Henkels Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus henkeli)

Uroplatus henkeli

Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko , is a gecko that is found on the island Nosy Bé near Madagascar, as well as on the mainland Madagascar itself, in the region of Ankaranafantsika. These geckos live an arboreal lifestyle, often venturing down to the ground only to lay eggs in soft soil and leaflitter. There are two different morphs of these geckos; the Nosy Bé form, and the mainland Madagascar form, and they can be distinguished by their colouration patterns, though these are not always reliable. Reaching a total length of 280 mm, this is one of largest species in the genus. These geckos are insectivores, but will also eat snails if they are found.
Head detail of Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko Detailed view of the head and eyes of henkel's gecko. The eyes of gecko's are very special. The pupil has a slit shaped opening to block more sunlight and the pupils can be closed interdependently from eachother. The spots are believed to add the ability to see depth. Also special is that the color of the iris is matched to the camouflage color, this is seldom seen in other animals. Gecko's lack eyelids, their eyes are protected by a transparent membrane and geckos are often seen cleaning this membrane with their tongue. Geotagged,Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko,The Netherlands,Uroplatus Henkeli

Naming

The generic name, ''Uroplatus'', is a Latinization of two Greek words: "ourá" meaning "tail" and "platys" meaning "flat". Its specific name ''henkeli'' is a Latinization of herpetologist Friedrich-Wilhelm Henkel's last name.
Just look at those eyes! Native in Madagaskar, the land of 'the origin of species', this gecko tends to sleep upside down during daytime. Awaking at night it hunts for small insecticide animals. Wow, just look at those eyes, the raffles on its skin. Talk about intelligent design! Geotagged,Henkels Leaf-tailed Gecko,The Netherlands,Uroplatus henkeli,macro

Predators

Habitat destruction and deforestation in Madagascar is the primary threat to this animal's future as well as collection for the pet trade. The World Wide Fund for Nature lists all of the ''Uroplatus'' species on their "Top ten most wanted species list" of animals threatened by illegal wildlife trade, because of it "being captured and sold at alarming rates for the international pet trade". It is a CITES Appendix 2 protected animal.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyGekkonidae
GenusUroplatus
SpeciesU. henkeli
Photographed in
Madagascar
Netherlands