Uroplatus finaritra

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Uroplatus finaritra
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Gekkonidae
Genus: Uroplatus
Species:
U. finaritra
Binomial name
Uroplatus finaritra
Ratsoavina, Raselimanana, Scherz, Rakotoarison, Razafindraibe, Glaw & Vences, 2019

Uroplatus finaritra is a species of leaf-tailed gecko native to Madagascar. [1] It can be found in Marojejy National Park, on the island's northeastern side.

Contents

Locally, it is called "tahafisaka" and experts believe that it may be listed as an endangered species [2] .

Description

Uroplatus finaritra can grow up to 4-6 inches or 15 centimeters. It also has a red mouth, as well as a tail that is relatively short compared to its body length. They are around 50 percent larger than other Uroplatus species. [3]

Camouflage

Like many species of leaf-tailed geckos, Uroplatus finaritra is able to mimic leaves or twigs. Due to this, they usually rest in dead leaves in order to mimic the leaves and twigs around it. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Uroplatus</i> Genus of lizards

Uroplatus is a genus of geckos, commonly referred to as leaf-tail geckos or flat-tailed geckos, which are endemic to Madagascar and its coastal islands, such as Nosy Be. They are nocturnal, insectivorous lizards found exclusively in primary and secondary forest.

<i>Phyllurus</i> Genus of lizards

Phyllurus is a small genus of Australian leaf-tailed geckos, lizards in the family Carphodactylidae. Rarely seen outside their native habitat, they are notable for their highly effective camouflage which is in part aided by the spiny tubercles that cover every body part.

<i>Saltuarius</i> Genus of lizards

Saltuarius is a genus of larger Australian geckos, known collectively as leaf-tailed geckos. The genus was created in 1993 to accommodate some former members of the genus Phyllurus. These geckos appear very similar to the Uroplatus geckos native to Madagascar. However, this is a convergent evolution.

<i>Uroplatus ebenaui</i> Species of lizard

Uroplatus ebenaui, commonly known as Ebenau's leaf-tailed gecko, the Nosy Be flat-tail gecko, and the spearpoint leaf-tail gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common flat-tail gecko</span> Species of lizard

The common flat-tail gecko is a gecko endemic to Madagascar. It is found in eastern Madagascar and on the islands Nosy Bohara and Nosy Mangabe. These geckos live in tropical rain forests. They reach a total length of 330 mm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Günther's flat-tail gecko</span> Species of lizard

Günther's flat-tail gecko, also known commonly as Güenther's leaf-tail gecko, is a species of nocturnal gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko</span> Species of lizard

Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko, also known commonly as Henkel's flat-tailed gecko or the frilled leaf-tail gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lined flat-tail gecko</span> Species of lizard

The lined flat-tail gecko is a gecko which is found in eastern Madagascar and on the island Nosy Bohara. These geckos live on trees in tropical rain forests and on bamboo plants. They reach a total length of 270 mm. Threats to this species are posed by deforestation and illegal pet trade.

<i>Uroplatus phantasticus</i> Species of gecko endemic to Madagascar

Uroplatus phantasticus, the satanic leaf-tailed gecko, eyelash leaf-tailed gecko or the phantastic leaf-tailed gecko, is a species of gecko indigenous to the island of Madagascar. First described in 1888 by George Albert Boulenger, U. phantasticus is the smallest in body of the Uroplatus geckos, though there is an ongoing debate as to whether one of its cousins, U. ebenaui, is smaller because of its shorter tail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marojejy National Park</span> National park in the Sava region of northeastern Madagascar

Marojejy National Park is a national park in the Sava region of northeastern Madagascar. It covers 55,500 ha (214 sq mi) and is centered on the Marojejy Massif, a mountain chain that rises to an elevation of 2,132 m (6,995 ft). Access to the area around the massif was restricted to research scientists when the site was set aside as a strict nature reserve in 1952. In 1998, it was opened to the public when it was converted into a national park. It became part of the World Heritage Site known as the Rainforests of the Atsinanana in 2007. "Unique in the world, a place of dense, jungly rainforests, sheer high cliffs, and plants and animals found nowhere else on earth", Marojejy National Park has received plaudits in the New York Times and Smithsonian Magazine for its natural beauty and rich biodiversity that encompasses critically endangered members of the silky sifaka. To that end, a global consortium of conservation organizations, including the Lemur Conservation Foundation, Duke Lemur Center and Madagascar National Parks, have sought to promote research and conservation programs in Marojejy National Park, neighboring Anjanaharibe-Sud Reserve and Antanetiambo Private Reserve, to protect the endemic flora and fauna that reside in northeastern Madagascar. In addition, these organizations have implemented a variety of community-based initiatives to mitigate human encroachment on the park, such as poaching and selective logging, by encouraging local communities to engage in afforestation and silvicultural initiatives to promote a sustainable alternative to mining, slash-and-burn agriculture, and wood collection.

<i>Uroplatus sikorae</i> Species of lizard

Uroplatus sikorae, commonly referred to as the mossy leaf-tailed gecko or the southern flat-tail gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. It is a CITES II protected animal due to habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown leaf chameleon</span> Species of lizard

The brown leaf chameleon or stump-tailed chameleon is a small chameleon found along the eastern coast of Madagascar, as well as the island of Nosy Boraha. Its appearance mimics that of a dead leaf. The taxonomy is in need of revision.

<i>Uroplatus sameiti</i> Species of lizard

Uroplatus sameiti is a species of leaf-tailed gecko. Like all members of the genus Uroplatus, U. sameiti is endemic to Madagascar, and is found in primary and secondary forests on the island. It has the ability to change its skin colour to match its surroundings and possesses dermal flaps which break up its outline when at rest.

<i>Uroplatus alluaudi</i> Species of lizard

Uroplatus alluaudi, also known commonly as the northern flat-tail gecko and the northern leaf-tail gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant leaf-tail gecko</span> Species of lizard

The giant leaf-tail gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. It can reach a snout–vent length of 20 cm and a total length of 32.2 cm.

<i>Uroplatus pietschmanni</i> Species of lizard

Uroplatus pietschmanni, known commonly as the cork-bark leaf-tail gecko, the cork bark leaftail gecko, and the spiny leaf-tailed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.

Achille Philippe Raselimanana is a Malagasy herpetologist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mimesis (biology)</span>

In biology, mimesis refers to a form of crypsis where living creatures mimic the form, colour and posture of their surroundings to avoid being noticed from their surroundings by predators depending on sight. Mimesis is a form of crypsis and thus differs from mimicry, which is a form of aposematism. In English mimesis is often counted as a form of mimicry.

Uroplatus garamaso is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is endemic to northern Madagascar.

References

  1. "Finaritra! A splendid new leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus) species from Marojejy National Park in north-eastern Madagascar | Request PDF". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  2. "New species of leaf-mimicking lizard could already be victim of pet trade". Mongabay Environmental News. 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  3. Buehler, Jake (23 January 2019). "Newly Discovered Gecko Species Is Extremely Good at Being a Leaf". Earther. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  4. Daley, Jason. "Newly Discovered Leaf-Tailed Gecko From Madagascar Is Already Threatened by Pet Trade". Smithsonian. Retrieved 2019-02-05.