Tarentola mauritanica has trouble walking on dust. An unlikely foe has kept a marauding band of non-native geckos from taking over a tiny Mediterranean island: dust on their feet. The stowaways to an island near Corsica are trapped on a single concrete building and are unable to leave, as dust elsewhere on the island makes them slip or stop in their tracks as they try to shake off the grime.
Most geckos can scamper up rocks and stroll across ceilings thanks to adhesive pads on their toes. But whereas some sport sticky rows that cover the bottom of each digit, others have just two adhesive spots at the tip of each toe, says Anthony Russell at the University of Calgary in Canada. The pair examined two gecko species on Giraglia, a hectare island off the northern coast of Corsica.
Euleptes europaea has toe-tip pads and is native to the island, roaming freely across the dusty landscape. Conversely, Tarentola mauritanica is a larger gecko with full-toe pads, and is native to other parts of the Mediterranean. The authors found that the invader was confined to a single concrete structure. A close up of the pads of Tarentola mauritanica. In less dusty situations, full-toe-padded geckos can shed grime from their feet by walking through a relatively clean area.
The native geckos deal with the dust by lifting their small toe pads to the side, relying only on their claws for climbing. The invading geckos, however, cannot roll up their large pads without also pulling up their claws.
Russell, A. The next step, he adds, is to study more species with pads on the tips of their toes to see whether they too thrive in dusty habitats where other geckos cannot go. Journal of Zoology DOI: Read more: Gecko-inspired suit could have you climbing the wall. Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers. Explore the latest news, articles and features. Close Advertisement. Subscribe now.
