Geckos cling best to, and prefer to use, rough surfaces

Abstract

Background Fitness is strongly related to locomotor performance, which can determine success in foraging, mating, and other critical activities. Locomotor performance on different substrates is likely to require different abilities, so we expect alignment between species’ locomotor performance and the habitats they use in nature. In addition, we expect behaviour to enhance performance, such that animals will use substrates on which they perform well. Methods We examined the associations between habitat selection and performance in three species of Oedura geckos, including two specialists, (one arboreal, and one saxicolous), and one generalist species, which used both rocks and trees. First, we described their microhabitat use in nature (tree and rock type) for these species, examined the surface roughnesses they encountered, and selected materials with comparable surface microtopographies (roughness measured as peak-to-valley heights) to use as substrates in lab experiments quantifying behavioural substrate preferences and clinging performance. Results The three Oedura species occupied different ecological niches and used different microhabitats in nature, and the two specialist species used a narrower range of surface roughnesses compared to the generalist. In the lab, Oedura geckos preferred substrates (coarse sandpaper) with roughness characteristics similar to substrates they use in nature. Further, all three species exhibited greater clinging performance on preferred (coarse sandpaper) substrates, although the generalist used fine substrates in nature and had good performance capabilities on fine substrates as well. Conclusion We found a relationship between habitat use and performance, such that geckos selected microhabitats on which their performance was high. In addition, our findings highlight the extensive variation in surface roughnesses that occur in nature, both among and within microhabitats.

Tokay geckos (Gekkonidae: Gekko gecko) preferentially use substrates that elicit maximal adhesive performance

“…Our finding that geckos were observed significantly more often on substrates that elicited maximal adhesive performance is nearly identical to that of Pillai et al (2020), who performed a similar experiment with geckos of the family Diplodactylidae. The similar findings of two studies using different species (G. gecko versus Oedura spp.)…”

“…intraspecific and interspecific competition, resource availability, thermoregulation) to enhance our understanding of the extent to which adhesive performance impacts substrate use. Additionally, the findings of our study and those of Pillai et al (2020) suggest the hypothesis that adhesive performance influences the substrate use patterns of free-ranging geckos. Therefore, we might expect geckos to use substrates in their natural habitat nonrandomly, with substrate use patterns matching trends in maximal adhesive performance.…”

“…adhesive performance). Recent work examined the substrate use of three species of Oedura geckos in the laboratory using experimental enclosures and found that they used the substrate that elicited maximal adhesive performance (a coarse sandpaper) more often than the other substrate (a fine sandpaper), which elicited lower maximal adhesive performance (Pillai et al, 2020). The genus Oedura is a member of the gecko family Diplodactylidae and very little is known about the adhesive performance and properties of this gekkotan family (Russell and Garner, 2021).…”

“…Indeed, most of our knowledge of the mechanics and properties of gecko subdigital adhesive pads has come from a single species, the Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko). Thus, it is interesting to consider the generality of the results of Pillai et al (2020) with those for members of other gekkotan families.…”

Variation in density, but not morphology, of cutaneous sensilla among body regions in nine species of Australian geckos

“…Broad sampling locations are provided in Table S1, further details on sampling location and method are provided elsewhere (Pillai et al, 2020; Riedel et al, 2020). We sampled three species of the genus Oedura Grey, 1842, a mid‐sized genus widely distributed across continental Australia, whose members generally occupy a scansorial niche (Cogger, 2018; Hoskin, 2019; Oliver et al, 2012): Oedura castelnaui (Thominot, 1889) ( n = 4) an arboreal species, Oedura coggeri Bustard 1966 ( n = 3) a saxicoline species found on granite boulders or rocky outcrops and Oedura monilis De Vies 1888 ( n = 2), a generalist species using both rocks and trees as microhabitats (Hagey et al, 2017; Pillai et al, 2020). The three species occur and partially co‐occur, in woodland habitats in north‐east Queensland (QLD), with O. monilis extending southwards into New South Wales (NSW) (Cogger, 2018; Hoskin, 2019; Riedel et al, 2020).…”