Frilled Leaf-tailed Gecko

Uroplatus henkeli

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing frilled leaf-tailed geckos. Frilled leaf-tailed geckos get their common name because they're covered in frilly skin; and it's not just their body that gets this fancy treatment, even their eyelids come equipped with the fringe! This uneven, undefined skin makes for the perfect camouflage in their forest home. 

Frilled leaf-tailed geckos are endemic to Madagascar; they're only found there. They're forest-dwelling reptiles preferring the mid-story of trees over the canopy or forest floor. Here, they settle, typically facing with their head pointed towards the ground, and unless you happened to see the tiny bump their body made against a tree's truck, you likely wouldn't even see them. The frills on this gecko's body help it blend in so perfectly because they basically eliminate any shadow the animal casts, making it blend in seamlessly to a tree's surface.

Of course, if they wanted to, frilled geckos could cling just about anywhere. Like many gecko species they have toes that can cling to just about any surface, including glass! Something else that's really cool about these reptiles are their pupils. When exposed to full light, their pupils contract. This gecko's pupils are vertical slits like a cat's eyes, so when they contract they form into a vertical line. Fascinatingly, as their pupils contract, four tiny holes remain through which just the smallest bit of light can pass through!

Like the trees they live on, frilled leaf-tailed geckos are gray and brown with mottled, spotted patterns. As their name would suggest, they have flat, leaf-shaped tails and large heads to house their hundreds of teeth. Yes, hundreds! Geckos in this genus may have the most teeth of all known terrestrial vertebrates! They're peg-like and used to catch insects and other invertebrates like snails from the bark of trees. 

Though they're almost impossible to see, when they are caught these animals have two quick methods to shock a would-be predator. First, like other geckos, they can drop their tail. This regrows over time, though often slightly smaller and different colored than the original. It's a costly strategy and only used in dire circumstances. The other method they employ is screaming. When threatened, leaf-tailed geckos let out a shout! The natives of Madagascar believe it's bad luck to leave their scream unanswered, so it's considered polite to scream right back at them should the chance ever arise for you!

Pretty much the only time these reptiles willingly leave the trees is when the females descend to lay their eggs in leaf litter along the forest floor. They lay two to four eggs per net and may produce up to three nests per year, though not much is known about their reproduction habits in the wild. The eggs take about three months to incubate and the mother provides no protection to her offspring. They're on their own from birth. If they can avoid threats, frilled leaf-tailed geckos are believed to live about ten years.

In size, these geckos reach about ten to eleven inches (25-28cm) long making them some of the largest living species in their genus.

For more facts on frilled leaf-tailed geckos, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!