An Australian scientist has discovered
a new species of gecko
, a small reptile also known as a gecko or gecko, on the
remote and uninhabited island
of Scawfell in northeast Australia, academic sources reported Thursday.
This tiny reptile, which has an elongated face, spindly legs and spiny tail, has been called the Scawfell Island Leaf-tailed Gecko ("Phyllurus fimbriatus"), after the strip of spines that surrounds the leaf-like tail
.
, James Cook University (JCU) reported today in a statement.
At night, this animal, which blends "perfectly" into its habitat, goes out to hunt the small insects that are part of its diet (EFE).
This four-inch gecko hides during the day
among the gigantic rocks
that are stacked on Scawfell Island, located about 50 kilometers off the coast of the town of Mackay and surrounded by the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
He goes hunting at night
At night, this animal, which
blends "perfectly"
into its habitat, goes out to hunt the small insects that are part of its diet.
Its discoverer, Conrad Hoskin, commented that for now the size of the "Phyllurus fimbriatus" population on the island is unknown, although it is estimated that there are at least
thirty specimens.
The leaf-shaped tail of the gecko.
"Some habitats on the island burn naturally, but the rocks are probably good fire protection. Another potential threat is from the invasive Asian House Gecko ("Hemidactylus frenatus") and poachers," Hoskin said in a statement. the JCU statement.
The JCU scholar made the discovery during a study with the Queensland government parks conservation body, which he published last week in the scientific journal Zootaxa.
EFE Agency.
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