Geckos are one of the planet’s real masters of disguise – camouflaging themselves to disappear into their environment and avoid the watchful eyes of a predator.
And this image of Luna the gecko shows just how masterful they can be.
It is not too unlikely that you have walked past one yourself – in the UK geckos can be kept as pets, and different varieties of them are common across the globe – residing on every continent besides Antarctica.
Their vast range of sub-species also make them even harder to spot. There are roughly 1,500 varieties of gecko worldwide, ranging from 1.6 to 60cm (0.6 – 23.6 inches) in length. Many are also nocturnal.
So, can you spot the wily reptile below?
Geckos’ impressive camouflage help them as both prey and predator animals.
They need to avoid birds of prey like eagles and owls as well as larger land dwellers like rats and snakes, and they eat insects such as mosquitos and crickets.
Geckos can live for up to 20 years if their survival skills serve them well.
Their fascinating colour-changing skills come courtesy of cells in their skin called chromatophores.
Different types of these cells contain different coloured pigments, allowing the gecko to blend in to a range of environments.
Cells detect when their surroundings are, or are not their given colour, and contract or expand to show off their colour as a result.
Flaps on the underside of geckos’ lower jaws and bodies allow this to have maximum effect, as they blend even more seamlessly into their background.
In this case, Luna is blending in perfectly on the brown of a branch, accounting for roughly half of the surface of the bark we think we are seeing at first glance.
She is circled below.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
