bearded dragon and leopard gacko
Written by scottology on February 17, 2010 – 5:59 am -im soooo exited im getting a leopard gecko jesss:-D
Tags: bearded, Cage, dragon, gecko, leopard, Setup, Tank, viv", Vivarium
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Gecko Stitches
Written by scottology on February 8, 2010 – 7:32 am -Unlocking the gecko’s ability to walk on walls is leading researchers to find a way to replace surgical stitches with sticky tape. As this sciencentral News video explains, the challenge is to make a surgical tape that works in the wet conditions inside your body.
Tags: gecko, medical, research, sciencentral, stitches, surgery, surgical, tape
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Leopard Gecko Colour Morphs
Written by scottology on December 24, 2009 – 4:47 am -
Leopard geckos are very interesting animals which make fascinating pets. While leopard geckos generally have a yellow coloring with black spots, they have been bred to exhibit a wide variety of different patterns and colors. Some gecko breeders have managed to breed some very unique specimens indeed.
Before we go too much further, there are a couple of terms which should be explained. These terms are color, pattern and morph (also called phase). Color is the basic color of the gecko’s skin, while pattern refers to the arrangement of the spots (or in some cases, stripes) which the animal has. Morph is a general term which refers to all of the traits which the animal has been selectively bred for.
If you’re looking for a pet leopard gecko, you should choose one whose appearance you find to be attractive. There are a lot of different morphs out there, so you can find a leopard gecko which appeals to your tastes, no matter what they may be. The morphs which follow are some of the more popular phases of leopard gecko.
-Blizzard: The blizzard is a patternless morph. Colors of these geckos may be yellow (banana blizzard), brown, purple, black, white and the rare midnight blizzard, which is a blue-black gecko. The eyes of these geckos may be blue or black.
-Jungle Leopard: These leopard geckos have been specially bred to feature stripes. There is a lot of variation in this morph, including some very unique individual geckos. Jungle leopard geckos may be of the “bandit” or “four eyed” variety. Bandit-style geckos have a thick dark band wh ich runs across its nose and around its eyes, giving it the appearance of a cartoonish bandit. The four-eyed variant of leopard gecko is distinguished by the two white spots (often with a black dot in the center) over its eyes.
-Wild: This is the natural pattern of wild geckos. These leopard geckos have dark bands across their bodies and three or four dark rings on their tails as well. They also have dark spots on the head and body, sometimes mixed with tan and off-white colors.
-Albino/Amelanistic: As you’d expect, albino geckos are a cream color with pink eyes. These lizards are prized for their unique appearance. Patternless albino geckos are also available, these specimens are referred to as Amelanistic.
-Circleback: Circleback leopard geckos have a black circle on their back which is made up of connected black dots.
-Striped: This is a look which many gecko enthusiasts find particularly attractive; there is a stripe which runs all the way from head to tail on these animals which is light in color.
Since there are so many different variations of pattern and color available, you can find a pet leopard gecko which is as unique as you are. These animals make wonderful pets as long as you give them what they need to thrive: good care, a healthy home and of course, plenty of love.
Tags: gecko, Leopard Gecko, Lizards, morphs
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Bali Sounds of Nature – Gecko & Frogs
Written by scottology on December 23, 2009 – 3:08 pm -
Bali Sounds of Nature
The Gecko
Permanent and non-paying residents of most Bali villas is the Gecko (lizard-like creatures).
Totally harmless to humans and pets, the gecko are welcome guests as they feed on ants and small insects, providing a natural and environmentally friendly pest control.
Gecko also provide the signature sound-bite of the tropics. You will hear the very distinctive call of the Gecko on a regular basis. (It is said that if you count a Gecko call up to seven times in one go it will bring you good luck.)
Possibly the only down-side of Geckos is that they tend to eat a lot, and as a result pooh a lot too! So if you come across small droppings on the floor, you know who the guilty party is.
Some gecko can grow to quite large sizes (30 cm / 1 ft)+, and become quite a bit louder. They are still totally harmless to humans. However, if you find that you are bothered by the louder gecko, you will need to raise this with your Villa Manager. The Kodok
Another permanent resident of Bali is the Kodok, or frogs as we know them in the English speaking world.
The Kodok are such a big part of the life in Bali (as a result of the rice terraces), that you will see their statues throughout the island, often depicted as mischievous and fun loving characters.
Needless to say, the Kodok are totally harmless, and more often than not, heard rather than seen. (Unless it has been raining, when they will be brave enough to come out for a shower.)
Tags: bali, Frogs, gecko, sounds
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Artificial gecko feet using carbon nanotubes
Written by scottology on December 20, 2009 – 9:31 pm -
There is always something new happening in the world of science. In fact, there are so many new scientific discoveries and inventions, that it’s virtually impossible to stay abreast of all the new information. Here are a few really cool new inventions that are under development.
Artificial gecko feet using carbon nanotubes
Scientists have been trying to duplicate the adhesiveness of gecko feet for years without success. Liming Dai, a professor at the University of Dayton, and Zhong Wang, director of the Center for Nanostructure Characterization at Georgia tech, have developed a new adhesive that closely mimics the structures on gecko feet.
Gecko feet are covered with millions of micro-scale hairs which branch into even smaller hairs. The hairs each have a weak electrical interaction with a surface, and add up to a strong force over the area of the foot.
The researches came up with an adhesive made of carbon nanotubes whose structure closely resembles that of gecko feet. The material is 10 times more adhesive than the geckos’ feet and it’s easy to lift back up.
Dai’s group, using a silicon substrate, grew arrays of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes topped with an unaligned layer of nanotubes, like rows of trees with branching tops. The adhesive force of these nanotube arrays is very strong, about 100 newtons per square centimeter. That’s enough for a .15 inch x .15 inch square to support a 3 pound weight. The adhesive properties stayed the same when tested on surfaces, including glass plates, polymer films, and rough sandpaper.
One problem with these materials is that when the material gets dirty they don’t work well. No one has been able to do that. Dai says that carbon nanotubes’ versatility may help overcome the dirt problem. Dai is developing adhesive nanotube arrays that have the nanotubes coated with proteins that change their shape in response to temperature changes. The idea is that robot feet could heat up when they get clogged, sloughing off the dirt so that it can keep walking.
Tags: artificial, carbon, feet, gecko, nanotubes
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Acrobatic geckos steer with their tails
Written by scottology on December 15, 2009 – 9:44 pm -Read more: www.newscientist.com Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley are finding out that a gecko’s tail plays an important role in its movement.
Tags: gecko, glide, movement, robot, slip, steer, tail
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Gecko Health Conditions: Losing Their Tail
Written by scottology on November 25, 2009 – 2:37 am -
A gecko will grow a new tail if they lose theirs, though the tail which they grow back won’t usually look much like the tail they have lost; it tends to be a different shape and is often white rather than its original color. Of course, a gecko doesn’t worry too much about its looks, though you might prefer the way your pet looks with their original tail!
However, the way your pet leopard gecko’s new tail looks isn’t the real problem. The problem is that losing their tail can make your pet less healthy – a gecko which has lost their tail will be stressed and weakened and more susceptible to disease.
If your pet should lose their tail, they’ll need special care to keep them in good health and prevent infection from setting in as their tail grows back. You may want to keep the injured gecko in a different tank (if you currently house your leopard gecko with others). Make sure that the tank is kept very warm; in fact, any time your gecko is sick you should increase the temperature of their tank. They should have plenty of fresh water and food available while they heal as well.
Shedding is another thing which can pose a health hazard to your leopard gecko. Some of these animals have difficulty shedding for a variety of reasons. It may be too cool inside the tank, the humidity level may be too low, they may have a vitamin deficiency (usually it’s more vitamin A that they need) or even be infested with parasites. This is rare, but a leopard gecko with parasites won’t shed. You can check for parasites by looking carefully at their skin, especially between their toes.
If your leopard gecko is unable to shed for too long they can become sick. Rather than letting things get to this point, make sure to properly care for your pet to prevent these problems from occurring in the first place.
Tags: gecko, health, Leopard Gecko, tail
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My leopard gecko going crazy for wax worms
Written by scottology on November 20, 2009 – 8:04 pm -Short video showing my leopard gecko going crazy for wax worms as he gobbles them down quickly. Wax worms should only be used as an occasional treat for your exotic pet as they are high in fat and not as nutritious as other live food insects. Most pets will devour any wax worms offered, however you should take caution as wax worms can become addictive and your pet may begin to refuse other food sources.
Tags: feeding, gecko, leopard, leopard geckp, wax worms
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Unbelieveable!! Whole gecko rapidly eaten by ants!
Written by scottology on November 10, 2009 – 4:52 am -Ants eating gecko Unbelievable this tiny little devils. Whatever we forget on the kitchen table, these micro ants take it. Now we tried it with a dead gecko we found in garden and an observation camera. This is really crazy. …enjoy
Tags: Ants, gecko, lapse
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Electric Blue Geckos Eating Buffalo Worms
Written by scottology on October 29, 2009 – 6:12 pm -Watch the above video showing the feeding time of two electric blue geckos. They simply adore buffalo worms and gulp them down without a second thought.
Tags: blue, buffalo, electric, gecko, worm
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