Günther's flat-tail gecko

Günther's flat-tail gecko (Uroplatus guentheri), 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.

Etymology

The specific name, guentheri, is in honour of German-born British herpetologist Albert Günther.<ref>Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. Template:ISBN. (Uroplatus guentheri, p. 111).</ref>

Geographic range

U. guentheri is found in northwestern Madagascar in the area around Ankarafansika<ref name=iucn/> and near Morondava in western Madagascar.Template:Citation needed

Description

U. guentheri reaches a total length (including tail) of Template:Convert.Template:Citation needed

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of U. guentheri is forest, at altitudes of Template:Cvt.<ref name=iucn/>

Behaviour

U. guentheri forages and roosts on small trees and bushes.<ref name=iucn/> It is generally found less than Template:Convert above the ground.<ref name=iucn/> It is very difficult to find during the day, using its camouflage to mimic dead branches and bits of bark. During the night however, it becomes active, hunting for invertebrate prey.Template:Citation needed

Reproduction

U. guentheri is oviparous.<ref name=iucn/><ref name=RDB/> The sperical eggs are laid in leaf litter.<ref name=iucn/>

Further reading

• Böhme W, Henkel FW (1995). "Studien an Uroplatus II: Der Artenkomplex um Uroplatus ebenaui Boettger, 1879, mit Bemerkungen zu Uroplatus guentheri Mocquard, 1908 ". Herpetofauna 17 (94): 11–23. (in German).
• Glaw F, Vences M (1994). A Fieldguide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, Second Edition. Cologne, Germany: Vences & Glaw Verlag / Serpents Tale. 480 pp. Template:ISBN.
• Mocquard F (1908). "Description de quelques Reptiles et d'un Batracien nouveaux de la collection du Muséum ". Bulletin du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris 14: 259-262. ("Uroplatus Güntheri ", new species, pp. 259–260). (in French).
• Schönecker P (2013). "Biologie, Haltung und langjährige Nachzucht von Uroplatus guentheri Mocquard 1908 bis zur vierten Filialgeneration ". Draco 13 (52): 34–45. (in German).

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