Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko (''Uroplatus henkeli''), also known commonly as Henkel's flat-tailed gecko or the frilled leaf-tail gecko, is a species of

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

, a

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.

Geographic range

''U. henkeli'' is found in primary forest on the island of

Nosy Bé Nosy Be (formerly Nossi-bé and Nosse Be) is an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar. Nosy Be is Madagascar's largest and busiest tourist resort. It has an area of , and its population was 109,465 according to the provisional results of t ...

near Madagascar, as well as on the mainland of Madagascar itself, in the region of Ankaranafantsika.

Behaviour

Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko lives an arboreal lifestyle, often venturing down to the ground only to lay eggs in soft soil and leaf litter.

Description

There are two different morphs of ''U. henkeli'', 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 (including tail) of , this is one of largest species in the genus.

Diet

Henkel's flat-tailed gecko is insectivorous, but will also eat snails if they are found.

Etymology

The

generic Generic or generics may refer to: In business * Generic term, a common name used for a range or class of similar things not protected by trademark * Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark, other ...

name, ''

Uroplatus ''Uroplatus'' is a genus of gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout t ...

'', is a Latinization of two Greek words: "ourá" (οὐρά) meaning "tail" and "platys" (πλατύς) meaning "flat". The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''henkeli'', is a Latinization of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

herpetologist Friedrich-Wilhelm Henkel's last name.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Uroplatus hedersoni'', p. 121).

Threats

Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko is currently classified as vulnerable by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

. Habitat destruction and

deforestation in Madagascar Deforestation in Madagascar is an ongoing environmental issue. Deforestation creates agricultural or pastoral land but can also result in desertification, water resource degradation, biodiversity erosion and habitat loss, and soil loss. It has b ...

is the primary threat to this animal's future as well as collection for the pet trade. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) 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. Leaf-tailed geckos, Boston

References

External links

*http://whozoo.org/Intro2001/rolabote/RB_gecko.htm *https://web.archive.org/web/20080108225458/http://www.scz.org/animals/g/henkel.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Henkel's Leaf-Tailed Gecko Uroplatus Geckos of Africa Reptiles of Madagascar Endemic fauna of Madagascar Reptiles described in 1990