Uroplatus: leaf tail geckos
These cryptic geckos mimic dead leaves or bark. They range in size from small species such as U. ebenaui (9 cm, 3.5 inch) to the impressively large U. giganteus (32.2 cm, 12.7 in). Several small species are leaf mimics and may sometimes fall from a perch if disturbed to land in the concealing leaf litter below. Some of the medium sized species such as U. alluaudi and U. guentheri will roll into a ball as they dive to ground to escape threats. Larger species have impressive threat displays with widely gaping mouths and waving tails, but these are rarely seen in individuals that are used to humans.
Care for the genus is mostly intermediate to advanced difficulty, with captive-bred geckos being easier due to imports being stressed and parasitized. Overall the genus requires cool to moderate temperatures and high humidity with a winter drop in temperature being beneficial. The exact requires vary between the species and must be researched before obtaining these geckos. U. ebenaui is a good species to start with from the smaller species while U. henkeli is the most hardy of the larger species.
Although it's possible to keep Uroplatus in simple setups with papertowel substrate and some climbing branches, they are well suited to bioactive terraria.
A variety of insects make up most of the diet. Isopods and snails provide extra calcium which is very beneficial to breeding females.
Uroplatus fiera
Ebenau's leaf-tailed gecko, Uroplatus ebenaui
Satanic leaf-tailed gecko, Uroplatus phantasticus
Northern leaf-tailed gecko, Uroplatus Alluaudi
Southern leaf-tailed gecko, Uroplatus sameiti
Henkel’s leaf-tailed gecko, Uroplatus henkeli
