Uroplatus is a genus of geckos commonly referred to as Flat or Leaf-tailed Geckos. There are 14 recognised species of Uroplatus geckos, which are all endemic to (found only on) Madagascar or nearby islands, such as Nosy Be.
Uroplatus geckos are found in the herpetology and pet trade, but are not common. Most are threatened due to deforestation and habitat loss, therefore more are taken out of the wild in areas that are being preped for being cut down. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) lists all 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”.
Photos taken by Thor Hakonsen: [1], [2], [3], [4] … for more gorgeous Uroplatus photos click here!
