Dear Supporter, 

December is off to a memorable start! Campus is a winter wonderland, and the semester is winding down for finals next week. As we also wind down for the semester and pause our public events for the month, we’re turning our full attention to end-of-year giving and our membership drive. There’s never been a better time to become a member of the KU Natural History Museum, especially with membership rates increasing on January 1. Join before year’s end to lock in the 2025 rate. Already a member? Renew early and we’ll add a full year to your membership, no matter your renewal date!

Black Friday Bonus: Become a member between
Nov. 28–Dec. 7and receive a limited-edition insulated tote
plus 20% off in the gift shop.

Why be a member? Your support fuels our mission, and supports our exhibits, community programs, and research. Plus, it comes with great perks: free admission, gift shop discounts, ASTC Passport access to 350+ museums nationwide, and more!

Sincerely, 
Natalie Vondrak
Communications Coordinator 

The search for the Philippine parachute gecko, Ptychozoon intermedium, took more than 80 years before it was rediscovered. The first (holotype) specimen, used by KU herpetologist Edward Taylor to name the species in 1915, was lost when the Philippine Bureau of Science building was destroyed during the bombing of Manila in World War II. This rare and understudied “flying gecko” is notable for its parachuting escape behavior. Its unique morphology—including wing-like flaps along the body and tail—allows it to slow its fall by spreading its arms, legs, fingers, and toes, causing the flaps to stand upright and create drag so it can glide, much like a flying squirrel. 

The species’ bizarre physical appearance so impressed Taylor, that he described the gecko’s striking features poetically in his memoir, writing, “The long tail had a series of frills on each side, as if scalloped lace had been sewn on for decoration” (Taylor, 1975).

This gecko species was rediscovered by current KU Herpetology Curator Rafe Brown in 1992, when he was still an undergraduate student and only a handful of specimens have been collected since. Today, only a single specimen (collected by Brown and Jason Fernandez on Leyte Island in 2016) is held in the collection at KU.

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