Uroplatus henkeli
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus henkeli), 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.
U. henkeli is found in primary forest on the island of Nosy Bé near Madagascar, as well as on the mainland of Madagascar itself, in the region of Ankaranafantsika. Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko lives an arboreal lifestyle, venturing down to the ground only to lay eggs in soft soil and leaf litter.
There are two different morphs of U. henkeli, the Nosy Bé form and the mainland Madagascar form, and they can be distinguished by their colouration patterns, though these are not always reliable. Reaching a total length (including tail) of 280 mm (11 in), this is one of largest species in the genus.
Henkel's flat-tailed gecko is insectivorous, but will also eat snails if they are found. The generic name, Uroplatus, is a Latinization of two Greek words: "ourá" (οὐρά) meaning "tail" and "platys" (πλατύς) meaning "flat". The specific name, henkeli, is a Latinization of German herpetologist... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | California Academy of Sciences | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Tulsa Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Safari Madrid | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Toledo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Saint Louis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Caldwell Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Francisco Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Gatorland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Virginia Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Potter Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Dartmoor Zoological Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 14 | Reid Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Seneca Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Blue Planet Aquarium | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko sighting in Ankarafantsika National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 18th most-seen of the 20 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and November
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko in Ankarafantsika National Park on a given day, against about 10% in March–August and December, the lowest months. Those are among Ankarafantsika National Park's wettest months, with about 360 mm of rain a month against almost none in August. February has too few records to rate.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Ankarafantsika National Park, in our data
Ankarafantsika National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko sightings: about 30% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Ankarafantsika National Park (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
