Larger species of Uroplatus are distinguished among geckos in having the largest number of marginal teeth among all living amniotes.

[4] Other rare apomorphic character states include multiple inscriptional ribs, restriction of autotomy planes, and finger-like diverticula of the lungs.

[5] All Uroplatus species have highly cryptic colouration, which acts as camouflage, most being grayish-brown to black or greenish-brown with various markings resembling tree bark.

The larger species spend most of the daylight hours hanging vertically on tree trunks, head down, resting, while the smaller leaf tailed geckos (U. phantasticus, U. ebenaui, U. finiavana, U. malama, U. fiera, U. fotsivava, and U. kelirambo) spend more time in bushes and small trees imitating twigs and leaves.

[7] Habitat destruction and deforestation in Madagascar is the primary threat to the future of Uroplatus geckos as well as collection for the pet trade.

[12] These studies have yielded interesting results suggesting that Uroplatus is in a transitory evolutionary phase between two different chromosome shapes, arocentric and asymmetrical.