Reptiles and amphibians are amazing animals, and just like all creatures, they have had to come up with some pretty ingenious adaptations. They get by on a huge variety of abilities, some of which are very reminiscent of super powers or science fiction! So today, I want to take a brief look at some of the most awesome herptile abilities out there, and how they do the amazing things they do!
How do geckos climb walls?
To put it simply: hair. The toes of certain gecko species are covered in setae which are tiny, hairlike structures, and each of these hairs splits off into hundreds of bristles called spatulae. So how does the gecko stick? When the toes are pressed against a surface, the hairs get so close to the contours of the surface that the van der Waals force comes into play; electrons in the hair molecules interact with the electrons of the surface, effectively creating an electromagnetic attraction! The gecko can actually control and adjust the 'stickiness' of the feet by using friction; this allows them to cling fast to walls, or scurry along at up to twenty body lengths per second. Source
The abilities of the gecko have inspired some pretty awesome technology; medicinal aspects include a means to seal wounds without stitches. 'Gecko Gloves' are also likely to be used to help soldiers scale walls one day, and several research groups have already set out to begin designing them!
How does a lizard run on water?
The basilisk lizard, often called the Jesus Christ lizard, is well known for its ability to run across the surface of water. This bizarre lizard is able to run on its hind legs, at a velocity of almost five feet per second across still pools. Their feet have large flaps between their toes, creating a larger surface area while also trapping pockets of air to keep them above the surface. Though this does allow them to run across water, it doesn't work for long; they will only be able to run approximately fifteen feet across the surface before sinking down and swimming (assuming the initial bolt doesn't get them clear to the shoreline). Even still, the short burst of speed across the water offers them a major head start when confronted with danger!
How does a frog make 'bone weapons'?
The hairy frog is already a weird animal, growing hairlike skin threads during mating season, but that's just the tip of the freaky iceberg. When threatened, this frog fights back by revealing its secret weapon: bone claws. The hairy frog actually breaks its own bones, that pierce through the frogs toe pads to create claws (kinda like Wolverine). When the frog is clear of danger, the bones and skin will gradually heal, until the next time these special claws are needed. Source
How do snakes 'fly'?
Well, short of getting on a plane...
...they don't. However, Flying Snakes have mastered the art of airborne travel, though their means are more similar to parachuters than gliders. To prepare for their flight, the snake situates itself in a 'J' shape on a treetop branch. After launching itself with the lower half of its body, the snake pulls itself into an 'S' shape and flattens its body, giving it a concave shape that traps air. These snakes are actually considered to be better gliders than flying squirrels; by undulating their bodies appropriately, they can glide for over 100 meters and make efficient turns in midair! Source
Some lizards and frogs are able to "parachute" using flaps of spin between their legs and toes, though few have as much control as the flying snake!
How do crocodilians 'choose' the gender of their offspring?
When doing public alligator shows, I always tell my guest that if I had some viable alligator eggs, I could choose whether they would be born male or female. This is due to an interesting adaptation known as temperature-dependent sex determination, or TSD. Unlike most animals, who's genders are determined by genetics, a crocodilian's gender is determined by the temperature of incubation. Crocodilians follow what is known as "Pattern II sex determination"; eggs raised at a mid-range temperature are predominately males when they hatch, with females being more common at the extremes of the range. Source
With global climate change, this presents a new worry for conservative herpetologists: how are new generations of crocodilians going to be affected by TSD? With rising temperatures, it is likely that we will begin seeing more and more females being born, and fewer males hatching, potentially causing problems for mating populations.
How does a frog freeze and thaw itself?
The wood frog can be found throughout much of North America...all the way up into the boundaries of the Arctic Circle (this is the most widely distibuted frog in Canada and Alaska)! Living in such an extreme environment, the wood frog is subjected to some of the most inhospitable conditions in the world. So how does this little frog survive the North's deep freeze? Well, it goes into a form of frozen hibernation (like sci-fi cryostasis); about 65% of the frog freezes, and its heart even stops when it is frozen! Urea and glucose is built up in the body prior to the freeze, and act as cryoprotectants to limit the amount of ice that forms in the body and reduce osmotic shrinking of cells. The frog effectively produces its own antifreeze that protects the most vital portions of the body and ensures that the frog is able to survive. As the weather warms back up, the frog thaws out, restarts its heart and begins its search for a mate. Source
How does an egg eating snake eat eggs?
A snake eating eggs may not seem all that impressive. Actually many different snakes around the world will eat eggs f given the opportunity, although few have developed the elegant system used by the Egg-Eating Snake. These small snakes feed exclusively on eggs and are specially adapted to surviving on an eggs-only diet. Their skull is extremely flexible, allowing them to eat eggs that are far larger than their own head, but it's what happens after the snake swallows the egg that is so impressive. The snake has bony protrusions on the inside edge of their spine, almost like little teeth in their esophagus. Once they swallow the egg, they flex their muscles, pushing the egg against the bony protrusions until it collapses. The snake then drains the contents of the egg before regurgitating an empty, clean shell. Wasting very little nutritional value of the egg, this is one of the most efficient means of eating eggs in the animal kingdom! Source
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Let me know if you enjoyed this post! I'd be happy to do another future article exploring more of these amazing adaptations!