From the Archives of

The Colorado Herpetological Society

Lizards

Flat-tailed Geckos Care
(Uroplatus)

by Petra Spiess

Most reptile shows will have at least one person vending Uroplatus. Many of the venders at herp shows are selling imported animals. Imported Uroplatus that have been deparasitized and acclimated fare relatively well in captivity, but many individuals do not survive the importation process. If you wish to purchase imported animals, make sure you purchase them from a reputable dealer (we all know how hard this can be sometimes) who can provide you with a healthy animal. The majority of imported Uroplatus I have seen at shows were dehydrated, stressed, and sickly looking animals. Why anyone would sell these animals in this condition is beyond me, but it occurs often. A far better choice is captive bred and born animals.

Fortunately more and more breeders are establishing colonies of Uroplatus, the most commonly bred and available species are U. henklei, U. phantasticus, and U. ebenaui. The species U. fimbiratus, U. lineatus and U. sikorae are also bred, but on a more limited basis and obtaining captive bred animals of this species can be a little more difficult. Recently a few U. guentheri have entered the United States and currently command high prices. For other Uroplatus expect to pay somewhere in the range of $85-$150 dollars each (except U. lineatus which can run as high as $300 dollars each).

The captive care for the entire genus is similar in many respects, although allowances must be made for cage size and preferred temperatures.

Housing:
The cage should be furnished with live plants that fare well in high humidity such as pothos. The plants help to retain humidity and provide cover for the geckos. All members of this genus spend the daytime, unmoving, on the trunks or at the base of trees (with the exception of U. lineatus, which is reported to live in bamboo forests). Other cage furnishings to include are slabs of cork bark and appropriately sized branches. If keeping U. lineatus, provide some bamboo sections. Different substrates can be used with Uroplatus.

The best I have found is a mixture of orchid bark and peat moss. This substrate should be kept continually moist to prevent the geckos from ingesting large amounts of it when they leap at insects on the cage floor. Other substrates such as newspaper can be used, but be sure to provide an open dish of peat moss on the cage floor during the breeding season, as all Uroplatus will lay their eggs on or near the floor of the enclosure. As Uroplatus are nocturnal, they do not require full spectrum lighting, although there is some anecdotal evidence that irradiation with UVB improves breeding performance (this has yet to be proven).

Feeding:
Uroplatus are generally hearty eaters and will except a variety of insects. Gut-loaded domestic crickets should make up the majority of their diet, but Uroplatus will also relish mealworms, pill bugs, cockroaches (these seem to be a favorite), grasshoppers, large houseflies and snails. Uroplatus can be fed by either broadcasting insects into the enclosure or by providing a feeding dish with a padded bottom. The latter is necessary because when Uroplatus eat, they launch themselves at the food item in a jaguar-like leap and can injure their snouts on hard dishes. The insects should be coated with calcium twice a week, but be careful of adding too much vitamin D3 to the diet. Some hobbyists have reported difficulties with this genus thought to be linked to excessive vitamin D3. More research is needed into this area however.

Breeding:
Most Uroplatus seem to benefit from a short 4-6 week cooling period to stimulate reproductive activity. Generally, only pairs or trios should be housed together to prevent aggression between males, although some species can be housed communally like U. guentheri. Females will lay 2-4 eggs on the floor of the enclosure and will often roll the eggs around in the substrate to camouflage them. The eggs should be incubated at 78°F [25½°C] in moist vermiculite and will hatch in 60-90 days depending on the species. The babies have similar requirements as the adults, but are more sensitive to temperature extremes and must have high humidity. They should be a fed a few small crickets, houseflies and cockroaches every day.

Some Uroplatus References:
Aria, U. 1996, In the spotlight Uroplatus phantasticus (Boulenger, 1888). Dactylus 3(1):7-8.

Burger, R. M. 1993. Leaftailed geckos: some notes on maintenance and reproduction of Uroplatus henklei (Bohme & Ibish). Dactylus 1(4): 11-16

Glaw, F. and M. Venece. 1994. A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. 2nd ed. Germany: Moos Druck, Leverkusen.

Henkel, F. W. and W. Schmidt. 1995 Geckos. Kreiger Publishing Company.

Malabar, FL. Nussbaum, R.A. and C.J. Raxworth. 1994 A new species of Uroplatus dumeril (Reptilia:Sguamata:Geckonidae) from south Madagascar. Herpetolgica. 50:319-325.

Russell, M. 1996. Natural history and captive care of leaf-tailed geckos with emphasis on Uroplatus fimbiratus. The Vivarium. 7(5):6-9