Leaf Tail Gecko

Genus Uroplatus

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing leaf tail geckos. Specifically, today we’re discussing the leaf tail, or flat tail, geckos endemic to Madagascar and its surrounding islands. Endemic means that these lizards aren’t found anywhere else in the world! There are other animals called leaf tailed geckos that are found in Australia, but we wanted to focus on a single genus today. Currently, there are approximately ten to fifteen living leaf tail gecko species. Leaf tail geckos live in rainforests as well as deciduous forests - or forests whose trees shed their leaves during a season. They may be found from sea level to elevations up to 2,600 feet (800m).

A leaf tail geckos spends its days sitting on the side of a tree typically with its head facing towards the ground. It’s believed leaf tail geckos may position themselves this way in order to reduce eye reflection which would make them more difficult to spot. Lots of geckos are able to climb straight, vertical surfaces because their feet have adhesive toes pads. Some geckos can even climb glass, and leaf tail geckos are no exception; so they’re in no danger of falling while in what might otherwise be considered a precarious position.

Most of the leaf tail geckos come with fringes along their bodies and tails which breaks up their outlines on the trees and makes them nearly imperceptible on their perches. Blending in is one of the ways leaf tail geckos avoid predation. Predators to leaf tail geckos include birds like couas which are part of the cuckoo family and vangas which are shrike-like birds, but these geckos have a few more tricks to escape being eaten. Like other geckos, leaf tail geckos are able to drop their tails to distract an attacker. Their tails grow back over time. And if that doesn’t work, they have scare tactics. When threatened, a leaf tail gecko will fling its tail forward and open its mouth wide to show off the bright colors inside in an attempt to startle a predator. This is not unlike the frilled lizards we’ve talked about in a previous episode. If all else fails, they can also scream and produce a sound that the Smithsonian National Zoo mentions is similar to that of a small screaming child.

Leaf tail geckos are active at night. They’ll come down from their tree perches and search out meals in the form of snails, spiders, insects, and other invertebrates. When they’ve finished their nightly excursions, the geckos will return to their perches usually utilizing the same perch they used the previous day! In size, leaf tail geckos can reach over a foot (30.5cm) in length including their tails, though smaller species may be no longer than three inches (7.62cm) at full size. The large species often look like the bark of the trees they frequent while the smaller species tend to look more like leaves. There’s even one species that prefers hanging out in bamboo and comes in a stripped pattern to match these surroundings!

Leaf tail geckos may live an average of five years. They reach reproductive maturity at about a year old and males can be easily distinguished from females because they’ll have bulges at the base of their tails. Breeding normally happens at night and the partners will part ways shortly after. The female will lay two to four hard shelled eggs in the leaf litter which may take up to three months to hatch in larger species, though in smaller species hatching may occur within 50 days. Throughout the year, a female may produce up to three clutches of eggs.

For more facts on leaf tail geckos, check out the links in the description. Thank you to Chris for today’s request! Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!