Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Refimprove Template:Speciesbox Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus henkeli), also known commonly as Henkel's flat-tailed gecko or the frilled leaf-tail gecko,<ref name="EDR"/> is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.
Geographic rangeEdit
U. henkeli is found in primary forest on the island of Nosy Bé near Madagascar, as well as on the mainland of Madagascar itself, in the region of Ankaranafantsika.<ref name=iucn/>
BehaviourEdit
Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko lives an arboreal lifestyle,<ref name=iucn/> venturing down to the ground only to lay eggs in soft soil and leaf litter.Template:Citation needed
DescriptionEdit
There are two different morphs of U. henkeli, the Nosy Bé form and the mainland Madagascar form, and they can be distinguished by their colouration patterns, though these are not always reliable.Template:Citation needed Reaching a total length (including tail) of Template:Convert, this is one of largest species in the genus.Template:Citation needed
DietEdit
Henkel's flat-tailed gecko is insectivorous, but will also eat snails if they are found.Template:Citation needed
EtymologyEdit
The generic name, Uroplatus, is a Latinization of two Greek words: "ourá" (οὐρά) meaning "tail" and "platys" (πλατύς) meaning "flat". The specific name, henkeli, is a Latinization of German herpetologist Friedrich-Wilhelm Henkel's last name.<ref name="EDR">Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. Template:ISBN. (Uroplatus hedersoni, p. 121).</ref>
ThreatsEdit
Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko is currently classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. Habitat destruction and deforestation in Madagascar is the primary threat to this animal's future as well as collection for the pet trade. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) lists all of the Uroplatus species on their "Top ten most wanted species list" of animals threatened by illegal wildlife trade, because of it "being captured and sold at alarming rates for the international pet trade". It is a CITES Appendix 2 protected animal.<ref name=iucn/><ref name="CITES">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
- Böhme W, Ibisch PL (1990). "Studien an Uroplatus. I. Der Uroplatus fimbriatus-Komplex ". Salamandra 26 (4): 246–259. (Uroplatus henkeli, new species). (in German).
- Glaw F, Vences M (2006). A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, Third Edition. Cologne, Germany: Vences & Glaw Verlag. 496 pp. Template:ISBN.