A new species of gecko has been discovered on a remote island off Australia. The species features a "beak-like" face and spiky tail, James Cook University said on Friday (local time).

Scientist Conrad Hoskin found the species on Scawfell Island off the coast of northeastern Queensland. The gecko was said to be perfectly adapted to the rocks of the uninhabited island, with its thin legs and leaf-shaped tail surrounded by a spiny fringe. During the day the animals hide between piled up boulders, at night they are on the move.

The species was featured in the journal Zootaxa as the "Scawfell Island leaf-tailed gecko" (Phyllurus fimbriatus). According to Hoskin, there could only be about 30 specimens of the animals, which are about four inches long without a tail. However, it is difficult to estimate the size of the population well, and occurrences on neighboring islands cannot be ruled out.

"It's incredible that large and spectacular new species are still being found in this day and age," said the researcher. "The fact that this gecko has remained undiscovered by science shows that there are still areas of hidden secrets in Australia."