This is Madagascar’s mossy leaf-tailed gecko. With the ability to grow up to six inches in length, these creatures possess an incredible camouflage that allows them to blend right into their forest habitats.
source/image: Great Big Story
They can scatter their shadows, making their outline nearly invisible to predators. Unfortunately, due to deforestation and increasing demand in the pet trade, the future of the species is under threat.
Their eyes are large and lidless, and have yellow sclera with elliptical pupils, suited for the gecko’s nocturnal habits. The mossy leaf-tailed gecko ranges in size from 15 to 20 centimetres from nose to base of the tail.
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Walking through the forests of Madagascar fimbriatus may be difficult to spot. Not only can it change color to match its background, but it has flap of skin running the length of its body that helps breaks up its outline and prevents it from casting a shadow.
