Why Lizards Can Climb Straight Up Walls

If you have seen lizards walking on ceilings or walls, you must have noticed that they have a special ability to maneuver on these smooth surfaces. This ability is even admirable in the animal kingdom. But how do they stick to these smooth surfaces and walk on them? Scientists say this ability is encoded in the genes of lizards. According to Reuters, scientists have mapped the genome of a specific lizard species called the 'Sleg,' uncovering the secret of the anti-gravity nature of lizard feet. Between the fingers of lizards, there are very delicate pads called 'setae' that act like a strong foundation for their limbs, allowing them to adhere to walls or ceilings. 'Setae' is composed of hair-like tissues, with its main component being beta-keratin, a type of protein found in reptiles and in humans in fingernails and hair. Scientists have identified a type of expansion in the lizard genes related to beta-keratin, attributing it to the ability to form 'setae' between the toes of these creatures. This type of gene expansion is not present in other reptiles that cannot walk on smooth surfaces. Thirty-five expanded genes have been identified in this lizard species. Zhi-Yang Zhou, a neuroscientist and genetic medicine expert at a university in China, states that these new findings indicate a strong genetic basis for the formation of setae. Lizards can walk and climb on any type of surface, whether soft, hard, or loose. Dr. Zhou believes that the findings of this new research may lead to the development of new technologies inspired by the biological engineering present in lizard setae. Lizards have existed as long as dinosaurs, and in 2008, scientists discovered a 100-million-year-old fossil of a lizard. However, the connection between the formation and evolution of these pads to a specific gene in lizard bodies is a new finding. This research has been published in the journal 'Nature Communications.'