The small lizards known as geckos are fun to watch as they move about.

A gecko can climb

up smooth surfaces and even run across ceilings. Each of its long, flat toes has thousands of
tiny hairs. At the end of each tiny hair are hundreds of even smaller hairs. These hairs fan out
to create a strong sticking power that lets the gecko move along areas where many other
animals would slip.

There are about 750 species, or kinds, of gecko. They can be found in warm areas of the
world, often living in rain forests and deserts. Geckos usually come out at night and feed on
insects.

Geckos are among the world's smallest lizards. Most species measure 1.2 to 6 inches (3 to 15
centimeters) in length, including the tail. Many geckos have tails that can be broken off
easily. If this happens, the animal can usually grow another one.

Geckos have short, stout bodies and soft skin. Most are gray, brown, or dirty white in color.
A few kinds are a more colorful bright green. Unlike other reptiles, most geckos have a voice.
Their sounds range from soft clicks or chirps to sharp cackles or barks.

Females of a few gecko species give birth to live young. Most, however, lay eggs. Gecko
eggs are white with a hard shell. Eggs are laid beneath the bark of trees or attached to the
underside of leaves. Although most kinds of lizards produce many eggs at a time, geckos
often lay just two.

Some people keep geckos as pets. One of the most popular is the large tokay gecko, which is
gray with red and whitish spots and bands. It is possible that a gecko may live 20 or more
years when kept by people.
Related to frogs and toads, salamanders are tailed amphibians that look something like lizards.
People once believed that salamanders could walk through fire without being harmed, but this is
only a legend. In reality, salamanders are cold-blooded animals that have to live in moist places.

Where salamanders live

Salamanders are most common in areas north of the equator with warm summers and cold
winters. Some species, or kinds, live only in the water, and some live only on land. Others
spend time both in water and on land. Water-dwelling species can be found in ponds, lakes,
swamps, rivers, and mountain streams. Land species live under fallen logs and rocks, in trees,
or buried under the soil.

Physical features
Salamanders generally have four short legs and a long tail. Their skin is smooth and moist,
like that of a frog. They are usually about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) long. The
Chinese giant salamander is an exception—it can grow to a length of 5 feet (1.5 meters).
Salamanders come in a wide array of colors, including yellow, red, orange, green, white,
brown, and black. Most species have patterns of spots or stripes. All land-dwelling adult
salamanders have lungs, but some water-dwelling species breathe through gills or through
their skin.

The features of some salamanders are quite unique. The water-dwelling species called mud
puppies or water dogs have red gills that look like large feathers sticking out of their heads.
The sirens, which also live in water, look like eels because of their long, slender bodies with
no back legs. The olm of southeastern Europe is a blind species with a layer of skin covering
its eyes. The males of European newt species develop a crest along the back during the
breeding season.

Behavior
Salamanders are secretive animals. They usually hide during the day in damp, dark places
and come out at night to find food. Sometimes they will venture out of their daytime hiding
spots during rainy weather. Salamanders are seldom heard. Unlike frogs, they do not make
loud sounds to make their presence known.

Salamanders take in oxygen through their skin, which must be kept moist at all times. Species
that live in stagnant water, which is low in oxygen, must breathe through gills. Those living
in fast-flowing streams, which are rich in oxygen, breathe only through their skin and mouth
lining. Water-dwelling species with lungs must go to the surface to breathe air.

Salamanders feed on insects, small fish, worms, snails, and crayfish. Sometimes they even eat
smaller members of their own species. Some land species capture prey with their sticky
tongue, which can be flicked out. Water species capture prey with the help of webbed back
feet and a tail developed for swimming.

Salamanders have several ways to protect themselves against predators. Most species have
poison glands in the skin, which are marked by brightly colored areas on the body. The
substance released by these glands leaves an unpleasant taste or causes pain in the predator's
mouth, forcing it to release the victim. Salamanders also lash their tails to defend themselves.
The tails of some salamanders are designed to break off during an attack. While the wriggling
tail distracts the predator, the victim is free to escape. A new tail soon grows to replace the
one that was lost.

In places that get very cold, salamanders become inactive during the winter months. This is
called hibernation. Salamanders normally crawl underground or into deep caves to hibernate.
Some water species burrow down into the bed of the body of water in which they live.

Life cycle
Most salamanders reproduce by laying eggs, which are coated with a jellylike substance for
protection. Many species breed and lay eggs in water, but some do so on land. Some species
show a strong tendency to return to the same breeding pond every year. Depending on the
species, either the female or the male parent guards the eggs.

Salamanders that hatch on land come out of the egg as miniature adults. Most salamanders,
however, begin life in a form called larvae. The larvae have gills and teeth in both jaws and
lack eyelids. To become adults, the larvae go through a series of changes called
metamorphosis. Some salamanders keep larval features, such as gills, for their entire lives.
In the cities of North America and England, the eastern gray squirrel is seen more often than
any other wild mammal. The gray squirrel is a tree squirrel, but among the more than 250
other kinds of squirrels are flying squirrels and ground squirrels as well. Also included in the
squirrel family are the groundhog and other marmots, the prairie dogs, and the chipmunks.
All animals in the squirrel family are rodents.

Where squirrels live

Squirrels live on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Tree squirrels make their
homes in forests and parkland. Ground squirrels live in burrows under prairies, deserts, and
farm fields. The flying squirrels, which are less common than the other types, live in the trees
of North American, Asian, and Malaysian forests.

Physical features
Like rodents in general, squirrels tend to be small animals. The African pygmy squirrels are
the smallest, at about 4 inches (10 centimeters) in length. The largest are the giant squirrels of
Asia, which can be 36 inches (90 centimeters) long and weigh 6 1/2 pounds (3 kilograms).

Most members of the squirrel family have large eyes, a coat of short fur, and long bushy tails.
The flying squirrels have a large membrane, or loose flap of skin, connecting their front and
hind legs. Unlike birds or bats, flying squirrels cannot actually fly. But they can glide for long
distances when they spread out this membrane. The eyes of the flying squirrels are enlarged
so they can gather more light for better night vision.

Like other rodents, all squirrels have four large incisor teeth for gnawing. These teeth
continue to grow throughout the life of the animal. Some squirrels, such as the eastern gray
squirrel and the chipmunks, have cheek pouches where they can carry food.

Behavior
Some members of the squirrel family are quite agile. The various tree squirrels are especially
good at grasping limbs and other vegetation. They make great leaps between branches and
cushion a fall by flattening their bodies and spreading their tail fur.

Many squirrels are known for their quick movements. However, they generally do not try to
outrun predators. Instead they go for refuge. Tree squirrels climb trees and shelter in tree
cavities. Ground squirrels dive into burrows. Flying squirrels avoid danger by spending very
little time on the ground. They also avoid being seen because they are active only at night.

Squirrels eat mostly plants, including young shoots, buds, berries, tree bark, and other
vegetation. Many eat large quantities of seeds and nuts. They can use their forelimbs as hands
to hold food to the mouth. Some will eat insects when they are available, and a few have been
known to raid birds' nests for eggs. The tree squirrels bury nuts and acorns in the ground to
eat later. Many of these nuts are never found and take root. In this way forgetful squirrels
plant oak trees.

Tree squirrels such as the gray squirrel stay active in cold weather. However, many ground
squirrels spend the winter in their burrows in a state of inactivity called hibernation. Some
ground squirrels of hot desert regions become inactive in summer instead. This behavior is
called estivation.

Tree squirrels are active primarily during the day and spend their nights asleep in trees. Most
of them build nests of leaves and twigs, usually in the high branches of the tallest trees. Some
build temporary nests that may be used for only one night. The animals usually have several
different places to which they can go during bad weather or to avoid predators.

Life cycle
Most members of the squirrel family have one or two small litters each year. The females are
pregnant for about 38 to 44 days. Gray squirrels give birth to two to three young in each litter,
while Eurasian red squirrels may have five to seven. The young are hairless and helpless at
birth. They grow hair after about two weeks. Their eyes open after four to five weeks. They
leave the nest to be on their own six to eight weeks after birth and are ready to have their own
young the following year.

The longest-lived member of the squirrel family may be the eastern gray squirrel. A gray
squirrel in the wild reached an age of 12 years. A zoo-kept individual lived for more than 23
years.

Squirrels and humans

Some squirrels are considered to be pests because they eat farm crops. Others, such as the
California ground squirrel, carry fleas that transmit plague, a serious disease. But squirrels
can be useful to people as well. The Eurasian red squirrel has been hunted for its fur, and the
gray squirrel has been hunted for its meat.

Many people in England do not like gray squirrels. They miss the native red squirrels that
were driven off by the gray squirrels that were brought over from North America. The
English author Beatrix Potter's character Squirrel Nutkin was a red squirrel.