Uroplatus phantasticus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
Uroplatus phantasticus, the satanic leaf-tailed gecko, eyelash leaf-tailed gecko or the phantastic leaf-tailed gecko, is a species of gecko indigenous to the island of Madagascar. First described in 1888 by George Albert Boulenger, U. phantasticus is the smallest in body of the Uroplatus geckos, though there is an ongoing debate as to whether one of its cousins, U. ebenaui, is smaller because of its shorter tail.
The generic name, Uroplatus, is a Latinization of two Greek words: "ourá" (οὐρά) meaning "tail" and "platys" (πλατύς) meaning "flat". Its specific name phantasticus is the Latin word for "imaginary", based upon the gecko's unique appearance, which led Belgian naturalist George Albert Boulenger to describe it as “mythical” in 1888.
The species is endemic to Madagascar, meaning it is found nowhere else. It is an arboreal animal that relies on its natural camouflage in the northern and central tropical forests of Madagascar. Its adult size is up to 90mm in total length, including the tail.
As with all Uroplatus geckos the tail is flattened, but the leaf-like appearance is only seen in the ebenaui complex (U. phantasticus... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Mantadia National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Zoo Knoxville | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Mandraka Reptile Farm | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 6 | Ripley's Aquarium of Canada | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko sighting in Mantadia National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 15 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko in Mantadia National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, May, July–August and October, the lowest months. That is one of Mantadia National Park's wettest months, with about 290 mm of rain against 60 mm in September.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Satanic 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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko sightings, Mantadia National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Ranomafana National Park (Madagascar, about 80%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Mantadia National Park (12 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.
