November 26, 2012
A gecko travels like Spiderman - using its sticky toe pads to walk up walls and across ceilings with ease.
While those toe pads may seem simple, they are spectacularly designed, with millions of tiny hair-like structures called septulae (SEP-too-lay) that help them cling to any dry surface. A single gecko’s toe pads can hold the weight of two humans!
Researchers have learned recently that this only works when the surface is dry. If a gecko gets wet feet, it loses its grip, along with its "Spiderman" powers!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
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Labels: science news, Animals, Reptiles
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