THE GECKO & CHUCKWALLA LIZARDSAmongst the 600 species of geckos is the flying gecko (right) which is so named because of a thin fold of skin from the legs to the side, which when extended allows the gecko to glide. The Gecko has long fascinated scientists by its uncanny ability to cling to walls and ceiling, seeming to defy gravity. In searching for the gecko’s secret, the feet were studied under 2,000X magnification to reveal many tiny hairs. But it was not until these hairs were placed under 35,000X magnification of a phase electron microscope that the thousands of tiny suction cups on the hairs were revealed! Chuckwalla lizard lives in the southern United States has several unique features. These include a blanket of skin that covers his back. In the early morning the skin is dark to attract the sunlight to warm his blood, but as the desert environment gets extremely hot it changes to a beige color and keeps the lizard from overheating. A chuckwalla will scurry away from predators to hide in tight cracks and then "puff" his body out to fill the space and make it nearly impossible to remove him. Because the chuckwalla lives in an environment without water, his biological system builds up salt toxicity over time. But there is a special built-in "de-salination plant" at the top of his head by its nose. Before the salt in his bloodstream reaches dangerous levels, the blood is shunted through this system and the salt is removed. From time to time the chuckwalla "sneezes out" pure salt crystals! We should consider some of these bizarre biological systems in common lizards before too quickly passing off curious details in historical accounts involving the ancient dragons.