Gecko Show

It’s rare to find a show dedicated to everything you ever wanted to know about geckos, but the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia is making it happen. Peeling Productions at Clyde Peeling’s REPTILAND created “Geckos-Tails to Toepads,” and it will be a summer long event ending on September 7.

The exhibit will feature 13 live gecko habitats, so you can watch them in action. Also, if you ever wondered what geckos see, feel and say, now is your chance to find out through the many hands-on activities. Surprisingly, these lizards make a variety of noises from squawks to growls and chirps, and they use these vocalizations to establish dominance or to attract mates. If you have a gecko as a pet or would like one, you can ask Dr. Aaron Bauer, gecko expert and professor at Villanova University.

Geckos are incredible creatures, and for being so small, they have an unusually strong grip. They are also intelligent and even have a strategy when it comes to facing predators, which is to sacrifice a body part just to get away. The exhibit will also have Tokay Geckos, which are light gray with bluish or reddish spots, and you can watch them throughout the day during their feeding times. Some Tokay Geckos are so large that they eat small mice along with other insects.

On June 27 and 28 from 10 am to 3 pm, a workshop called “So You Want a Gecko as a Pet” will be held. This educational session will discuss the lizard’s history and relationship with humans. The fee for this workshop is $25. If you like to look at geckos but don’t want them as a pet, “The Art of the Gecko” might be more for you. This event will take place on July 25 and 26 from 11 am to 3 pm, and it will feature geckos from the viewpoint of local artists.

Getting to know geckos could be an unforgettable family experience, and you might even end up wanting a lizard as a pet.

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