Uroplatus sikorae
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
Uroplatus sikorae, commonly referred to as the mossy leaf-tailed gecko or the southern flat-tail gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. It is a CITES II protected animal due to habitat loss.
The specific name, sikorae, is a Latinization of the surname of Franz Sikora, an Austrian fossil-hunter and explorer of Madagascar. The species was first described by German zoologist Oskar Boettger but not published until three years after his death. Its common name refers to the mossy-like camouflage patterns and colors of the lizard's skin. The whole complex of U. sikorae is in need of taxonomic revision and probably contains numerous new, undescribed species.
The genus Uroplatus contains 14 species endemic to Madagascar. The species Uroplatus sameiti was considered to be a subspecies of U. sikorae until 2007, when it was proposed to be elevated to species level on the basis of its pale oral mucosa, in contrast to the dark oral mucosa of U. sikorae. Subsequent publications have maintained this separate status, which has now also been verified molecularly. However, in the most recent review of the taxonomy of...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montagne d'Ambre National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 3 | Mantadia National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Buffalo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Lemur Island | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 5 | Mandraka Reptile Farm | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko sighting in Montagne d'Ambre National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 12 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, April and August–October
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko in Montagne d'Ambre National Park on a given day, against about 30% in November, the lowest month. March and June–July have too few records to rate.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko sightings, Montagne d'Ambre National Park has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Ranomafana National Park (Madagascar, about 50%) and Mantadia National Park (Madagascar, about 40%).
Same genus: Uroplatus
The closest relatives of the Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko that you can see in Montagne d'Ambre National Park (genus Uroplatus, Madagascar Leaf-tailed Geckos) are Giant Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko (about 40%) and Mount Ambre Leaf-tailed Gecko (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Montagne d'Ambre National Park (23 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.
