Gekkonid

/ɡɛˈkoʊnɪd/ noun

Definition

A member of the gecko family Gekkonidae; any gecko lizard with the typical characteristics of the family.

Etymology

From 'Gekkonidae' (the family name) + '-id' (a suffix meaning member of a taxonomic group). The family name derives from the genus Gekko, itself from the Malay onomatopoeia for the sound geckos make.

Kelly Says

Gekkonids are superstars of evolutionary biology—their toe pads use van der Waals forces (the same forces holding atoms together) to climb walls, making them nature's nanotechnology experts.

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