The toes of the Tokay gecko, shown above, are worth a closer look because they can adhere to the smoothest surfaces. But this isn't the only neat feat that reptiles can perform. It is well known that chameleons can change colour for camouflage, and many lizards can pull off the handy trick of growing a new tail if their old one is, well, pulled off. For a more comprehensive, and beautifully illustrated, look at reptiles, see The New Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians (Oxford University Press, £25), edited by Tim Halliday and Kraig Adler.