Meet Our Animals
The Brandywine Zoo proves that great things do come in small packages. The Zoo features animals from the tropical and temperate areas of North and South America, Asia and Africa. Our animals range from more common species to the highly endangered. All enjoy natural settings and welcome your visit to the zoo. Some animals may be off exhibit during cold weather.
Rhacodactylus chahoua
Mossy Prehensile-tailed Gecko
Habitat
Geographic Region & Range
Diet
Physical Description
Colors range from rusty red and brown to green or gray. There has been some notation that color could possibly be a geographic indicator in this species as the geckos from the outer islands most often display the lighter gray patterns. Their prehensile tail allows it to grip branches and other things for balance while it is climbing.
Lifespan
Natural Habitat: about 15 years
Under Human Care: 20-30 years
Threats
Status
What are AZA Zoos doing for
Mossy Prehensile-tailed Gecko
Henkel’s Leaf-tailed Geckos (a gecko relative to mossy prehensile-tailed geckos) have been an AZA SSP program for over 25 years (even though the species was only described in 1990), which recently won an award from AZA for program sustainability.
Additionally, programs like Smithsonian’s Bird Friendly Coffee helps non-avian species by protecting their habitats, too!
Fun Facts
Mossy prehensile-tailed geckos get their common name from the moss or lichen-like camouflage pattern it displays.
Females have also been known to guard their eggs, which are laid in clutches of 2 eggs at a time, with typically 4-5 clutches per season.
