Phyllurus

Phyllurus is a small genus of Australian leaf-tailed geckos. Rarely seen outside their native habitat, they are notable for their highly effective camouflage which is in part aided by the spiny tubercles that cover every body part.

For the African genus called leaf-tailed geckos, see Uroplatus

Phyllurus
Broad-tailed gecko (Phyllurus platurus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Carphodactylidae
Genus:	Phyllurus Schinz, 1822[1][2]

Most member species, except for P. caudiannulatus, P. gulbaru and P. kabikabi, have very flattened, leaf-shaped tails. Some of these species have recently been reassigned to the genus Saltuarius. The Phyllurus geckos resemble the Uroplatus geckos of Madagascar. This is an example of convergent evolution because they are not closely related.

Species

The following species are recognized as being valid.[3]

• Phyllurus amnicola Couper et al., 2000 – Mount Elliot leaf-tailed gecko
• Phyllurus caudiannulatus Covacevich, 1975 – Bulburin leaf-tailed gecko
• Phyllurus championae Couper et al., 2000– Champion's leaf-tailed gecko
• Phyllurus gulbaru Hoskin, Couper & Schneider, 2003 – Gulbaru leaf-tailed gecko
• Phyllurus isis Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993 – Mount Blackwood leaf-tailed gecko
• Phyllurus kabikabi Couper, Hamley & Hoskin, 2008 – Oakview leaf-tailed gecko
• Phyllurus nepthys Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993 – Eungella leaf-tailed gecko
• Phyllurus ossa Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993 – Mackay Coast leaf-tailed gecko
• Phyllurus pinnaclensis Hoskin, Bertola, & Higgie, 2019 – Pinnacles leaf-tailed gecko
• Phyllurus platurus (Shaw, 1790) – broad-tailed gecko

The northern leaf-tailed gecko (previously Phyllurus cornutus Ogilby, 1892), is now placed in the genus Saltuarius.

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Phyllurus.

References

1. Dahms Tierleben. www.dahmstierleben.de/systematik/Reptilien/Squamata/Gekkota/Carphodactylidae.
2. Russell AP. 1980. Underwoodisaurus Wermuth, a junior synonym of Phyllurus Schinz 1822. Journal of Herpetology 14 (4): 415-416.
3. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.

Further reading

• Schinz HR. 1822. Das Thierreich eingetheilt nach dem Bau der Thiere als Grundlage ihrer Naturgeschichte und der vergleichenden Anatomie von dem Hern Ritter von Cuvier. Zweiter Band [Volume 2]. Reptilien, Fische, Weichthiere, Ringelwürmer. Stuttgart and Tübingen: J.G. Cotta. xvi + 835 pp. (Phyllurus, new genus, p. 79). (in German and Latin).