Is it a leaf? Is it tree bark? No, it’s the Satanic leaf-tailed gecko. Cleverly disguised as a rotting leaf, Madagascar’s camouflage king has red eyes, pointy horns and a taste for night hunting: it’s nature’s most devilish deceiver. The twisted body and veiny skin echo the detail of a dry leaf, which ensures the gecko blends in with its forest home. The mottled tail appears to have sections missing, as though it has withered over time. This mini-monster epitomises survival of the fittest, having adapted gradually to become today’s extraordinary leaf impersonator. (Photo by Thomas Marent/ARDEA)

Two visitors look at an artwork “Home Sweet Home: Pandemic Love 1” created by Hong Kong artist Mak Ying Tung at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world's most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories. (Photo by Vincent Yu/AP Photo)

Giant pandas enjoy food around a table at Chongqing Zoo, Chongqing, China on May 21, 2023. (Photo by Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A reveller takes part in the “Free Parade” during LGBTIQ Pride Month in Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil on June 12, 2022. (Photo by Diego Vara/Reuters)

Catholic faithful attend a Palm Sunday mass at the start of Holy Week in San Lorenzo, Paraguay, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (Photo by Jorge Saenz/AP Photo)

A curious grey seal investigates photographer Brian Matthews at Lundy Island off the north Devon coast, July 2024. *Photo by Brian Matthews/Solent News)

Mount Kilimanjaro looms behind an elephant at Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya, 2024. (Photo byYaron Schmid/YS Wildlife Photography/Solent News)

A woman poses for a photo in front of the Wagner Group military vehicle on June 24, 2023 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. (Photo by Feodor Larin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)