Description

The European leaf-toed gecko is a gecko that comes out at dusk and is nocturnal. Its body is flat and its skin smooth and it lives in fissures in islands and small islands off the Provence coast. It can change colour so as to melt in with the rock (clear at night, dark during the day). Its head, which is quite large, has two large bulbous eyes that are covered with thin, transparent eyelids that are always closed. Thanks to its toes which have suction pads, it climbs everywhere to flush out crawling or flying insects that it feeds on. Son nom signifie « doigt en forme de feuille ». It weighs less than two grams and can live for almost ten years! Its limited distribution to some coastal areas and the islands to the east of the western Mediterranean basin means that has been classified amongst species to be considered vulnerable worldwide.

Scientific name

Euleptes europaea

Where can you see it?

• Natural habitats: Rocky habitats

Did you know?

On the islands of Marseilles, the populations here are significant on a worldwide scale but it is however threatened here from, predation by the yellow-legged gull and the black rat.

Conservation stake

Medium

Threats

• Predation
• Destruction of its habitat
• Light pollution

How can I help to protect it?

• I keep to the trails
• I do not disturb it