Opportunist geckos in Hong Kong
The invention of the incandescent light bulb just 140 years ago
changed our night skies forever, and nowhere more so than
in cities. For many animals, artificial light creates confusion.
Moths have evolved to navigate by flying at a constant angle
relative to a distant light source: the Moon. That’s why they’re
often found flying round and round street lights. But one animal
is taking full advantage of these confused insects.
This tokay gecko was photographed in Hong Kong. Hong Kong
has a great deal of light pollution, with one of the brightest night
skies in the world. As the tokay gecko is a nocturnal lizard, you
wouldn’t imagine that its eyes could cope with such bright light,
but their vertical slit pupils allow them to see in a far greater range of
light conditions than we can. The tiny slit only lets in a small amount
of light when under a bright bulb, but opens wide in the dark.
The other feature that makes tokay geckos so well adapted
to the urban environment is their phenomenal grip. Each foot
is lined with half a million microscopic hairs, so tiny that they
form a molecular bond with the surface, almost like atomic-scale
Velcro. Having evolved to walk on wet leaves in the rainforest,
their feet stick well to metal and glass, making this lamp post
an ideal place to dine!
Fredi Devas has also worked on Frozen Planet
and Wild Arabia.65 April 2017 April 2017^57