Fun facts about gecko adaptations to habitats

 

• Geckos inhabit various habitats including rain-forests, sand dunes, cliff faces and human built areas, and are adapted to different substrates: trees, rocks, sand or the ground.
• Geckos are adapted to the substrate on which they live on in many ways, most notably by their toe-pads- the area underneath their digits. 
• These toe-pads have different shapes, and they have evolved multiple times independently throughout gecko evolution, yet they have similar purpose: to enable the gecko to climb on vertical and smooth surfaces such as trees and rocks.  
• The microscopic structure of the toe pads, called sub-digital lamellae, creates strong "sticking" forces which enable the geckos to cling to the surface without the aid of glue or slime of any kind.
• Terrestrial geckos usually have no toe-pads, because dirt or sand can get stuck between the lamellae and disrupt their functionality. 
• Kotschyi's gecko have no sub-digital lamellae, yet they are capable of climbing trees very well, and their tree-bark-like exterior pattern helps their perfect camouflage on trees (trust me, it is very hard to see and catch them on trees). 
• Kotschyi's geckos prefer climbing trees with peeling bark such as carob, almond, olive, and also the non-native eucalyptus tree. Perhaps because they lack toe-pads, their grip on these trees is better than on trees with smooth barks.

In the picture: examples of the great variety of gecko toe-pads. Kotschyi's geckos feet most resemble the foot on the bottom right.