Did you know that there are a group of frogs in South America known as 'poison-dart frogs'? There are different types of frogs within the group but most of them are brightly coloured and have black spots. They are dangerous to touch because they have poison on their skin. Native people in the area used to rub the poison onto their arrows before hunting.
Gecko riddle comes unstuck
Gecko riddle comes unstuck Scientists believe that they have uncovered the
mystery of how geckos can run up walls and windows and cling to
ceilings. Geckos have millions of tiny hairs, called
‘setae’, which cover the toes of their feet. The hairs
are believed to give off a faint electrical charge which generates
a phenomenon called ‘van der Walls forces’ when the
feet touch another surface. Van der Walls forces are a form of
attraction between molecules, and the millions of hair fibres found
on a gecko’s toes transform this force into an amazing
adhesive power when they touch any surface. 15 JUNE 2000
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