GECKO

the name given to all lizards belonging to the family Gecko tide of the order Lacer til i a; they are small in size, dull in color, and the soft skin is covered with granular tubercles. Most of them have adhesive digits, which enable them to run along smooth, horizontal or vertical surfaces with astonishing rapidity. G’s. are found in nearly all hot climates, and in Egypt and India frequently enter houses; their name indicates the sound emitted by certain species. Phyllo dactylus is the most widely distributed genus: P. mauritaricus being found in 8S. Europe; the individuals of Ptychozoon are remarkable for the web-like expansions which serve them as parachutes.