A genus of small lizards found in warm regions, characterized by having adhesive toe pads that allow them to climb smooth surfaces.
From Greek 'hemi-' meaning half and 'daktylos' meaning finger or toe, referring to their specialized toe structure. Named by zoologists in the 1800s to classify these geckos.
Hemidactylus geckos have incredible toe pads that use van der Waals forces—the same weak molecular forces that hold molecules together—allowing them to walk upside down on ceilings without any glue or suction cups!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.