What is the difference between geckos and lizards? A quick guide to telling them apart
The gecko is also known as shougong, climbing gecko, wall-climbing gecko, four-legged snake, bagecko, scorpion lizard, tianlong, eaves snake, eaves dragon and so on. It is a cold-blooded reptile of the phylum Chordata, class Reptilia, order Squamata, suborder Lacertilia. The gecko's physiological and physical characteristics are similar to those of lizards. Let us take a look below at what the differences between geckos and lizards are!
The difference between geckos and lizards
The gecko is a kind of lizard; lizard is the general term, which includes animals of the gecko family. So the relationship between lizards and geckos is like the relationship between China and Beijing, a relationship of inclusion. It is just that we usually call geckos geckos separately, and call the other lizards besides geckos lizards. The difference is that between a gecko's two ears there is nothing at all, so you can look in through one ear opening of the gecko and see straight out through the other ear opening.
The toxicity of geckos and lizards
Geckos themselves are not venomous, but a gecko's urine is toxic. In ancient times it was listed as one of the “five poisons” (scorpion, snake, centipede, gecko, toad). The vast majority of lizards are non-venomous. The Gila monster is the only venomous lizard in the world, distributed in the Americas, and is a rare and endangered species.
The difference between geckos and lizards
1. A gecko's feet have suction pads, and its tail is short and thick, generally only half its body length. A lizard's feet have no suction pads, and its tail is slender and long, with some species having a tail longer than the body.
2. Most lizards are active during the day, while geckos are mostly active between dusk and daybreak, and can make loud sounds (while most lizards cannot vocalise).
3. Most species of lizards are carnivorous, feeding on insects, earthworms, snails and even mice, while some feed mainly on cacti or seaweed, or are omnivorous. Geckos have a very varied diet, feeding mainly on small live insects, such as flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches and yellow mealworms.