Care Sheet for Geckos: African Fat-TailedAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.25 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 05/26/2005 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Geckos: African Fat-Tailed |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Niloc86 |
Years Experience: | 5 to 10 Years |
Species: | African fat-tailed gecko |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | N/A |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Males often grow larger than females. On males, just before the vent, there will be a set of big pores aligned in a V shape. Males also have two bulges just after the vent.
Females can be identified by the lack of big "V" shape pores. Also sometimes the female will have eggs that can be seen through their belly (not the best way to differentiate between Male and female).
All Fat-tailed Geckos are born with tales shaped identically to Leopard Geckos, however when they drop their tails for the first time it grows back in a bulbous shape (hints the name).
Colors, unless albino, are alternating dark and light brown bands starting just behind the head. There are usually dark brown spots covering the light brown bands.
Adult length is 6-8 inches. |
Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Coconut bark is recommended as substrate. It is soft yet very firm for the gecko to walk on.
A water bowl may be provided but if misted every day, Fat-tailed Geckos will lick the water droplets off of the cage decorations. |
Lighting and UVB: | Recommend light heating or under-pad heating. No Heat Rocks...EVER. They can easily overheat and burn your animal.
Red or Blue heat lighting best because it does not disturb their night and day cycles. Use a 50 watt for a 10 or 20L tank and 75 watt for a 30 or 40 gallon tank.
It has not been proven if reptiles need UVB lighting or not but I use UV bulbs just to be on the safe side. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | The temperatures should be mid to upper 80’s during the day and can drop as low as 72 at night.
A daily power misting of the entire cage will be sufficient for humidity on coconut bark. |
Heating and Equipment: | See lighting and UVB. |
Caging Provided: | One Fat-tail can live it’s entire life in a 10 gallon tank but more room would never hurt. If you are wanting to have two then you will need a 20L gallon. 3 or more use a 30 or 40 gallon tank. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Any small insect. Use a main diet of crickets with an occasional pinky (once every one-two months). When fed a pinky do not feed for a FULL week. Babies can eat up to 8 small crickets in one feeding. Younger adult will eat 3 large crickets per feeding and a full grown adult can eat 8 large crickets in one sitting.(feeding amount will vary from one gecko to the next) Feed the geckos twice a week on this diet. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Any D3 calcium dust will do fine. Dust every feeding. |
Maintenance: | Daily scoop out garbage (poo, dead crickets, shedding, etc.) and daily misting. |
Some Words on this Species: | Very tame animal and great to start with. Also fun to watch feeding habits.
Occasionally fat-tailed geckos have a hard time getting shedding off of their toes. Do NOT under any circumstances try and pull dried shedding off of their feet. You can accidentally pull off part of their toes. It has happened to me before. Instead put a warm, wet towel in a shallow container with a lid. Let them walk around on the towel for about 10 minutes then VERY gently rub the skin and see if it comes off easily. If not try again as many times as it takes. |
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