not known how Hoplodactylus geckos respond to being translocated, partly because they are difficult to monitor. In this opportunistic study, 11 common geckos (H. maculatus) were captured from a site at Birdlings Flat (South Island, New Zealand) that was destined for destruction, and rel...

Five cases of xanthomatosis in geckos were evaluated, one in a northern green gecko (Naultinus grayi) and the remaining four in three species of leaf-tailed geckos (two Uroplatus henkeli, one U. sikorae, one U. fimbriatus). All geckos were females 3-11 yr of age, were clinically ill on presentation, and either died or were euthanized. Necropsies showed emaciation in three geckos, with white nod...

The excellent locomotion ability of geckos on various rough and/or inclined substrates has attracted scientists' attention for centuries. However, the moving ability of gecko-mimicking robots on various inclined surfaces still lags far behind that of geckos, mainly because our understanding of how geckos govern their locomotion is still very poor. To reveal the fundamental mechanism of gecko lo...

Ecomorphology links microhabitat and morphology. By comparing ecomorphological associations across clades, we can investigate the extent to which evolution can produce similar solutions in response to similar challenges. While Anolis lizards represent a well-studied example of repeated convergent evolution, very few studies have investigated the ecomorphology of geckos. Similar to anoles, gekko...

The invasion of the giant Madagascar day gecko Phelsuma grandis has increased the threats to the four endemic Mauritian day geckos (Phelsuma spp.) that have survived on mainland Mauritius. We had two main aims: (i) to predict the spatial distribution and overlap of P. grandis and the endemic geckos at a landscape level; and (ii) to investigate the effects of P. grandis on the abundance and risk...

Negative effects of parasites on their hosts are well documented, but the proximate mechanisms by which parasites reduce their host's fitness are poorly understood. For example, it has been suggested that parasites might be energetically demanding. However, a recent meta-analysis suggests that they have statistically insignificant effects on host resting metabolic rate (RMR). It is possible, th...

Several mechanisms have been proposed in the literature to explain the robust attachment and rapid, controllable detachment of geckos' feet on vertical walls or ceilings, yet, it is still debatable, which one is ultimately responsible for geckos' extraordinary capabilities for robust and reversible adhesion. In this paper, we re-examine some of the key movements of geckos' spatula pads and seta...

Field studies of nocturnal geckos have revealed that many species actively thermoregulate during both the day and the night. Data from laboratory studies indicate that geckos prefer body temperatures greater than those experienced during activity in the field, but data on diel patterns of temperature preference are inconsistent. We measured preferred body temperature (Tp) of five species of gec...