Chien C. Lee

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  • A study on perfection in mimicry: a Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus). One of 14 species of leaf-tailed geckos endemic to Madagascar, this nocturnal insectivore utilizes its incredible camouflage to hide among dead foliage by day. All Uroplatus geckos are under severe threat from deforestation and over-collecting for the international pet trade. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • The mimicry of a dead leaf is so precise for the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus), they can often hide effectively in plain sight. It has been untested to what degree these geckos actively select a substrate that matches their individual patterns, but U. phantasticus appears to typically hide among dead foliage which suits it perfectly. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • With night vision hundreds of times more sensitive than ours and the ability to discern color even in near total darkness, Madagascar’s leaf-tailed geckos (Uroplatus spp.) are superbly adapted as nocturnal insect hunters. Large eyes, however, demand special maintenance. Like most geckos, Uroplatus have no eyelids and cannot blink; instead, they utilize their long tongues like windshield wipers, keeping their eyes moist and clean. This is a young male Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (U. phantasticus), a denizen of the island’s rainforest zone and a superb mimic of dead foliage. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • The mimicry of a dead leaf is so precise for the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus), they can often hide effectively in plain sight. It has been untested to what degree these geckos actively select a substrate that matches their individual patterns, but U. phantasticus appears to typically hide among dead foliage which suits it perfectly. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
    cld1916615.jpg
  • Few creatures possess a mastery of camouflage the way Madagascar’s leaf-tailed geckos do. This Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus sikorae) sleeps by day on a rainforest liana, its outline obscured by frilled dermal flaps that line its body. By always resting in a downward-facing position they may be able to quickly catch unsuspecting insects that climb up from the ground and also conceal their reflective lidless eyes from predators lurking above. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus). Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • A master of camouflage, the Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus sikorae) is almost completely undetectable when it is at rest on a small tree in the forest understory. Frilled flaps of skin along its body break up its outline, making it appear nearly seamless with the tree on which it rests. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • Males of the Madagascar's Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) can usually be distinguished by their elaborately notched tails, a trait which gives them better mimicry of a leaf that has been partially eaten by insects. Exactly why this is a sexually dimorphic feature in these geckos is unknown, but in some animals different camouflage patterns in males and females can arise where each sex spends their time hiding in different locations and thus face differing selective pressures on their appearance. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • The rainforests of the remote Marojejy National Park in northern Madagascar are one of the best places to look for the island's unique leaf-tailed geckos. In addition to their superb camouflage, most species, like this Uroplatus giganteus, rest head downwards presumably to conceal the revealing reflections of their lidless eyes from arboreal predators.
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  • Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus sikorae). Mantadia National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus). Andasibe, Madagascar.
    cld1716737.jpg
  • The rainforests of the remote Marojejy National Park in northern Madagascar are one of the best places to look for the island's unique leaf-tailed geckos. In addition to their superb camouflage, most species, like this Uroplatus giganteus, rest head downwards presumably to conceal the revealing reflections of their lidless eyes from arboreal predators.
    cld1621379.jpg
  • Males of the Madagascar's Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) can usually be distinguished by their elaborately notched tails, a trait which gives them better mimicry of a leaf that has been partially eaten by insects. Exactly why this is a sexually dimorphic feature in these geckos is unknown, but in some animals different camouflage patterns in males and females can arise where each sex spends their time hiding in different locations and thus face differing selective pressures on their appearance. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
    cld1917721.jpg
  • A master of camouflage, the Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus sikorae) is almost completely undetectable when it is at rest on a small tree in the forest understory. Frilled flaps of skin along its body break up its outline, making it appear nearly seamless with the tree on which it rests. Andasibe, Madagascar.
    cld1508652.jpg
  • The edges of this leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus sikorae) seem to blend seamlessly with the branch on which it rests. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Giant Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus) from Masoala National Park. Antsiranana, Madagascar.
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  • Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus), female. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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