Leopard geckos flick their tongues to sample scent particles using a specialised organ in the roof of the mouth
This vomeronasal (Jacobson's) organ lets a gecko investigate its surroundings, recognise other geckos, and locate food largely through scent rather than sight alone.
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Most active at dawn and dusk when temperatures in their native Pakistan and Afghanistan are ideal.
A widespread misconception is that the tail acts like a camel's hump storing water.
Autotomy — voluntary tail shedding — is a defence mechanism.
Unlike most gecko species which use van der Waals forces to climb smooth surfaces, leopard geckos have conventional claws.
The moveable eyelid is unusual among geckos.
Hold your gecko up to a light source and look through one ear opening — you can see light through the other side.