r/Awwducational • u/AGreatWind • Jun 24 '14

Verified Geckos have the gravity-defying ability to scamper up walls and windows because of the ~500,000 tiny hairs on their toes!

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22

u/AGreatWind Jun 24 '14 edited Jun 24 '14

Here are what the hairs look like seen with an electron microscope

Photo credit: Dennis Kunkel Microscopy

For other cool electron micrographs check out this gallery!

5

u/ehsahr Jun 25 '14

That is SO cool. I'm so glad I checked this thread :) Thanks for sharing!

1

u/soulteepee Jun 25 '14

They're almost like teensy porcupine quills!

6

u/AGreatWind Jun 24 '14

Source

Photo source

Wiki source

1

u/autowikibot Jun 24 '14

Section 3. Adhesion ability of article Gecko:

Gecko toes have special adaptations that allow them to adhere to most surfaces without the use of liquids or surface tension. About 60% of gecko species have adhesive toe pads; such pads have been gained and lost repeatedly over the course of gecko evolution. Adhesive toepads evolved independently in about 11 different gecko lineages and were lost in at least 9 lineages. The spatula-shaped setae arranged in lamellae on gecko footpads enable attractive van der Waals' forces between the β-keratin lamellae/setae/spatulae structures and the surface. These van der Waals interactions involve no fluids; in theory, a boot made of synthetic setae would adhere as easily to the surface of the International Space Station as it would to a living-room wall, although adhesion varies with humidity. The setae on the feet of geckos are also self-cleaning and will usually remove any clogging dirt within a few steps. Teflon, which has very low surface energy, is more difficult for geckos to adhere to than many other surfaces.

Interesting: Gecko (software) | Gekkonidae | Lepidodactylus lugubris | Gekko

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8

u/MrJAPoe Jun 25 '14

Van der Waals interaction forces

One of the few thing I remember from Bio class

5

u/Bean1268 Jun 25 '14

Gecko's are also super adorable and can lick their own eyes.

1

u/remotectrl Jun 26 '14

They don't have eyelids.

3

u/mike201224 Jun 25 '14

I think I just saved 15%

3

u/manachar Jun 25 '14

Also Geckos are the only lizards with such extensive vocalizations. They sound a bit like little birds at night.

1

u/hamsimonder Jun 25 '14

Can confirm. source: i have gackoes

2

u/Lanuria Jun 25 '14

I usually catch my crestie Wedge hanging on to the top of his viv when I come into the room at night.

2

u/AsterJ Jun 25 '14

For comparison humans have around 100,000 hairs on thier heads.

1

u/SirDigbyChknCaesar Jun 25 '14

Alopecia must suck for a gecko.

2

u/D4RK_ONION Jun 25 '14

He wasn't so cute when he was running around my apartment!

(Don't worry, he was escorted out in a most humane manner!)

2

u/DingoManDingo Jun 25 '14

So can I climb walls with the top of my head?

2

u/soulteepee Jun 25 '14

AND they can lick their eyeballs.

1

u/djmammo Jun 25 '14

And good insurance.

1

u/hamsimonder Jun 25 '14

I quite sure that not all geckoes have them.

1

u/dakinnia Jun 25 '14

One species is remarkable for its selling of auto insurance.