ANIMAL: Broad-Tailed Gecko/Sydney Leaf-Tailed Gecko Phyllurus platurus Type of Animal: Gecko Habitat: Boulders, rock faces, crevices, cracks, trees, tree trunks, temperate rainforest gullies, drier sclerophyll ridge lines, garages, fences, retaining walls, homes/houses, sandstone areas, sandstone outcrops, sandstone escarpment, woodpiles, sheds, bricks, bushland, urban/suburban areas, limestone outcrops, under large slabs, caves, coastal sandstone heath Location(s): Sydney Basin of New South Wales Appearance: Mottled brown to light brown to mottled brown-yellow to pale gray to reddish-brown gecko w/ low bumpy outgrowths & chunky leaf-shaped tail Food/Diet: Spiders, moths, crickets, beetles, cockroaches, flies, beetle larvae, grasshoppers, locusts, moth larvae, millipedes, centipedes, worms Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos, wildlife centers, & herpetoculture Lifestyle: Solitary or small groups of a male w/ 1-8 females Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Hatchling Group: Leap/Colony Weight: Male: 0.6 oz Female: 0.8 oz Young: 0.07 oz Gestation: 4 months Life Span: 7-8 years in wild, 10-15 years in captivity Body Length: Male: 3.24 in Female: 3.39 in Young: 1.9 in Tail Length: Male: 2.66 in Female: 2.51 in Active at night (nocturnal). Females lay only 1-2 eggs per clutch & lay 3-4 times a year. These geckos use coloration as camouflage. These geckos love to climb. These geckos often found in close proximity to humans. Also called Southern Leaf-Tailed Gecko, Broad Leaf-Tailed Gecko, Broad-Tailed Rock Gecko, & Barking Gecko. Sexually mature at a year old. These geckos like to hide during the day. Camouflage comes in handy for avoiding predators as well as for catching prey. Females sometimes roll freshly laid eggs on ground under bodies w/ rear legs. It’s believed ground coating protects eggs from predators as well as from desiccation. They’re ambush predators. These geckos grow fast. Fights between males can be fierce. Fun Fact(s): Sometimes kept as pets. Like many geckos, they’re very sensitive to handling. Like many geckos, they can drop tails if threatened/handled. Another defense mechanism is opening mouth wide & waving tail over body, then lunging towards threat emitting loud raspy squeal/bark. Smoother tails often sign of tail regeneration.
