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A white-headed dwarf gecko with tail lost due to autotomy. Autotomy (from the Greek auto-, "self-" and tome, "severing", αὐτοτομία) or 'self-amputation', is the behaviour whereby an animal sheds or discards an appendage, [1] usually as a self-defense mechanism to elude a predator's grasp or to distract the predator and thereby allow escape.
Like most lizards, geckos can lose their tails in defence, a process called autotomy; the predator may attack the wriggling tail, allowing the gecko to escape. [ 8 ] The largest species, Gigarcanum delcourti , is only known from a single, stuffed specimen probably collected in the 19th century found in the basement of the Natural History Museum ...
Two wall sculptures of geckos on the wall of the Mandapam of the Siva temple inside Vellore Fort, Tamil Nadu, India (2012) In the Philippines, geckos making a ticking sound are believed to indicate an imminent arrival of a visitor or a letter. [37] But in Thailand, if a common house gecko chirps when someone leaves the house, that's a bad omen.
The hemipenis is the intromittent organ of Squamata, [4] which is the second largest order of vertebrates with over 9,000 species distributed around the world. They differ from the intromittent organs of most other amniotes such as mammals, archosaurs and turtles that have a single genital tubercle, as squamates have the paired genitalia remaining separate. [5]
The tails of African fat-tailed geckos serve an important purpose to them. Their tails are used for fat storage, so when food is scarce their tails are able to sustain them for a while. Their tails also contribute significantly to their defense from predators. Like many other geckos they are able to drop their tails when necessary.
In the U.S., geckos are common in Texas, Florida, California, and other southern states. Why Does the Gecko’s Skin Repel Water? The benefit of hydrophobic skin is that it is self-cleaning.
Carphodactylids, despite being the most species-poor family of geckos, are still diverse in habits. Many have unusual, specialized tails with reduced rates of autotomy . They lack adhesive toepads and instead cling to bark or substrate with sharply curved claws and a limited array of lamellae .
[4] [5] The species uses its mottled colour to camouflage against bark or rock, and if threatened can drop its large fleshy tail as a decoy. The tail is also useful for fat storage. This species of gecko is available in captivity as a pet, they are a nocturnal ambush hunter, relying on camouflage and patience to catch prey. Primary prey items ...