Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. The crested gecko's current popularity in the pet trade ...

Geckos and lizards, though similar, have distinct differences. All geckos are lizards, but not all lizards are geckos. Geckos are typically smaller with unique toe pads for climbing, nocturnal habits, ...

Somewhere in the highlands of Afghanistan, a hungry fox pounces on a tasty-looking leopard gecko. But the lizard has a get-out-of-jail-free card: a detachable tail. The dropped appendage flails around ...