26. The gecko is a reptile that has the amazing ability to climb smooth surfaces--even glass! Recent discoveries indicate that geckos stick to smooth surfaces via van der Waals interactions between septae on their feet and the smooth surface. How is this method of stickiness advantageous to the gecko over covalent interactions? Solution Answer Geckos are lizardsfound in warm climates throughout the world They belong to the infraorder Gekkota Since Van der Waals interactions are relatively weak compared to covalent bonds Therefore, Van der Waals interactions would stick the gecko to the surface reversibly.