Animals that Start with M - Listed With Pictures, Facts

Leopard Gecko Discovered At The Red Tower On York's Bar Walls

AN exotic reptile from the deserts of Asia made a 500-year-old historic tower in York its home.

The animal in question – an eight-inch long leopard gecko – turned up at the Red Tower on York's bar walls on Foss Islands in early January as council workers were preparing the tower to be opened to the public for the first time.

Chris Rainger, a volunteer with the Friends of Fishergate Tower, was in the Red Tower with council archaeologist John Oxley when they spotted the intriguing visitor.

He said: "We saw the gecko in the middle of the concrete floor. As it was quite cold it was sluggish and easy to catch.

"There had been building materials stored in the tower so I presume the gecko had been living in there.

"They eat spiders and insects, so there would have been plenty of food for it."

Although the tower is not used often there are gaps under the door which mean the gecko could have got in at any time, he said.

Council workmen, who were busy preparing the tower to be opened for Residents' Weekend on January 25-26, stepped in to help, scooped the gecko up and found a makeshift home for it in a baseball cap.

Since finding the gecko, Chris has done some research online and discovered the lizard is a leopard gecko, which is native to the deserts of Pakistan, Afghanistan and parts of India and is a popular pet in the UK.

The Red Tower, built in 1490, forms the only brick section of York's famous city walls.

A council spokesman said: "The staff were at the tower doing a health and safety inspection ahead of Residents' Weekend when they stumbled across the gecko, which gave them a bit of a shock.

"A member of our drainage team, who already has similar pets, is now looking after the gecko at his home and is going to give it the care it needs."

They have no idea how old the gecko could be, or how long it could have been in the tower, but it appeared to be in good condition.

If someone comes forward and can prove they are the gecko's rightful owner, the council would happily hand it back, he said.

Watch A Gecko Take Down A Scorpion In This Breathtaking Slow-mo Video

Researchers with San Diego State University (SDSU) in California have shared a spectacular video of western banded geckos fighting scorpions. These geckos are normally thought of as fairly mild-mannered creatures. But, as you can see in the video shared by the SDSU, they can put out quite a thrashing when they need to.

Check out this video of western banded geckos fighting scorpions The video is part of a study focused on the unique feed behaviors of the western banded gecko, particularly when consuming scorpions. These geckos prey on small arthropods like crickets and beetles. However, scorpions are also part of their menu, it seems. And, when they feed on these dangerous creatures, the geckos get pretty feisty. Instead of pouncing and attacking the scorpions like they would other creatures, the geckos actually writhe around violently after grabbing the scorpion. It's an interesting sight to behold, and one that we're not sure to forget anytime soon. You can see the video for yourself above. It is very reminiscent of how some predators capture their prey and then violently shake them to incapacitate them. Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox. Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there. By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice. Incapacitating its prey A western banded gecko stalking along the ground. Image source: Viktor / Adobe The researchers believe that the western banded geckos fight the scorpions this way to render them unable to fight back. They shared their research on the way western banded geckos fight scorpions in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. SDSU biologists Rulon Clark and Malachi Whitford, graduate students from the SDSU and the University of California joint Davis Ph.D. Program, conducted the study. Clark says he first noticed the western banded gecko's unique behavior when studying flat-tailed horned lizards in the 1990s. (via Newsweek) After a few years, he returned to commence another study. During that time, though, he and Whitford managed to film western banded geckos fighting scorpions and other prey. They were then able to dig deeper into the gecko's natural behavior by studying the video. Most of us can probably look at geckos without being intimidated. After all, they aren't scary creatures. Some companies, like Geico, have even gone on to use them as brand images. But, after seeing the way that these western banded geckos go toe-to-toe with scorpions, there definitely seems to be more to these little creatures than first meets the eye. If nothing else, this is just another reminder of how intriguing nature and the wild creatures that we share this planet with can be.

Full Of Character – From A Cockatoo Who Loves Showing Off, To Gecko's Beady Eye

WORKING as a cover keeper for over four years at the park I have come to know and understand the behaviour of a lot of our animals.

More recently, during the last six months, I have had the pleasure of working a lot in our reptile and small animal section.

There are quite a few characters, including Frosty, the citron crested cockatoo, who loves nothing more than interacting with and showing off to the public.

Along with his new companion Stevo, they are the two birds who I really enjoy seeing first thing in the morning.

Over time as I have learnt more about the animals, I have come to realise the smallest of creatures can bring a lot of joy to someone.

Stevie (not Stevo!) is our Standings Day gecko, has pretty much stolen my heart. Some people may not realise that a reptile can have a personality.

Stevie may be small and he often hides away, but he makes up for it with his character.

When I enter the reptile corridor in the morning one of the first things I do is play "Where's Stevie?" Sometimes he is right in front of me on the glass, holding on with his sticky feet, other times he can be hiding with his little nose peeking out from behind a leaf.

Stevie, Standings Day Gecko

Reptiles can't feel emotions like we do, but he does seem to quite like a bit of interaction.

One of the cutest things I have ever seen is a gecko eating. Stevie looks at you with his big beady eyes and then all of a sudden his little tongue pokes out as he is eating, but he never stops looking at you.

What I have discovered is that to appreciate an animal that can at first appear a bit boring, you just have to spend some time with them. Then you realise that they have the most amazing characteristics.

It is such a privilege to work with such a variety of interesting animals.

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