Scientific Name: Phyllurus platurus

Trying to make yourself look like part of your surroundings to hide from predators is a common occurrence in many animals. The broad-tailed gecko has achieved this in two ways. Most obviously, the tail is flattened and expanded and resembles the shape of a fallen leaf. In addition, the whole body is covered with small spines, which further assist in breaking up the outline of the normal lizard shape. These geckos are usually light brown in colour, peppered with flecks of cream and dark brown. Total length is around 15cm.

Did You Know? If threatened, broad tails will raise themselves up, open their mouths and wave their tail rhythmically over their body. If touched they will lunge toward the threat and emit a loud, rasping squeak, which can be quite a surprise. If this fails the lizard may then shed its tail, which continues to wriggle and distract the predator while the reptile makes its escape. When the shed tail regenerates it is different from the original appendage lacking the peppered colouration and the spiny decoration.

Habitat: Broad-tailed geckos are restricted to the Sydney Basin area of New South Wales, though there are other leaf-tailed gecko species further north as far as Cape York Peninsula. Broad-tails inhabit the sandstone outcrops and escarpment, hiding in deep cracks and crevices during the day. It has adapted well to human encroachment using brick houses as an alternative to its natural rocky home. They are quite harmless and in fact are very useful in controlling numbers of insect pests.

Diet: Cockroaches, spiders, moths, flies and beetles are all eaten with relish by this agile little hunter. It will run up vertical rock or brick walls with ease but is not able to climb smooth surfaces like glass the way some of its gecko relatives can.

Reproduction: Geckos only produce one or two eggs in each clutch. Females will lay their eggs in a favourite crack or crevice where humidity is relatively high. Often several females will use the same site year after year leaving a spot with hatched egg shells littering the ground. The eggs hatch after about 8-10 weeks incubation.