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''Uroplatus sikorae'' is a species of gecko commonly referred to as the mossy leaf-tailed gecko. This species, endemic to Madagascar, is found in primary and secondary forests on the island. It has the ability to change its skin color to match its surroundings and possesses dermal flaps which break up its outline when at rest. It is a CITES II protected animal due to habitat loss and overcollection for the pet trade. ==Taxonomy and etymology== The generic name, ''Uroplatus'', is a Latinization of two Greek words: "ourá" (οὐρά) meaning "tail" and "platys" (πλατύς) meaning "flat". Its specific name is a Latinization of the name Franz Sikora, an Austrian fossil-hunter and explorer of Madagascar.〔Bo Beolens, Michael Watkins, Michael Grayson: (''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles'' ), p. 243〕 The species was first described by German zoologist Oskar Boettger but not published until three years after his death.〔Boettger, O. (1913). ''Reptilien und Amphibien von Madagascar, den Inseln und dem Festland Ostafrikas''. Pp. 269–375. In: Voeltzkow, A. Reise in Ostafrika in den Jahren 1903–1905. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse. Vol. 3. Systematische Arbeiten. Schweizerbart sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Nägele und Sproesser, Stuttgart〕 Its common name refers to the mossy-like camouflage patterns and colors of the lizard's skin. The genus ''Uroplatus'' contains 14 species endemic to Madagascar. The species ''Uroplatus sameiti'' was considered to be a subspecies of ''U. sikorae'' until 2007, when it was proposed to be elevated to species level on the basis of its pale oral mucosa, in contrast to the dark oral mucosa of ''U. sikorae''. Subsequent publications have maintained this separate status, which has now also been verified molecularly. However, in the most recent review of the taxonomy of the ''Uroplatus'' genus,〔 it was revealed that the different colour of the mouth is not diagnostic of these two species, as some ''U. sikorae'' species were found to share the light oral pigmentation.〔 The diagnosis of these species based on morphology remains difficult. Phylogenically, ''U. sikorae'' has been placed within a monophyletic complex consisting of three other species of ''Uroplatus'': ''U. fimbriatus, U. giganteus, U. henkeli'', and U. sameiti. This complex represents the larger species of the genus.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Uroplatus sikorae」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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