Many arthropods and small vertebrates possess the ability to climb on smooth inverted substrates using adhesive pads on their legs. In tree frogs, spiders, and insects, the adhesive contact is mediated via thin films of a liquid secretion . The presence of a pad secretion is often used to distinguish between these 'wet' adhesives and their 'dry' counterparts in pad-bearing lizards. Despite several previous studies, the secretion's detailed function has remained unclear.
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