Sticky geckos?

[Mr. Gray]

I have a question about the stickiness on gecko's feet. I have 4 aboreal geckos that have the sticky toes: Golden gecko, house gecko, flying gecko, and marbled gecko. The golden and marbled are sharing a terrarium and do so just fine. The problem is that they slide down the glass sometimes, and can't seem to get a hold on it for a few weeks. The flying gecko was sticking fine to glass when i first got him, but has been gradually losing his stickyness as well. Most have them have shed fairly recently, and they are all about full grown. Any idea why they arn't sticking? I have newspaper for substrate, i mist the tanks daily, they get plenty to eat and drink, and have proper hides/heat etc. They are happy except when they try to jump on to the glass they slide right back down. Why is this?? what can i do to helpit? Soak them in water for a bit? Clean out the glass? Help plz

[Stockwell]

The feet are not actually sticky.. They have tiny scales that are applied with musculature pressure creating a tiny vacuum. Anything that is non condusive to vacuum seals could be the problem... low humidity can be the culprit as can non sloughed skin on the toes.. also any particulate matter..sand especially, or dust that can adhear to the toes will ruin their ability to "seal"

[Youkai]

My guess would be low humidity, at least for the flying gecko. I don't see how newspaper as a substrate and one misting could possibly keep it moist enough for one of those animals.

[snakemann87]

Your geckos may be sick.

I cannot remember the name of the hair folicles on the feet but they have one:) Scientists are coming up with a way for us to stick on walls I believe making gloves after studying the geckos toes. That would be wicked awesome.

[Mr. Gray]

yeah, stockwell you are kinda wrong about the vacuum suction thing. They use the hairs. The thing is, they have been on newspaper for long time and were sticking to the walls just fine before. They deffinatly arn't sick, since they eat tons of food and act normal. I have a dripper thing by the heat so it's always nice and humid in there. I think there may be something that they walk on that gets on these hairs that create the same bonds on their feet and thus prevent the hairs from sticking to anything else. I think i might try soaking them for a while and then putting em in see if the soak cleans off their feet

[stkkts]

you are actually probably both wrong about how they stick. The vacuum thing isnt true, because they can stick to things inside of a vacuum. so without the presence of oxygen, or an atmosphere, theoretically they should be able to stick.

And although the widespread belief is that they stick using hook like hair, its still up for debate by alot of people.

There was recently a study published in Discovery magazine I believe, where they believe that the science behind how they stick goes far beyond physical traits. All though I dont remember the exact science about it, because it has been some time since I read the article, I do remember them saying that there are molecular forces at work. Like when a balloon sticks to your shirt, or attracts your hair up, because of static electricity. Its along the same lines. Not static electricity persay, but much more than just hairs on their feet pads.

[Youkai]

I read that too. Static geckos!

But seriously, I think those geckos are being housed in conditions that are far too dry. Have you tested the humidity in the tanks to make sure it is high enough? Just because water is present doesn't mean the humidity's up.
Keep the glass clean, and use something like coconut fiber or peatmoss for a substrate. They hold moisture very well.

[LurkerAccount]

Don't they climb by having molecular sized crevises and elevations on there feet kinda like this /\/\/\/\, that find equlaly small crevises and elevations on other objects.... ????

[Mr. Gray]

the study said these microscopic hairs are frayed on the end, and form chemical bonds to surfaces that are weak, but since there are billions of these hairs on each toe, the grip is quite strong. The humidity is fine, i have plants in there and a humidity gauge, so that's not a problem.

[choriona]

In 2000, U.S. researchers marked a gecko-research milestone by using minute sensors to demonstrate that geckos’ gravity-defying power is due to nano-level molecular attraction, called van der Waals forces, between a surface and the tips of tens of thousands of setae, which are hair-like structures, on a gecko’s toes.


“These little hairs on the toes are the contact point with the environment."

“You can stick a dead gecko to a sheet of glass just as well as a live one,” says Anthony (Tony) Russell. Even one that’s been dead for decades. Yes. He’s done it.


**I cut and pasted this from Dr.Russell's page at the University of Calgary.**