Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2024 Nov;307(11):3421-3431. doi: 10.1002/ar.25511. Epub 2024 May 28.
Chatogekko amazonicus is a miniaturized gecko from northern South America and is among the smallest of toe pad bearing lizards. The toe pads of C. amazonicus are miniscule, between 18% and 27% of the plantar surface area. We aimed to investigate the relationship between adhesive toe pad morphology, body size, and adhesive capabilities. Using scanning electron microscopy, we determine that the adhesive pads of C. amazonicus exhibit branched setae similar to those of other geckos, but that are generally much smaller. When compared with other gecko taxa, we show that C. amazonicus setae occupy a similar range of seta length: snout-vent length ratio and aspect ratio as other gekkonoid species (i.e. Gekkonidae, Phyllodactylidae, and Sphaerodactylidae). We demonstrate that C. amazonicus-even with its relatively small toe pads-is capable of climbing a smooth glass surface at a nearly vertical angle. We suggest that sphaerodactylids like C. amazonicus offer an excellent system for studying toe pad morphology and function in relation to miniaturization.
亚马逊油彩蛙是一种来自南美洲北部的微型壁虎，是最小的跖足附垫蜥蜴之一。亚马逊油彩蛙的跖足垫非常小，占足底表面积的 18%到 27%。我们旨在研究粘性跖足垫形态、体型和粘附能力之间的关系。使用扫描电子显微镜，我们确定亚马逊油彩蛙的粘性垫具有与其他壁虎相似的分支刚毛，但通常要小得多。与其他壁虎类群相比，我们表明亚马逊油彩蛙的刚毛长度范围与其他壁虎物种（即壁虎科、叶趾壁虎科和鳞趾虎科）相似：吻肛长比和长径比。我们证明，即使亚马逊油彩蛙的跖足垫相对较小，它也能够在近乎垂直的角度爬上光滑的玻璃表面。我们认为，像亚马逊油彩蛙这样的鳞趾虎科为研究与小型化相关的跖足垫形态和功能提供了一个极好的系统。
