Appearance
"U. sameiti" are nocturnal and arboreal geckos. Their eyes are large, lidless, and have yellow sclera with elliptical pupils, suited for the gecko's nocturnal habits. This species ranges in size from 6 to 8 inches when measured from nose to base of the tail. They spend most of the daylight hours hanging vertically on tree trunks, head down, resting. During the night, they will venture from their daylight resting spots, and go off in search of prey.As with all "Uroplatus" geckos, the tail is dorso-ventrally flattened. "U. sameiti" has colouration developed as camouflage, most being grayish brown to black or greenish brown with various markings meant to resemble tree bark; down to the lichens and moss found on the bark. "U. sameiti" has flaps of skin, running the length of its body, head and limbs, known as the "dermal flap", which it can lay against the tree during the day, scattering shadows, and making its outline practically invisible. Additionally, the gecko has a limited ability to alter its skin colour to match its surroundings.
Naming
The generic name, "Uroplatus", is a Latinisation of two Greek words: and. The specific name is a Latinisation of the name Joachim Sameit.The genus "Uroplatus" contains 14 species endemic to Madagascar. "U. sameiti" was originally described as a subspecies of "U. sikorae", to which it is closely related, based on the light colouration of its oral mucosa. Subsequent analysis has shown that this is not a diagnostic feature for distinguishing between these two highly similar species however, and more research will be needed to produce reliable morphological characters with which these two species may be distinguished.
Phylogenically, "U. sameiti" has been placed within a monophyletic complex consisting of three other species of "Uroplatus": "U. fimbriatus", "U. giganteus", "U. henkeli", and "U. sikorae". This complex represents the larger species of the genus.
Distribution
"Uroplatus sameiti" is found exclusively in the lowland humid and littoral forest of eastern Madagascar.Status
It is a CITES II protected animal due to habitat loss and over-collection for the pet trade.Habitat
"Uroplatus sameiti" is found exclusively in the lowland humid and littoral forest of eastern Madagascar.Food
"U. sameiti" are insectivores eating insects, other arthropods, and also land snails.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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