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Giant Leaf-tailed gecko during daytime - front view, Marojejy, Madagascar Found on our way down from Marojejy Mountain, Madagascar. They always sleep like this during the day, facing down. Having seen a few of these now, you can see how they actually take on the color of the underlying tree, here&#039;s some examples:<br /> <a href="http://www.jungledragon.com/specie/1683/photos" rel="nofollow">http://www.jungledragon.com/specie/1683/photos</a><br /> <br /> Based on their color, you can also get a clue on how long they have been there. The one in this photo has been there for hours, yet in the following example the color of the tree is similar yet the gecko still stands out:<br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/33705/giant_leaf-tailed_gecko_-_side_view_nosy_mangabe_madagascar.html" title="Giant Leaf-tailed gecko - side view, Nosy Mangabe, Madagascar"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/33705_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=LD%2FwqnI8xpJO3%2F2uOeuDMEBjxpo%3D" width="102" height="152" alt="Giant Leaf-tailed gecko - side view, Nosy Mangabe, Madagascar &quot;Uroplatus&quot; is a magical word in Madagascar that gets everybody&#039;s attention. It means one of Madagascar&#039;s iconic reptiles have been spotted. Usually you are not told where exactly it is, leaving you to find it. We failed this time, and our guide pointed out where it is. Closeup:<br /> http://www.jungledragon.com/image/33703/giant_leaf-tailed_gecko_-closeup_nosy_mangabe_madagascar.html<br /> <br /> This one was found during a day walk. Being a nocturnal reptile, it will sleep like this during the day, always facing down. Its color depends on the tree it is on, and how long it has been on it. This one has probably not been on this tree very long yet. Africa,Giant Leaf-tailed Gecko,Madagascar,Madagascar North,Nosy Mangabe,Uroplatus fimbriatus,World" /></a></figure> Africa,Giant Leaf-tailed Gecko,Madagascar,Madagascar North,Marojejy,Uroplatus fimbriatus,World Click/tap to enlarge

Giant Leaf-tailed gecko during daytime - front view, Marojejy, Madagascar

Found on our way down from Marojejy Mountain, Madagascar. They always sleep like this during the day, facing down. Having seen a few of these now, you can see how they actually take on the color of the underlying tree, here's some examples:
http://www.jungledragon.com/specie/1683/photos

Based on their color, you can also get a clue on how long they have been there. The one in this photo has been there for hours, yet in the following example the color of the tree is similar yet the gecko still stands out:

Giant Leaf-tailed gecko - side view, Nosy Mangabe, Madagascar "Uroplatus" is a magical word in Madagascar that gets everybody's attention. It means one of Madagascar's iconic reptiles have been spotted. Usually you are not told where exactly it is, leaving you to find it. We failed this time, and our guide pointed out where it is. Closeup:<br /> http://www.jungledragon.com/image/33703/giant_leaf-tailed_gecko_-closeup_nosy_mangabe_madagascar.html<br /> <br /> This one was found during a day walk. Being a nocturnal reptile, it will sleep like this during the day, always facing down. Its color depends on the tree it is on, and how long it has been on it. This one has probably not been on this tree very long yet. Africa,Giant Leaf-tailed Gecko,Madagascar,Madagascar North,Nosy Mangabe,Uroplatus fimbriatus,World

    comments (2)

  1. View Mark Ridgway's profile
    Mark Ridgway
    Lion
    View Lion class
    Fabulous animal. I suppose if you are going to be a 330mm lizard then camouflage is a good idea. Posted 9 years ago
    1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
      Ferdy Christant
      Lion
      View Lion class
      Totally, although I believe they don't have that many natural predators to be afraid of. And during their nightly hunting, they don't seem to be that camouflaged at all:
      Giant Leaf-tailed gecko on the hunt, Nosy Mangabe, Madagascar I'm happy with this photo for two reasons. Most importantly, it shows a Giant Leaf-tailed Gecko on the hunt. It's a creature that is beautiful in itself, but you'd typically see it during the day, where it is static. Here you see one high up in the tree, actively moving around.<br /> <br /> The 2nd reason I am happy is because of the technical challenge. The gecko is about 10 meters away, high up in a tree, in complete darkness. It's quite unusual to use a tele lens with flash, but I figured to just go for it. Maximum focal length, maximum flash power, and there you go. I wasn't expecting it to work, but it did. Africa,Geotagged,Giant Leaf-tailed Gecko,Madagascar,Madagascar North,Nosy Mangabe,Spring,Uroplatus fimbriatus,World
       Posted 9 years ago

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The Common flat-tail gecko

"Uroplatus fimbriatus" is a gecko which is found in eastern Madagascar and on the islands Nosy Bohara and Nosy Mangabe. These geckos live in tropical rain forests. They reach a total length of 330 mm.

A large nocturnal gecko, by day it plasters itself to a small tree trunk and rests head down. If disturbed it will raise its tail and head, open its mouth and scream.

Info 30 1
Similar species: Snakes And Lizards
Species identified by Ferdy Christant
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By Ferdy Christant

All rights reserved
Uploaded Mar 12, 2016. Captured Oct 10, 2015 10:53.
country flag of Madagascar Explore Madagascar 3,111 753 0
  • NIKON D800
  • f/8.0
  • 1/40s
  • ISO6400
  • 105mm

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