Geckos Live!

The bulging eyes, colorful skin, sticky toepads and replaceable tails of geckos will be available for families to experience at the Natural History Museum of Utah beginning Saturday, Jan. 30. Utahns can take on the role of a biologist and see these unusual lizards up close and personal at the Geckos Live! exhibit, which runs through May 1, 2016. Entrance into Geckos Live! is included in the Museum’s price of general admission.

Geckos Live! showcases living geckos from around the world and re-creates the diverse species’ lush natural environments in astonishing detail. The exhibit offers hands-on interactives for the entire family, and guests can experience gecko night vision, listen to gecko voices, try to spot camouflaged geckos and build a custom gecko for different environments.  

“The new Geckos Live! exhibit is a delightful display of geckos’ unique and unusual characteristics and their natural habitats, which will surprise and delight the entire family,” said Sarah George, executive director of the Museum. “Geckos are fascinating creatures that can adapt to just about any habitat, and have conquered landscapes from balmy tropical beaches and lush rainforests to frigid mountain slopes and parched deserts. Some can even lick their own eyeballs! Every species is a wonderful surprise.”

More than 1,200 species of geckos exist in the world; ranging from shadowy, nighttime hunters with bulging eyes and squawking voices, to bold, nectar-eaters that scamper around in daylight adorned in neon colors.

Special lectures and other activities related to the Geckos Live! exhibit will be featured at the Natural History Museum of Utah through May 1. The exhibit is in addition to 10 other permanent galleries that visitors can discover, including Past Worlds, Great Salt Lake, Native Voices, Land and much more.

For additional information, visit https://nhmu.utah.edu/geckos or call 801.581.4303.

Geckos Live! Is made possible through the generous support of presenting sponsor, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation; major sponsors Bing and Judy Fang and Rio Tinto Kennecott; exhibit sponsors, the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation and W. Hague and Sue J. Ellis Foundation; community sponsors, Lawrence T. Dee and Judy T. Dee Foundation and through Salt Lake County Zoo Arts & Parks.

Geckos Live! was created by Peeling Productions at Clyde Peeling’s REPTILAND.

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About the Natural History Museum of Utah

The Natural History Museum of Utah is one of the leading scientific research and cultural institutions in the country. Established in 1963, the Museum‘s collections contain over 1.2 million objects and offers innovative exhibitions and educational programs to thousands of residents and visitors each year, including traveling and permanent exhibits, special events and other programs. With an expected attendance of 180,000 visitors a year, the Museum also offers a variety of outreach programs to communities and schools throughout Utah, reaching every school district in the state annually. The Museum has an active science program with more than 30 scientists and 10 field exhibitions each year.