Australia has recently discovered a new species of gecko that “looks like a small dragon” with a leaf-shaped tail on an uninhabited island in Queensland.
Associate Professor Conrad Hoskin, a biologist at James Cook University, stumbled upon this lizard during a four-day survey on Scawfell Island, located about 50 km north of Mackay in Queensland, according to the Guardian.
Biologist Conrad Hoskin discovered the new gecko during a four-day survey on Scawfell Island. (Photo: Conrad Hoskin).
“It’s exciting! Every biologist’s dream is to discover a new species,” he said.
The associate professor named the gecko Phyllurus fimbriatus, the Scawfell Island leaf-tailed gecko. In a paper published in the journal Zootaxa, this creature measures approximately 15 cm from snout to tail.
“It has a really distinctive pattern and a beautiful large beak-like face. It truly looks like a small dragon,” Mr. Hoskin described.
He discovered around 30 specimens during the survey, estimating that this new species of gecko is distributed over an area of less than 1 km2. “It only appears in the wettest and most rocky areas of Scawfell,” the biologist shared.
He added that this gecko may take shelter under rocks during the day and come out at night to hunt insects, spiders, and smaller geckos.
Mr. Hoskin also suggested that the Scawfell Island leaf-tailed gecko could be one of the last new vertebrate species discovered in Australia, as the country has undergone a fairly comprehensive exploration of its natural life.
The Cumberland South Islands National Park is responsible for protecting the Scawfell Island gecko. However, this species still faces potential threats, such as fires or competition from invasive species.
