The Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko is a species of Gecko that is native to the island of Madagascar, off the East Coast of Africa.
This species is sometimes referred to as the Eyelash Leaf Tailed Gecko or the Phantastic Leaf Tailed Gecko.
However, it is most commonly known as the Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko due to its very unique and demonic appearance.
Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko belongs to a family of lizards called Gekkonidae. This is a group of lizards that fall under the Infraorder Gekkota, meaning they are a sub-group of Geckos.
The Gekkonidae family of geckos are referred to as common geckos and they are the largest group of geckos in the world.
There are around 65 recognised genera and approximately 1,000 different species that fall under this family, making it one of the largest families of reptiles in the world.
Some of the other species in this family include the Madagascar Giant Day Gecko and the Gold Dust Day Gecko.
Genus
The genus that this lizard belongs to is called Uroplatus. This genus contains many unique looking species of Gecko.
The species in this genus are commonly referred to as Leaf Tailed Geckos or Flat Tailed Geckos because of the shape of their tail.
Some of the other species in this genus include the Common Leaf Tailed Gecko and the Mossy Leaf Tailed Gecko.
All of these species are native to the island of Madagascar or some of the smaller islands around Madagascar.
Species
The scientific name for the Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko is Uroplatus phantasticus and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
This species was first described in 1888 by a Belgian-British zoologist named George Albert Boulenger who described over 2000 different species.
Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko Description
The Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko is a relatively small species of lizard that grows to a maximum of around 10cm in length.
While this is small in comparison to larger lizards such as the Monitors, it is a relatively average size for a Gecko.
They are usually different shades of browns, tan, grey and oranges. This coloration is intended to mimic the color of the decaying leaves in their natural environment.
Even their body is curved and has a line running through the middle of their spine to mimic the appearance of a vein running through the centre of a leaf.
The most remarkable feature of these lizards is their tail which contains notches and grooves that further resemble a decaying leaf.
The head of this Gecko is triangular in shape and contains spikes above the eyes, somewhat similar to that of a Crested Gecko.
Their large demonic eyes and unique features is what gives this remarkable lizard its common name, the Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko is native to a small part of the island of Madagascar, which is also home to the other species of Leaf Tailed Geckos.
Madagascar is an island located off the South-Eastern Coast of Africa. It is in the Indian Ocean, around 400km off the coast of Mozambique.
Other species that can be found on the island of Madagascar include the Dumeril’s Boa and the Carpet Chameleon.
They are only found in the tropical forests along the Eastern side of the island.
They can be found as far North as the Andasibe Mantadia National Park with their range extending down into the Ranomafana National Park.
There natural range may extend a little further into more isolated regions.
Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko Behaviour
The Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko is a nocturnal species meaning that it is mostly active during the night and sleeps during the day.
They have very large eyes which allow them to see very well in the dark. This gives them an advantage when hunting prey.
When resting against the bark of a tree, these geckos blend in very well, looking just like a leaf with their unique appearance and coloration.
However, they don’t just look like a leaf, they will flatten their bodies against a tree and stick out their tail to intentionally mimic these leaves.
It is believed that these geckos will eat a wide variety of prey such as crickets, spiders, flies and a range of other types of prey.
However, very little research has been done on this Gecko in the wild so little information is available on their natural behaviour.