'Airborne' geckos! Now that must be a real good sight. Imagine, a gecko trying to keep itself up on a slippery, vertical surface when suddenly, *Slip*, and it falls off!
(Credit: Robert Full/UC Berkeley, copyright PNAS/NAS 2008)
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Now isn't that a cool sight?
But what happens next? Surely the gecko does not fall flat on its face does it?
The gecko in question, Cosymbotus platyurus, or the flat-tailed house gecko of Southeast Asia lands perfectly feet-down in an awesome display of aerial acrobatics with only a flick of its tail!
According to Robert J. Full, "Initially, we thought the gecko's climbing ability was all in the feet, but now we know that this is clearly not true and the tail is critical." With the knowledge that geckos' tails are imperative in their climbing ability, researchers also found out that these tails come into use during perilous falls. Specifically, they rotate their fat-filled tail to counter-rotate their body and spread their legs and toes to parachute and glide to safety in a Superman posture! Read more here...
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Researchers have acknowledged the use of tails in other species of animals: Kangaroos lean on theirs, New World monkeys use their prehensile tails to grasp, but these are relatively static uses compared to the gecko in terms of high-speed climbing and gliding.
In my opinion, the gecko's active use of its tail is another functional explanation for its climbing and gliding ability. These abilities are essential for the gecko's survival, both in foraging for food and escaping from predators. I'm simply astounded that a simple mechanism of flicking its tail allows the gecko to reorient itself in mid-air, which can be akin to cats (which involves a more complex spine-twisting behaviour)! The instinctual nature of such tail use in climbing and gliding behaviour is perhaps an evolutionary adaptation that would enable them to use these 'acrobatic skills' in their natural habitat of the forest!
Furthermore, what is even more interesting is that researchers believe that this new discovery could inspire engineers in applications such as "new climbing and gliding robots as well as highly manoeuvarable unmanned aerial vehicles." Imagine the wonderful applications that humans can apply to their own lives drawing on research about animal behaviour and functions!
For an appreciation of how other species use their tails:
"Anna's Hummingbird Chirps with Its Tail During Display Dives" (Feb 5, 2008)
"New World Monkeys and their Gadgets" (Feb, 2003)
For a look at other interesting applications from gecko research:
"Scientists Prove How Geckos Stick, Unlock Secret to Making Articial Gecko Glue" (Aug 28, 2002)
"Engineers Create Gecko-inspired, High friction Micro-fibers" (Aug 23, 2006)
"Sticky Questions tackled in Gecko Research" (Jan 2, 2008)
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