Probably not everyone has heard of such a creature as a leaf-tailed gecko. But if at least once you see him live, for example, in a terrarium at an exhibition of exotic animals or just with a friend, you will surely never forget. This is truly an amazing animal that deserves to be told more about it.
Appearance
In the wild, and just in a large terrarium, a person may well pass by such a gecko several times or even glance at it, but not notice.
The thing is that the leaf-tailed gecko, the photo of which is presented in the article, is a true master of disguise. Yes, yes, you need to be a very attentive person and know what he looks like in order to notice him in his natural habitat.
Their size can vary significantly - from 8 to 30 centimeters. But usually they do not grow larger than 10-12 centimeters. And about a third of the body length falls on a wide tail. The color scheme is just huge. There are individuals of brown, gray, red, orange colors, as well as all possible shades. Much depends on the environment in which a particular genus lived.
The body is a bit flattened - when walking on a tree, a gecko almost scratches its stomach with a bark. Due to this, it becomes even less noticeable and practically does not cast a shadow by which predators could detect it.
The tail is not only wide, but also has rough edges - just like a rumpled dry leaf. By the way, it is the tail that is often attacked by predators. However, this is not a problem for a gecko - it will easily leave it in the teeth of the enemy, after which it will quietly slip into a suitable slot or hollow.
On the back of many individuals pass pronounced veins, additionally giving a resemblance to dry or living leaves.
Interestingly, geckos have no eyelids. And from above, they are protected by growths that prevent the ingress of sunlight and drying out. Since the gecko cannot blink while wetting his eyes, he has to use ... language for this. Yes, yes, these amazing creatures lick their own eyes so that they do not dry out in the heat.
It is the growths in the eyes that give the geckos an unusual and even slightly sinister appearance. Perhaps, because of them, a subspecies with a particularly distinguished name appeared - the satanic leaf-tailed gecko.
Habitat
Most representatives of the species live in Madagascar, as well as numerous small islands located nearby. They live in trees, but some individuals have adapted well to life on the rocks. Especially among them is the mossy leaf-tailed gecko. When it lies on a layer of moss that covers many rocks, it is almost impossible to make out, even if you know where it is located.
Alas, in recent years the number of these amazing animals is rapidly declining. The fact is that they reproduce relatively slowly. A predatory catch for sale in terrariums around the world further reduces livestock. And predatory deforestation leads to the fact that there are fewer and fewer places where the leaf-tailed Madagascar gecko could live and breed normally. If humanity does not change its attitude to the environment, then it is possible that these amazing creatures will completely disappear from the face of the Earth.
Lifestyle
The geckos are most active at night. Which is not surprising - in his native Madagascar it is too hot during the day to run around in search of prey. Therefore, in the daytime, they prefer to hide in some hollow or just overgrown to wait for the night and go hunting.
By the way, they are adapted to a night life simply ideally. Large eyes with a special structure allow geckos to see in the dark 350 times better than humans!
But still, nights are not only a cooler time of day, but also safer. There are much fewer night predators in Madagascar than day predators. By the way, throwing the tail is not the only tool to protect the gecko from opponents planning to feast on it. At critical moments, he opens a huge bright red mouth and sticks out his tongue. Small opponents with weak nerves often prefer to retreat than rush to such a strange prey.
Nutrition
Geckos feed exclusively on insects. Moreover, they have no particular preferences. With the same appetite, they eat butterflies, grasshoppers, worms and almost any prey - the main thing is that it be smaller than a predator and not be too dexterous.
When kept at home, terrarium lovers usually use crickets. Geckos are happy to feast on them, eating a few at a time. Moreover, you can either slip insects directly under the nose of a pet, for example, with tweezers, or simply release them into the terrarium. Then your pet will have the opportunity to hunt them in conditions close to his usual ones. Of course, this will make him keep fit.
In general, like most other animals, in captivity, geckos live much longer than in the wild. In their natural habitat, not every one of them lives up to 15 years. But when kept in a terrarium, especially if you follow the feeding conditions, monitor the appropriate temperature and humidity, most pets reach the border of 20 years.
Breeding
In general, leaf-tailed geckos live alone. Males meet with females only for a short moment of mating. After that, the female finds a secluded place and lays eggs.
However, she may well do this without the participation of a male. True, in this case, the eggs will be unfertilized and the cubs will not hatch from them. You can determine their quality by color. Fertilized eggs are white, and unfertilized eggs are yellow. They have a fairly even spherical shape. Almost always the number of eggs in a clutch is two.
At home, geckos, alas, practically do not breed. It is not possible to determine the reason for this - maybe they lack physical activity, or maybe they have free space. But the fact remains - almost all the individuals sold in stores were born outside, after which they were caught by poachers.
Conclusion
This concludes our article. Now you know more about such an amazing creature as leaf-tailed geckos. And at the same time read about their features, lifestyle and nutrition.