Giant Leaf tail Gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus)

Giant Leaf tail Gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus) are A good sized geckos (typically 11-13" long). Endemic to Madagascar, an island just off the South-Eastern coast of Africa. They are A Crepuscular gecko meaning that they are most active at dawn and dusk arboreal geckos.

Uroplatus do have quite specific care requirements making them a more intermediate to advanced level species to keep.

CB animals are always a first choice, personally I would only consider WC animals in order to introduce new blood into a captive breeding program. Lineage of your animals is important when breeding Uroplatus as UK gene pools are very limited, ensure to ask your breeder for information to ensure compatibility of intended pairing. 

These are good sized active lizards A well ventilated vivarium is required. Once adult the ideal vivarium size for a pair of these guys is a 60cm x 60cm x 120cm.

Males are best one to a viv, fimbriatus are best kept as A 1.1 or 1.2.

The care aspect that makes Uroplatus that bit harder to keep is the environmental control. they like it cooler than most lizards and are not as forgiving. an ambient temperature of 72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (22 to 25 degrees Celsius) is sufficient with an ambient humidity of around 65%, but allowed to dry out at times. Night temperatures should drop to around 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius) with humidity rising to 80-90%.. 

As humidity is important a live planted vivarium is the best way to achieve this. I set mine up as a bio active set up, consisting of a screen covered drainage layer where excess water can collect and be periodically syphoned out or discarded via a plumbed drain method before the above substrate can be water logged. This is covered with my own substrate mix mimicking the 'ABG style' mix 

Onto this I add a layer of leaf litter. this helps maintain humidity and supports the bio active life in the substrate, in turn breaking down the waste of the geckos. The leaf litter also provides the geckos a safe place in which to deposit eggs. They generally like to hide the eggs under the leaf litter. Without an area in which to feel safe laying eggs the geckos readily reabsorb the eggs. I also add little pieces of cuttlefish bone for the isopods to graze on as a calcium source, to keep them from doing so on my Gecko eggs.

The humidity is maintained with numerous automated misting sessions throughout the day to maintain a target humidity of around 65%, I also spray just after lights out so the geckos can drink upon waking and then A further spraying session over the night to maintain humidity.

The vivarium is brightly lit during the day in order to provide the plants with the correct lighting to photosynthesize using 6500K LED lamps, the Arcadia Jungle Dawn is my go-to plant light. Although Uroplatus fimbriatus are a crespular species Uroplatus don't hide away when sleeping, they rely on camouflage to blend in ridiculously well straight out in the open. Uroplatus fimbriatus are bark mimics, they hang out in the open sleeping on the branches and trunks of trees for this reason of them spending the day out in the open I always give Uroplatus access to good quality UVB lighting. My product of choice for this is the Arcadia T5pro. I use a 6% lamp and give the Geckos areas of shade to get out of the UV rays if they choose to.

My Uroplatus vivariums I like to keep quite simple. For the Uroplatus fimbriatus I use a bark covered background bare substrate with a small area covered with leaf litter. The geckos choose the leaf litter as a place to hide their eggs, so by giving a small portion of the vivarium a leaf covering it makes recovering eggs much easier. The décor should mimic their natural environment with good sized vertical and angled branches to mimic the tree trunks that these Geckos live upon. I then plant some broad leafed sturdy plants like Monstera or Dracaena.

Food wise, Uroplatus fimbriatus are insectivores, I have found them not to fussy. As always variety is key, I find they are not so bothered about worm shapes. I rotate in large Crickets, Dubia roaches and locusts. 

As well as all my feeders being well gut loaded prior to being fed I supplement each feed with Repashy Calcium Plus LoD. this is a combined Calcium and vitamin supplement, but using low doses so works on an every feed method rather than a plain calcium and rotating in other supplement powders. I opt for the LoD variety as this is lower in Vitamin D, which I am incorporating good quality UVB lighting to supplement.