Monito gecko
The Monito gecko is endemic to an island of the same name, off the coast of Puerto Rico. This adorable reptile met its match in a familiar foe to humans: rats, which invaded the island and decimated the gecko population, according to the National Wildlife Federation. By 1982, the gecko was endangered, and 10 years later, the Puerto Rico government launched a campaign to get rid of the rats.
By 2014, Monito island was rat free, and in October 2019, the gecko was removed from the endangered species list. Their population is now estimated to be around 7,600, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
