As its name suggests, this little lizard is native only to the island of Barbados, making it what scientists call “endemic”—you won’t find it anywhere else in the world. What sets this gecko apart from others in its family is its distinctive leaf-shaped toes, giving it its name and a remarkable climbing ability. These flat, wide toes help the gecko grip onto smooth surfaces like rocks, tree trunks, and even man-made walls. The skin of the Barbados leaf-toed gecko is another standout feature. It’s often a soft gray or brown with darker patches, helping it blend into the rocky coastal environments where it lives. Its camouflage is so effective that people often walk right past without even noticing it.

Unlike many other geckos, the Barbados leaf-toed gecko is nocturnal, meaning it is most active at night. This nighttime lifestyle helps it avoid predators and the hot daytime sun. During the day, it hides in small crevices, under rocks, or in old stone walls, emerging only when the world is quiet and dark. It feeds on tiny insects like ants, beetles, and moths, playing a helpful role in keeping the island’s insect population in check. One of the coolest things about this gecko is that, like other members of the gecko family, it can drop its tail when threatened—a clever trick to distract predators while the gecko makes its escape. The tail will eventually grow back, although it might look slightly different from the original.

What makes the Barbados leaf-toed gecko different from other leaf-toed geckos worldwide is how rare and endangered it is. For many years, scientists believed it might be extinct. It was rediscovered in the wild only recently, and even now, its known population is tiny and limited to just a few coastal spots on the island.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Barbados

<250

Official estimate

CR

2015