Detecting geckos climbing faster in wet environments

How would you feel if your hair was always wet, it would be very uncomfortable, it was inconvenient. The opposite is for Gecko.Humidity makes geckos climb faster by making tiny hairs on their legs stick together.

In the past, some researchers thought that lizards adhere to walls and other objects because their legs secrete water that binds to surfaces of objects.

But according to recent research, published in The Journal of Experimental Biology, geckos don't need such help.

Scientists pull the sticky hairs from gecko feet and increase the moisture in the air, and transfer them to two separate surfaces: The glass surface made of quartz acts to absorb water and a surface made of arsenic coated galena for waterproof purposes.

The observed result is that tiny sticky hairs, at the gecko feet, stick together at a tighter waterproof surface than at the suction surface.

This suggests that gecko does not release any sticky water to support climbing skills instead the moisture in the air makes the tiny sticky hairs on their feet softer and stick together, allowing them to stick to the wall more firmly .

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Ho Duy Binh
Address: Library Information Center - Tien Giang University - No. 119, Bac Hamlet, Ward 5, TP. My Tho, Tien Giang province.
Email: hoduybinhdhtg@cooltoad.com