Leaf-Tailed Gecko

Quick Take

• This gecko has a defense mechanism so bizarre it's been compared to a screaming child, and it's not what you'd expect from a reptile. Hear the distress call →
• Its camouflage goes far beyond skin color. In fact, the way it sleeps is actually dictated by what it looks like. See the camouflage details →
• It has no eyelids, yet keeps its eyes perfectly clean, and the solution is stranger than you'd guess. Discover the lidless eye trick →
• A 19th-century naturalist called this gecko 'mythical', and the reason why is hidden in its scientific name. Explore the scientific name →

The leaf-tailed gecko, a long lizard, has quite a unique physique. With a broad and triangular head, the gecko gets its name from the leaf-like resemblance of its tail. The texture helps leaf-tailed geckos camouflage themselves against the natural foliage in their surroundings. They tend to blend in with tree bark and leaves, which is made even easier by their coloring. However, there are several species of this type of gecko, including the mossy, satanic, and giant leaf-tailed gecko.

This gecko has a unique vocal trick — it can emit a loud noise that sounds just like the scream of a child.

5 Incredible Leaf-Tailed Gecko Facts

• They have large eyes without eyelids. To keep their eyeballs moist, they lick them periodically.
• If dirt gets on or in the eye of the gecko, the reptile removes it in the same way that they moisten the surface — with their tongue.
• The size of this lizard can vary drastically, reaching 4 to 12 inches at adult length. The giant leaf-tailed gecko is already 2 to 2.5 inches long when it is initially born.
• The skin of the leaf-tailed gecko resembles the rough bark of a tree, allowing them to hide from predators.
• Each of the toes of these lizards contains millions of microscopic plates that allow them to move effortlessly on smooth surfaces.

Evolution And Origin

After the split of the two supercontinents, Laurasia and Gondwanaland, around 191 million years ago, geckos began to diverge from other lizards. It is believed that the earliest known fossil record of an extinct genus of gecko, Yantarogekko, from the Eocene era, was found in Baltic amber; however, as there is not much left of its remains, researchers are unable to be more definitive in its assignment and is left in the more widely categorized genus of Gekkonidae.

Classification and Scientific Name

Leaf-tailed geckos are classified in the kingdom Animalia and Phylum Chordata. Their class is called Reptilia, and the order is called Squamata. Their family is called Gekkonidae, while the genus is called Uroplatus.

Uroplatus is a Latinization of two Greek words: οὐρά (‘tail’) and πλατύς (‘flat’). The unique body of the leaf-tailed gecko led George Albert Boulenger, a naturalist from Belgium, to say that it is ‘mythical,’ which partly inspired the name Uroplatus.

Types Of

There are 14 extant species of the leaf-tailed gecko. Here are just a few of the different species of the leaf-tailed gecko:

• Spearpoint leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus ebenaui)
• Satanic leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus)
• Common leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus)
• Southern leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus sameiti)
• Lined leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus lineatus)

Appearance

One of the facts that distinguish the leaf-tailed gecko is that they have long bodies that can grow 4 to 12 inches in size. Their heads are broad, taking on a triangular shape like that of their tail. The size of giant leaf-tailed geckos is usually 2.5 inches long as babies, growing to be 10 to 12 inches long as adults, with larger eyes than other variations.

The eyes of these lizards are big and marbled, but the red center of the eye stands out significantly against their body, which typically features green, tan, brown, and grey. The natural colors allow them to easily camouflage within their surroundings — especially because their texture is rough like the leaves and branches of the trees. The mossy leaf-tailed geckos can even camouflage with the moss on trees.

Along the lower jaw, these geckos have fringed flaps, matching their sides. When they lie on a surface, they can flatten their body to keep the illusion that they are merely a leaf in nature.

Behavior

These geckos are nocturnal animals, meaning that they rest during the day and are active during the night. During most days, you can find the geckos camouflaged and resting until they are ready to hunt for their prey.

Being carnivorous reptiles, the gecko is an active hunter at night. The darkness and shadows allow them to stay hidden as they seek out prey without being noticed.

When they are resting, these lizards face downward, but that doesn’t mean that they are unprepared for danger. At the moment that the gecko is disturbed by anything in its surroundings, it will let out a loud distress call that sounds much like a child screaming. They also become aggressive towards the disturbance, showing their bright red mouth as they open it widely. The satanic leaf-tailed geckos especially do not like to have their resting time interrupted, primarily spending time alone.

The camouflage capabilities of these lizards determine how they sleep, since their physique varies by species. Reptiles that look like bamboo will stretch out while they sleep, while the ones that look like leaves may curl up in knots to keep themselves out of the view of predators.

The movement of the geckos is usually slow — much like that of a chameleon. They do not like the limelight, moving little by little. If a gecko is moving slowly, it is a good sign that it is happy. However, if a gecko is stressed, it would be in constant motion, jumping around with a sense of panic as it attempts to escape the situation.

When they are out hunting, the geckos usually possess what is called a bug stare. When they adopt this stare, their eyes widen and pupils dilate, signaling that they are actively hunting.

Even though the geckos bite, their jaws and claws are not strong enough to break human skin. They are not dangerous, especially to humans, as their bites or claw grip is not enough to break any human skin, but following proper safety procedures is still important.

Habitat

These geckos often prefer to make their habitat within humid forests, particularly staying in lowlands. However, they will also live at elevations of up to 2,625 feet. During the day, they rest on the leaves and branches of the trees, allowing their bodies to be easily camouflaged without the worry that a predator will find them.

One of the most common habitats for this gecko is Nosy Mangabe Island. With the right amount of searching, you may even be able to see them in the rainforests found along the eastern coast of Madagascar.

These geckos are carnivorous, though they do not rank very high on the food chain. Rather than seeking out other reptiles, birds, or mammals, they look for insects and invertebrates that are easy to capture within their habitat. Land snails and insects are often their food of choice, though the Satanic leaf-tailed gecko will indulge in a variety of spiders, worms, and flies.

Predators And Threats

Even though these geckos have excellent camouflage capabilities that help the gecko hide from predators, they still serve as food for some birds and animals.

These reptiles are threatened by human activities like deforestation, which clears their natural habitats and endangers their survival.

What Eats Leaf-Tailed Geckos?

Leaf-tailed geckos are eaten by a variety of birds and animals. Some of them include owls, eagles, rats, and snakes.

What Do Leaf-Tailed Geckos Eat?

The leaf-tailed gecko prefers a steady diet of insects, including flies and spiders. They’ll also consume invertebrates that are much smaller than them, like worms or snails. However, these animals are not picky, and they will ultimately eat anything that they can overpower.

Reproduction, Babies, And Lifespan

The leaf-tailed geckos are usually considered to be solitary creatures and come together only to mate. Their mating season begins during the rainy season.

Little is known about the reproduction process of the leaf-tailed gecko. When ready to reproduce, the female leaf-tailed gecko usually lays two to three spherical eggs per clutch. The eggs are usually laid under the leaves or the insides of the dead plants to protect them.

The cluster of leaf-tailed gecko eggs is called a clutch, and the females lay up to three clutches every year. The eggs can also be laid on the forest floor, taking about 95 days to hatch. The leaf-tailed gecko will usually have a 5-year lifespan.

Population

While the exact population of the leaf-tailed gecko is unknown, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the animals as Least Concern or, in some cases, “vulnerable.” The status is not worrisome at the moment, making the leaf-tailed gecko one of the least conservation-concerning species in the world. The only variation that seems to have steadily decreased in number is the population of the Pinnacles leaf-tailed geckos.

In the Zoo

Leaf-tailed geckos can be kept in captivity in zoos. Single geckos can be kept in cages about 12 inches long, while pairs can be kept in cages about 18 inches long. While in captivity, they have to be fed a variety of insects, flies, worms, and spiders for their appropriate diet and growth.