Reptiles · Squamata · Gekkonidae

Common Flat-tail Gecko

Uroplatus fimbriatus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The common flat-tailed gecko is the largest of the Uroplatus and probably the absolute master of camouflage among reptiles. By day it flattens itself head-down against a trunk, and fringes of skin along its flanks and jaw eliminate its shadow completely, merging it with the bark until it is invisible from a few centimetres away.

Size

25 cm – 33 cm

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestIslandsInsectivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Rainforest Islands

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Fun facts

It eliminates its own shadow: fringes of skin along the body and jaw spread out against the bark and blur the outline, so that it casts none of the shadow line that would give its silhouette away.
Its tail is a facsimile of a dead leaf, complete with veining, ragged edges and even patches that mimic insect holes.
When the camouflage fails it gapes suddenly, showing an intense red mouth lining, and gives a shriek, a change so abrupt that it is enough to startle a predator.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Tree trunks in primary and secondary rainforest of eastern Madagascar
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 90 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uroplatus_fimbriatus