Gecko Adhesion Research Group, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA
Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA.
J Exp Biol. 2021 Feb 25;224(Pt 4):jeb241240. doi: 10.1242/jeb.241240.
Gecko substrate use is likely influenced by adhesive performance, yet few studies have demonstrated this empirically. Herein, we examined the substrate use, adhesive performance and vertical clinging behaviour of in captivity to investigate whether adhesive performance influences patterns of substrate use. We found that geckos were observed significantly more often on the substrate (glass) that elicited maximal adhesive performance relative to its availability within our experimental enclosures, indicating that geckos preferentially use substrates on which their adhesive performance is maximal. Our work here provides additional, yet crucial data establishing connections between adhesive performance and patterns of substrate use in captivity, suggesting the hypothesis that substrate preferences of free-ranging geckos should be correlated with adhesive performance. Clearly, further experimental and field research is necessary to test this hypothesis and identify other parameters that individually and/or collectively influence the habitat use of free-ranging geckos.
壁虎对基质的选择可能受其黏附性能的影响，但很少有研究从实证角度对此加以证明。本研究通过室内饲养观察，检测了壁虎的基质选择、黏附性能和垂直攀爬行为，以探究黏附性能是否会影响壁虎对基质的选择。结果表明，壁虎在实验箱内更倾向于选择黏附性能最强的玻璃基质，而不是其实际的可利用性。这表明壁虎更偏好使用黏附性能最强的基质。本研究提供了额外的、至关重要的数据，证明了黏附性能与圈养壁虎对基质的选择之间存在联系，表明自由生活的壁虎对基质的偏好应该与其黏附性能相关。显然，需要进一步开展实验和野外研究来检验这一假说，并确定影响自由生活壁虎栖息地利用的其他参数，这些参数可能单独或共同起作用。
