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)

A couple enjoys viewing illuminated autumn leaves with projection mapping at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden during a preview at the garden in Tokyo, Japan on November 22, 2023. The illumination will start on 22 November through 03 December 2023. (Photo by Kimimasa Mayama/EPA/EFE)

A dog stands next to the body of an elderly woman killed inside a house in Bucha, outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

This handout picture taken and released by Taipei Zoo on November 2, 2022 showing Chinese panda experts Wei Ming (L) and Wu Honglin (C) checking on sick male panda Tuan Tuan at the zoo in Taipei. (Photo by Handout/Taipei Zoo via AFP Photo)

Japanese monkeys snuggle to keep warm at a zoo in Tonosho in Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan on January 24, 2023. (Photo by Kyodo Photo via Newscom/Alamy Live News)

A Lion-Tailed macaque holds a big block of ice with a mix of frozen vegetables and fruit at the zoo in Leipzig, central Germany, Friday, July 19, 2013. Weather forecasts predict sunny weather and warm temperatures for Germany in the next few days. (Photo by Jens Meyer/AP Photo)

A model presents a creation from the “Remembranzas y Colores” collection by Mexican designer Carlos Pineda with textures and prints honouring Mexico, during the first day of the 76th edition of Intermoda in Guadalajara, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on January 18, 2022. (Photo by Ulises Ruiz/AFP Photo)

Houses near Taal Volcano's crater are seen buried in volcanic ash from the volcano's eruption on January 14, 2020 in Taal Volcano Island, Batangas province, Philippines. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level to four out of five, warning that a hazardous eruption could take place anytime, as authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of people from the area. An estimated $10 million worth of crops and livestock have been damaged by the on-going eruption, according to the country's agriculture department. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)