As the long weekend is now behind us, we can look forward to a few more days of exciting Wild Facts before another one of those pesky weekends comes around. Today we are going to dry off from our little swimming adventure with the Barbs and head over to Madagascar. Now, I know there are a lot of interesting animals on this African Island but please try to stay focused as we are only learning about the Leaf-Tailed Gecko today.
The Leaf-Tailed Gecko is also known as the Flat-Tailed Gecko for obvious reasons. There are eight different species of Leaf-Tailed Gecko and all of them can only found on the island of Madagascar. Okay, so that last statement is not entirely true as some people keep these little Geckos as pets. So they can only be found on the island of Madagascar OR in your living room. The size of these Madagascar pets usually range in length from 10 to 30 cm (4 to 12″). If you want to make your pet feel at home than I suggest feeding them insects and other invertebrates as this makes up the bulk of their diet. As well, you don’t have to rush home after work to make sure they are fed since these gecko’s are nocturnal and will usually hunt at night.
I don’t think it takes an Einstein-like mind to figure out how these reptiles managed to get their clever name. Naturally, they are named after their flat, broad, leaf-like tail. This tail provides them with a little bit of camouflage while hanging out in their tropical forests. Their tail coupled with the rough, brown and green colours which resemble the bark of many trees allows the Leaf-Tailed Gecko to sun itself without the fear of being eaten. Even though this camouflage is pretty effective snakes, rats, eagles and owls still manage to feast on them from time to time. I bet if they were camouflaged to look like a tiger than they wouldn’t have to worry about birds attacking them all day!
Leaf-Tailed Gecko Fast Fact – Soon enough the Leaf-Tailed Gecko may only be found in your living room or in history books as deforestation continues to threaten the population of all eight species of Leaf-Tailed Gecko’s.
I guess that just about does it for today’s light reading. Please join me tomorrow for another exciting adventure. Enjoy the rest of your day.
