Ptyodactylus hasselquistii - the fan-footed gecko is nocturnal so to catch this one out in the sunlight, in Palmyra, Syria among the ruins, is a lucky find. Like many gecko species, the common fan-footed gecko is an exceptional climber, able to run across vertical rock faces and even overhangs and cave roofs. The secret of this remarkable ability lies in its specialist toe scales, known as scansors, which bear thousands of microscopic, hooked hair-like projections that enable the toes to grip.