If you are visiting Madagascar, watch what you step on – not everything that looks like it is, and the Satanic leaf-tailed gecko can fool anyone at first glance. Native to the tropical island, the species Uroplatus phantasticus was first identified in 1888 by naturalist George Albert Boulenger.
Its body has camouflage capability, and varies between beige, brown, orange and red tones. On its head it possesses a small horn, the eyes have a reddish coloration and do not have eyelids, so it uses its long tongue to clean them, according to BioDiversity4All. On average, it measures about 10 centimeters in length.
It can be found in the central-eastern area, in shrubs or low vegetation, at most up to 2 meters above the ground. It feeds on insects.
Although its population cannot be estimated precisely, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is declining due to factors such as agriculture, the timber industry and livestock farming. The Satanic leaf-tailed gecko is listed as “Least Concern” in terms of extinction.
