|
|
Written by: Silas Swaim
(www.gecko-island.com)
CHARACTERISTICS: One of the most bizarre creatures of the Madagascar forest, the Uroplatus henkeli is one of the hardiest of its genus. This animal reaches over all lengths of 11 inches and can be considered as the chameleons of geckos. It is able to change its colors and patterns to blend in with the barks and leaves it is around. It has a large, flat tail shaped like a leaf, hence the name "Leaf Tail Gecko". Multiple males and females can be housed together in one aquarium. The enclosure should be tall and filled with things like branches and limbs for the gecko to climb on. The Uroplatus is one of my personal favorite "display" geckos out of them all!
These Creatures are some of the wildest looking animals on the face of the earth. They come from the African country, Madagascar, and primarily spend all their lives in and on trees. These Geckos have to be the masters of camouflage. They resemble leaves of bark of trees and can change colors like chameleons, but only with hues of brown and tan and white. These are just one of the ten or so species of the Uroplatus genus. The henkeli is the most common among the importers and captive breeders of these awesome creatures. Others include U. fimbriatus, which is the largest of the genus, U. sikorea, U. lineatus, U. phantasticus, and the list could go on. What I breed and care for are the henkeli. They seem to be the hardiest of the Uroplatus.
Housing
I have 3 Henkels' leaf tails in one 29-gallon aquarium. I would put no more than 3 in that much space. They live in the trees, so they need tons of climbing room and tons of things to climb on. I use a mixture of peat moss and bark (not cedar) for a substrate. The peat moss helps to keep humidity high for the gecko. They need about 75% to 100% humidity at all times. The best thing to use, if you have a large colony, is a misting system. You can get one of these systems set up on a timer and it can tap right in to you water supply in your house. These systems can be somewhat pricey. I use a pump sprayer and mist the cage real good about 3 to 4 times a day. You will need a screen to with clips for the top of the enclosure. I would stay away from wooden enclosures because wood and water don't make for a long lasting cage. Plus it will not hold humidity in as well. Some people house males together and have know problems with territorial battles, given that there is plenty of space for them and the females.
Heating & Lighting
The temperature should be kept in high 70's to low 80's. The nighttime temperatures can drop to the mid 70's. A full spectrum light that emits UVB will help in heating and in the performance of reproduction. No heat pad will really work, as the Uroplatus live mostly in the trees. The heat pad will never heat up the limbs in which they lay on.
Feeding
The Uroplatus are insectivorous, so they will eat domestic crickets, mealworms, moths, and grasshoppers. Do not feed them items caught in the wild, for they might be carrying pesticides and that would result in death of the gecko. If you are planning on feeding them mealworms or wax worms, they should be offered in a padded dish. The Uroplatus like to hang from the limbs and ambush their prey from above. This is another benefit of having bark as the substrate. I use a Styrofoam bowl and place the worms in it. All crickets must be gut loaded with a high calcium diet and dusted with D3 and calcium. The dusting alone will not be enough, for the misting of the cage will wash it off. I dust the crickets every feeding to ensure the vitamin intake. Water will be drunk off of the leaves and branches. Often licked off the side of the aquarium. This is also the importance of misting the cage regularly. The will not drink from a bowl or container filled with water.
Breeding
Uroplatus breed in the spring and summer times of the year. They will lay 2 egg clutches, but some studies have seen 4 egg clutches. They will lay about 4 to 6 clutches a year. Some people tend to separate the males from the females and introduce the males in at breeding time. Then only to take them a way after thy have don't their part in reproduction. The female will lay her eggs in the bark and try to hide them. The eggs are about a half of inch in diameter and are a leafy pattern. They blend in well, just like the gecko, to the bark in the floor of the enclosure. These eggs will need to be incubated at about 78 degrees F. It will take 60 to 100 days for them to hatch. Incubate the eggs artificially in perlite (to avoid mold growth) with a 1:1 ratio by weight, with water. The hatchling should be housed just as the parents are housed.
|
