Leaf-tailed geckos of the genus Uroplatus have spectacular camouflage, remaining motionless on forest branches during the day before becoming active hunters after dark.
The genus Uroplatus diverged from all other living geckos more than 50 million years ago, long before our ancestors diverged from those of modern baboons, tamarins and capuchin monkeys!
U. malahelo is illegally collected for the international pet trade. This rare species is also threatened by loss of its forest habitat due to slash and burn agriculture and logging.
The species is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List due to its severely fragmented populations, ongoing habitat loss, and small population. It occurs in three protected areas across its range and is listed on CITES Appendix II. Control of the illegal collection for the pet trade may be required for this species.
Order: Squamata
Family: Gekkonidae
Population: Unknown
Trend:decreasing
EDGE Score
EDGE Score: 5.75 (?)
ED Score: 38.135 (?)
GE / IUCN Red List(?)
NENot EvaluatedDDData DeficientLCLeast ConcernNTNear ThreatenedVUVulnerableENEndangeredCRCritically EndangeredEWExtinct in the WildEXExtinct
Distribution
This species is endemic to southern Madagascar. It occurs in three protected areas but has a highly fragmented range.
Habitat and Ecology
This leaf-tailed gecko rests under tree bark during the day. It prefers intact humid or transitional forest and is extremely sensitive to habitat disturbance.
The EDGE score is used to prioritise EDGE species for conservation attention. Within a group of species, higher values mean that the species is a higher priority. The score is calculated by combining the ED and GE scores given below. The black line on the EDGE bar shows the mean EDGE score for all species in this taxonomic group, so you can see how high this species’ EDGE score is compared to the rest of the group.
ED is the Evolutionary Distinctiveness of this species, measured in millions of years. This number represents the unique evolutionary history surviving in this species. The black line on the ED bar shows the median ED score for all species in this taxonomic group, so you can see how high this species’ ED score is within compared to the rest of the group.
The Global Endangerment (GE) or IUCN Red List category, describes how close this species is to becoming extinct. Species that are Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered are considered to be at significant risk of extinction.