Henkel’s Leaf-tailed Gecko

Lifestyle

Henkel’s leaf-tailed gecko is nocturnal. It is a master at using camouflage to blend into tree bark or rocks to hide from predators. If it is spotted it will let out a loud, screeching call to try to scare the attacker away. If caught from behind, it can also break off its tail, which will grow again with time.

Food

This gecko eats insects.

Life Cycle

Females lay their eggs on the forest floor. They usually lay two eggs, which hatch after 90 days. They can lay up to three clutches per year. Hatchlings are 2 inches long.

Some of My Neighbors

Red-ruffed Lemur, Golden Serpent Eagle, Dwarf Chameleon, Mouse Lemur

Population Status & Threats

Although this gecko has not been officially listed as endangered, it is threatened by deforestation and collection for the pet trade.

WCS Conservation Efforts

In the mid-1990s, WCS worked with officials to establish Masoala National Park, an 840-square-mile area of tropical humid forest in northern Madagascar where leaf-tailed geckos, tomato frogs and many other endemic species are found. Masoala contains 1 percent of the world’s biodiversity.