Gecko Feet - how do they stick?

In "Whose Feet are These?" I wrote about geckos having 'sticky' feet, which seemed a good way to describe gecko feet for young children. But how exactly are geckos' feet sticky? Here's a photo of the foot of a common or raukawa gecko, doesn't it look amazing!

Raukawa Gecko foot - each gecko species has
a different footprint

Make a Gecko with Sticky Feet

Did you know that geckos have 'sticky' feet? They can even walk upside down on ceilings or up a pane of glass! Children at Porirua, Cannons Creek and Whitby Libraries had a go at making their own geckos with sticky feet yesterday as part of my author tour.

A brightly coloured gecko with googly eyes

Read Around the World - and learn a bit about New Zealand too

I'm looking forward to being the special guest at the Porirua Library's school holiday event. On April 19 I'll be visiting 3 of the branches to read from my books and have some fun making crafts. I'll be sharing "Whose Beak is This?" and "Whose Feet are These?" and making sticky-footed geckos and kiwi book corners.

The Pitfalls of Monitoring Skinks- our elusive native lizards

Picture this, early morning in summer and a couple of people crouched by the coastal path, wearing knee pads, peering into holes in the ground. No wonder the local dog walkers were suspicious! However they soon got to know who we were and what we were up to. The holes in the ground are pitfall traps of lizards, and we are a group of volunteers working with a lizard scientist (herpetologist) to monitor skinks in our local reserve.

Skink in a pitfall trap (other items removed)

Geckos and Skinks - what's the difference?

Rare native birds get a good deal of press in New Zealand, but some of our other endangered natives get less attention, particularly the ones that are good at hiding! Often the most you'll see of a skink is a flash of brown as it streaks across a stony path into the grass. And for geckos which are nocturnal the most you might see is a discarded frail white skin.

A flash of brown and it's gone - skinks move fast

Geckos in the Spotlight: volunteering on Mana Island

A trip to Mana Island, which is free from mammal predators and pests, is enough to show how incredible the lizard life of ancient New Zealand would have been. Mana is not only free from rats, cats, hedgehogs and stoats; there are also no mice here.

World Heritage Day - protecting our natural heritage

What better way to spend World Heritage Day, than getting out and protecting our natural heritage. It just so happened that the stormy weather cleared and Friends of Mana Island volunteers were able to get out and clear the pest traps along the nearby mainland coast. Volunteers clear these DOC traps regularly, each time they are cleared the trap is set again and ready to catch another pest.

Geckos in the Garden

Geckos hunt at night, so a rare sighting of a gecko in the garden recently was exciting. We often see signs of geckos - their old skins that they have climbed out of, or a quick dart of a small dark figure if its hiding place is uncovered. But this gecko stayed quite still for a long time, long enough to be photographed.

Gecko from underneath

Throwing Hedgehogs to the Wind

I had a lot of fun writing a piece to enter in a writing competition run by the local Forest and Bird branch. The brief was to write about local projects or reserves. I thought about my most recent memorable experience and realised I'd been involved in some quirky projects and even the more standard projects often had a quirky side to them. I was delighted when the judges picked my entry as the overall winner.

Wind swept hill in Pukerua Bay

Here's my story:

Throwing Hedgehogs to the Wind

DOC not just about building bridges

Forest and Bird have declared today "Love Doc Day". A perfect occasion to show my appreciation of the work the Department of Conservation does for New Zealand/Aotearoa and our natural treasures.

DOC's work has become fundamental to the way we enjoy and interact with our natural environment, from its visible structures such as huts and bridges, to visitor information and helpful hut wardens. But this experience is nothing if our native species are not protected; for then there would be little natural native environment left to enjoy.

DOC's work isn't just about building bridges, but I'm sure grateful this one was there