Flex 4 Cookbook

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Flex 4 Cookbook is the Kuhl’s flying gecko (Ptychozoon kuhli). It and the other five species in this genus are also known as parachute geckos—the webs around their neck, legs, and chest serve to create lift when the lizard jumps between branches, and help to control landings. This particular species was named in honor of German naturalist Heinrich Kuhl, who died in Indonesia in 1821 of an infection brought on by the climate.

The flying geckos live in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, almost exclusively in the trees. Their skin has a wide range of natural wood colors, and is patterned with darker bands that allow the animal to camouflage itself against tree bark. They can also change color depending on their mood. The tail’s deep serrations and wide tip are defining features of the Kuhl’s flying gecko. The lizard usually hunts at night, feeding solely on insects.

All geckos are able to walk on vertical surfaces and even ceilings because of the millions of microscopic hairs (called setae) on their toes, which adhere to surfaces by dragging across at an angle and creating intermolecular friction. Hanging from only one toe on a glass window, a gecko can support about eight times its weight. Strangely, however, Teflon is the only known surface that a gecko cannot stick to.

The cover image is from Cassell’s Natural History. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the ...