Saltuarius swaini Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko
on grounds of O'Reilly's Rainforest Guesthouse, Lamington National Park, Queensland, AustraliaFebruary 20, 2003
Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko (Saltuarius swaini)
After an unsuccessful nighttime leaf-tailed gecko hunt in the rainforest, I was returning to my room at O'Reilly's when I noticed a suspicious dark spot on the side of the building I was walking along. My flashlight revealed this juvenile gecko hunting gecko snacks. Against a tree, this gecko would be very hard to spot, but on the plain-colored wall, it stood out distinctly.

Until recently, this species was known as the southern population of the Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko, Phyllurus cornutum. Thanks to Australian ecologist Mark Sanders for informing me of the recent reclassification.

Here is a complete list of the reptiles and frogs I saw on this trip to Australia.

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