| We report the experimental description of the entire (about 10 hours long) moulting process of a female tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) and the related observations on its skin topology. A statistical analysis on the skin tessellation has been performed. A detailed SEM/FESEM characterization of the complete adhesive system of the gecko foot, discovering new peculiarities, as well as of four samples of skin taken from the gecko back, upper tail, abdomen and upper head is carried out. The gecko skin shows unexpected complexity, e.g. it is covered by nanohooks (0.2-1.5 µm in length and ~30-50 nm in diameter) superimposed to the evident nearly circular tessellations (circularity ~0.9; area ~0.5 mm2, perimeter ~3 mm). The connection area between next lamellae and the edge of the toe are both covered with nano-hairs (~2-5 µm in length and ~200 nm in diameter). The skin of the eye seems to be fully anti-adhesive. |
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