Injured Phyllurus platurus (Leaf-tailed Gecko) c Dan Marshall

Dan Marshall snapped this photo of an injured lizard in his Glenbrook back yard, which is virtually part of the Three Gullies Landcare Group site that Dan co-ordinates. He contacted Taronga Zoo for more information about it, and received the following response from  Philip Topham in the Reptile Department:

‘It is a Broad-tailed Gecko. Another name for it is a leaf-tailed gecko. There are a few different species of these on the east coast and this is a common one to the Sydney area. They favour rocky outcrops and feed on insects. The tail regenerates with time after it drops it to deter predators’. This one evidently escaped a predator’s attack! Thanks Dan — the Broad-tailed Gecko inspired Bushcare’s newsletter and our logo.

If you’d like any more information on them look up Phyllurus platurus in google. A quick search came up with this useful page: http://bie.ala.org.au/species/Phyllurus%20platurus#