Leaf-tailed geckos are masters of camouflage. Some species have skin flaps around the whole body and head, as well as flattened tails. During the day, they rest head-down on tree trunks with these skin flaps spread out, and blend seamlessly into their surroundings, making them nearly impossible to spot. At night, they awaken to prowl the fine branches of the understory looking for invertebrate prey.
in 2000, we already suspected it might be new to science," says Dr. Frank Glaw, curator of herpetology at the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, lead author on the study."But it has taken us many years to amass enough information to confidently describe it as aThe team collected data on the genetics, morphology, and the distribution of the species. Several expeditions to northern Madagascar were undertaken that expanded knowledge of this new species.
One challenge was that Uroplatus garamaso is remarkably similar to another species, Uroplatus henkeli, and has been confused with it in the past."This is quite common for reptiles from Madagascar," explains Dr. Jörn Köhler of the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt."There are a lot of these so-called 'cryptic species,' which are waiting for taxonomic treatment."
Leaf-tailed geckos are masters of disguise, and Uroplatus garamaso is one of the best. Here, the gecko is hiding on the right hand side of the tree trunk. Credit: Dr. Mark D. Scherz, Natural History Museum of Denmark During the day, Uroplatus garamaso rest hidden, head-down on tree trunks, with their hindlimbs outstretched and fringes pressed against the bark, making them almost impossible to spot. Here, the gecko is viewed straight on, as one might find them in the forest. Credit: Dr. Mark D. Scherz, Natural History Museum of Denmark
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