Tag archives for Geckos
Posted by A new gecko species has been found in Papua New Guinea. This black and gold striped gecko is called Nactus kunan, from the word, kunan, which means “bumblebee” in the local Nali language. Scientists think that this lizard’s coloration helps it stay hidden on the rain forest floor.
Learn more about the bumblebee gecko on National Geographic News.
Get the facts on geckos in this Creature Feature.
Photograph courtesy Robert Fisher, USGS
The votes have been counted, and the name for the National Geographic Museum’s gecko has been chosen–Gripper! Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll.
Get gecko facts in the Creature Feature on National Geographic Kids.
Want to visit the gecko? Visit the National Geographic Museum’s Geckos: Tails to Toepads gecko exhibit, which will be open from September 24, 2010 to January 5, 2011.
Print out a gecko mask and coloring pages on National Geographic Little Kids.
Photo courtesy Eugene Green
A new exhibit opens at the National Geographic Museum today in Washington, D.C. The exhibit, Geckos: Tails to Toepads, features more than 70 live geckos from 18 different species. The visiting geckos arrived this week in plastic storage containers, packed in a large cooler for safety during their transport.
The geckos in the exhibit come in all shapes, sizes and colors, and different species have different personalities. Watch this behind-the-scenes video of a tokay gecko being released into its enclosure by zookeeper Colin Walker.
The geckos will be at National Geographic Headquarters through January 5, 2011.
Learn about the exhibit on the National Geographic Museum webpage.
Get the facts on geckos in the Creature Feature.
See more photos of the geckos featured in the exhibit on Nat Geo News Watch.
Photographs by Lyssa White
The National Geographic Museum staff purchased a crested gecko in early August. As yet, we don’t know if it’s a male or female, and it doesn’t have a name. That’s where you come in! Visit http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/ and scroll down to see the poll and vote for your favorite gecko name.
The gecko will be used for educational demonstrations during the upcoming exhibition, Geckos: Tails to Toepads. “It is a lot of fun having an office pet,” said Elena Guarinello, National Geographic Museum program manager . “During meetings we can see the gecko hunting crickets or warming itself under the terrarium lights. Every morning I start my workday by spritzing water around the terrarium both to help with the humidity and to create droplets on the leaves and glass for the gecko to drink. I also hold it for about five minutes each morning. The gecko was skittish at first but after about three weeks it calmed down and will now spend about five minutes crawling from one of my hands to the other. Sometimes it will even hang upside from one of my fingers!”
Get gecko facts in the Creature Feature on National Geographic Kids.
Want to visit the gecko? Visit the National Geographic Museum’s Geckos:Tails to Toepads gecko exhibit, which will be open from September 24, 2010 to January 5, 2011.
Print out a gecko mask and coloring pages on National Geographic Little Kids.
Photo courtesy Elena Guarinello
