'Berserker' geckos slam scorpions into oblivion before eating them, epic new footage shows
By Mindy Weisberger published 1 day ago
They whip their prey back and forth.
Geckos that are typically placid and mild-mannered become violent, head-shaking "berserkers" when subduing a scorpion meal, new research reveals.
When a western banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus) bites down on its scorpion prey, it repeatedly whips its head from side to side, slamming the scorpion into the ground over and over again. The geckos are "the least intimidating animal you've probably ever met," lead author Malachi Whitford, who conducted the research as part of his doctoral degree in ecology at San Diego State University (SDSU), said in a statement. "But then they see a scorpion — they go like, berserker mode."
This violent approach may lend the gecko some protection from the venomous stingers of the scorpions, according to the new study.
Animals such as roadrunners, crocodiles and some mammalian carnivores are known to immobilize their prey through shaking, but this is the first detailed description of banded geckos shaking scorpions, Whitford told Live Science in an email.
More:
https://www.livescience.com/scorpion-shaking-killer-geckos
A gecko with his own toy gecko.
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