Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko

The Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko (Saltuarius eximius) is a species of geckos that is endemic to the Melville Range on Cape Melville in Northern Australia.[1][2] The species was described in 2013 by Australian zoologists Conrad Hoskin (of James Cook University) and Patrick J. Couper (curator of herpetology at Queensland Museum).[3] The lizards are about 20 cm (7.9 in) long and are believed to be a relic species from the time period rainforests were more abundant in Australia. The name derives from the Latin word for "extraordinary" or "exquisite", and refers to the lizard's distinctive, camouflaged appearance. It hides among rocky boulders in the day and emerges at night to hunt on rocks and trees. The lizard has large eyes, a long and slender body, and specialized limbs adapted to life in dimly lit boulder fields.[2]

Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Carphodactylidae
Genus: Saltuarius
Species:
S. eximius
Binomial name
Saltuarius eximius
Hoskin & Couper, 2013

On 23 May 2014, the International Institute for Species Exploration declared the gecko as one of the "Top 10 New Species of 2014". The reasons for its selection are its camouflage to its surrounding rocks, and by which it hunts prey.[4] [5][6]

References
  1. "Lost world' discovered in remote Australia". AFP. October 27, 2013.
  2. Aldred, Jessica (October 28, 2013). "Gecko that looks like a leaf among new species found in Australia's 'lost world'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  3. Hoskin, Conrad J.; Couper, Patrick (1 October 2013). "A spectacular new leaf-tailed gecko (Carphodactylidae: Saltuarius) from the Melville Range, north-east Australia". Zootaxa. 3717 (4): 543. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3717.4.6.
  4. "Leaf-tailed gecko named in top 10 new species of 2014". Australian Geographic. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  5. "Leaf-tailed Gecko: Look Hard to See This One Top 10 New Species of 2014". State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  6. "Top 10 New Species of 2013 Announced". Sci-News.com. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
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