How do geckos communicate using sound?

Unlike most reptiles, geckos possess a voice and utilize vocalization as a primary means of communication. These sounds vary significantly by species, ranging from simple clicks and chirps to more complex barks or shrill cackles.12

Geckos use these vocalizations primarily to maintain individual territories and to locate potential mates. To facilitate these interactions, geckos have evolved highly sophisticated auditory systems. They possess some of the most developed ears among lizards, featuring extensive differentiation along their basilar membranes and a high number of sensory hair cells—the Gekko gecko, for instance, has approximately 1,600 hair cells.34

Additionally, geckos have a specialized middle-ear muscle that can stiffen the extracolumella to dampen ossicular motions, which protects their sensitive hearing from excessively intense sounds. This combination of vocal production and acute sound reception allows them to effectively navigate their social environments.43