© AMNH / Denis Finnin Though some in its huge family prefer the
daylight, nighttime is the right time for this large gecko.
Spines may help protect the eyes when these nocturnal geckos
burrow in soil or hide in leaf litter during the day. For the
past century, the Crested Gecko has played hide-and-seek with
humans. Because no one saw a specimen for a century after its
discovery in New Caledonia in 1866, scientists assumed it was
extinct. Then, after a tropical storm in 1994, a single animal
turned up. We now know it is widespread in the islands of New
Caledonia, 1,600 km (1,000 miles) east of Australia. The large
holes behind its mouth are this gecko's ears. Like many animals
active at night--when vision is limited--they have a highly
developed sense of hearing. Vertical pupils help block light
from this gecko's sensitive eyes. At night, the pupils open
wide. When disturbed during the day, the Crested Gecko raises up
on four legs to look bigger, opens its mouth wide . . . and
hisses loudly. These swellings on