Successful Management of the Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko(Uroplatus phantasticus ) and the Spear-Pointed Leaf-Tailed Gecko(Uroplatus ebenaui )
By: Robert Hill
The geckos of the genus Uroplatus are endemic to the island nation of Madagascar. This genus is comprised of nine species all occurring on Madagascar. The members of this genus are quite variable in size with the largest being Uroplatus fimbriatus at 13 inches in total length and the smallest being Uroplatus ebenaui at 4 inches total length. I will be concentrating on two of the smaller species, Uroplatus ebenaui and Uroplatus phantasticus.
The Spear-Pointed Leaf-Tailed Gecko(Uroplatus ebenaui )
Distribution: This species is mainly distributed in the rain forests of northern Madagascar. They prefer to live in low lying bushes and plants just a few feet off of the ground.
Description: Adults reach a maximum size of 3 ½ inches to 4 inches. They have a very triangular head adorned with small spines at the back. There is also a small backward pointing spine over each eye. The eyes have vertical pupils and can vary in color from red to cream. These geckos have amazing color changing ability and even the eyes can change color. The color can range from light brown, reddish brown, purple, and almost black. The tail is very short and is one of the main things used in distinguishing this species from U. phantasticus.
The Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko(Uroplatus phantasticus )
Distribution: This species lives in the mountain forests and rain forests of northern Madagascar. They prefer living in low-lying shrubs and the leaf litter of the forest floor.
Description: Very similar in appearance to U. ebenaui. The only very noticeable difference is the size and shape of the tail. It is very broad and is approximately one half of the total length. The total length of adults of this species is usually between 4 ¼ inches to 5 ½ inches. Also, a bright white stripe is usually present just below each eye.
Captive Care: Since the habitats and habits of both species are nearly identical, I will be lumping the care and maintenance of both species together.
Since these geckos are of relatively small size, a pair or trio can be housed comfortably in a ten gallon or 15 gallon aquarium. As I understand it, both species are very tolerant of one another and more than one pair can be housed together in larger set ups. There should be several thin climbing branches and a couple of potted plants. I’ve found Pothos to be one of the better choices for these geckos. It grows well in low light and is sufficiently bushy to give them ample cover. They will need this cover to avoid stress.
I have found that a layer of gravel overlaid with a one to two inch layer of clean potting soil or peat moss to be great for these animals.
The humidity should range from 75% to 85% at all times. This can be accomplished through misting twice daily. This is a very important part of keeping these animals successfully. The MOST important factor to keeping them however, is low temperatures. They simply cannot tolerate temperatures above 80 degrees Farenheit for long periods at all. Temperatures should range from 70-80 during the day with a considerable drop in the evening. The easiest way I’ve found to keep the temperatures correct during the summer months is to place their setup near vents during the day. Temperatures can soar here(the Southeast United States) in the summer, so little tricks like this can be helpful for anyone living in the warmer parts of the country. If these temperatures cannot be reliably provided, then perhaps these species would not be well suited to you.
The diet should consist mainly of ¼ inch crickets. All food items should be supplemented with a good vitamin and mineral powder(I’ve found Rep-cal and Herptivite to work well). Feed only in the evening. If food items are released during the day, the crickets will not only lose their vitamin coating, but can also stress the animals out as they crawl throughout the vivarium. Feed only enough to be eaten in one evening. This varies with each animal, but is usually between six to a dozen for each animal. They will also occasionally accept small amounts of fruit baby food. I offer mine this treat about once every two or three months. Wax worms are also accepted on occasion.
In closing, I hope that this information proves useful to all of those who are willing to give these two geckos a try. I have found them to be very rewarding. They have several interesting behaviors and have a very cool look to them. I also wish to state that this is in no way the definitive work on Uroplatus ebenaui and U. phantasticus. This is only personally gleaned information from several good books including Geckoes: Bioloogy, Husbandry, and Reproduction by Friedrich-Wilhelm Henkel and Wolfgang Schmidt and Geckos by Dick and Patricia Bartlett. However, the majority of my information has come from personal experience. This includes successes and unfortunately, failures. Since I have not yet been able to breed either species successfully, I did not wish to provide theories or use another’s work. However, it is my belief that all species can be kept and bred easily if they are properly cared for.
I wish you all the best of luck! Thank you.
