Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Millions of microscopic setae on gecko toes create van der Waals adhesion. The figure is taken from Natural History Museum, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a animals fact?

Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

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The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Geckos stick to smooth glass using intermolecular forces

Millions of microscopic setae on gecko toes create van der Waals adhesion.

Gecko toe pads feature flexible ridges packed with microscopic hair-like structures called setae, which branch into billions of split tips called spatulae. Electrostatic van der Waals forces between these spatulae and surface molecules let geckos walk upside down on polished ceilings.

Where this comes from

Natural History Museum

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Tags: gecko, reptiles, physics

Geckos stick to smooth glass using intermolecular forces: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Millions of microscopic setae on gecko toes create van der Waals adhesion. The figure is taken from Natural History Museum, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a animals fact?: Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.