Observation by Connor Margetts, Public Domain, via iNaturalist
Hey kids, welcome back to our series on the mysteries of created kinds.
It’s been a few weeks as the Inspector has been tied up on other cases. However, this week we head to Australia looking for a unique group of geckos.
These geckos lack the toepads commonly found in other geckos. Instead, they use claws to climb. Their habitat varies, with some species happily inhabiting the same spaces as humans, climbing walls, and hanging from shaded overlooks.1 They rarely venture more than a few feet from the ground. Others are either rainforest dwellers or restricted to rocks.2 Most species are nocturnal, avoiding the Australian sun during the day and emerging at night to forage.3 Their preferred diet is insects and other arthropods, but they will take larger prey if they can swallow it.4
This kind has a unique method of determining males and females. Humans use an X/Y system to determine male and female. Males in humans are XY, while females are XX. These geckos use a Z/W system, where males are ZZ and females are ZW.5 Females usually lay two eggs under cover where the ground is at least slightly moist.6 Incubation time is just over two months with the young usually hatching at night.
Has anyone figured it out yet? This week’s kind is the Carphodactylidae—the southern padless gecko kind. Next week, we head to Southeast Asia looking for a small group of toads.
Try out this fun word search!
Your clue for the week is:
One species of this kind is referred to as “Gollum’s toad” after a well-known character from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.
Have you ever had a question about created kinds but didn’t know who to ask? Have you ever wanted to learn more about your favorite kind? Well, now you can! You can ask me, Inspector Barry Mins, a question! Have your parents help you fill out this form, and you might get your question answered in my column! If you have any questions about created kinds, feel free to send them my way!