Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus henkeli)

Spending most of its time in vegetation just a few metres off the ground (2), this nocturnal lizard searches for insects on which to feed (5). Daylight hours are spent resting head downwards on small trees (2). Henkel's flat-tailed gecko lays clutches of just two spherical eggs (2), which are carefully deposited on the forest floor, generally under fallen leaves, beneath a piece of wood, or amongst dead leaves still attached to a plant (5). After more than 90 days of incubation, the eggs hatch to reveal juveniles measuring 60 millimetres long (2). Not only is Henkel's flat-tailed gecko a master of disguise, but it holds several other tricks to help it escape predators. It can cause confusion by voluntarily shedding its tail, and can frighten enemies by opening its mouth wide and revealing the bright red cavity inside (5). Such defensive behaviour is often accompanied by loud, distress calls (2).

Rights Holder: Wildscreen