Care sheets
uroplatus phantasticus
Appearance and lifespan
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The lizards of the genus Uroplatus - leaf-tailed geckos, are from the island of Madagascar. Uroplatus phantasticus is one of the smallest leaf-tailed gecko species. Its total length when fully grown is about 10 cm and the body shape is usually narrow. The average lifespan of the species is about 5-10 years. This species is extremely sensitive and is generally considered challenging to care for. For this reason, this species is not recommended for inexperienced hobbyists. This species tolerates no neglect; any major mistakes made in husbandry usually end up in a sudden death of the animal.
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U. phantasticus often has an uneven shape of the tail, giving it the appearance of an insect-eaten leaf. The patterning of the whole body imitates lichen, moss and leaf veins. The coloring is very variable: from gray to chocolate brown, beige, orange and red, sometimes the body may also have greenish or cream tones.
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This species is nocturnal and spends most of its time hiding among vegetation, imitating dead leaves. This is the gecko's way of protecting itself from potential predators. The species thrives best alone, so only one lizard should be housed in one terrarium, unless it is a couple and the intention is to breed them. However, the breeding of this species should never be considered lightly and should be studied very carefully. This is one of the more challenging species to breed in captivity and is recommended for the more experienced reptile breeders.
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Literature related to lizards of the genus Uroplatus:
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Leaf-tailed Geckos – The Complete Uroplatus
​A book published in 2020 that contains a large amount of up-to-date information.
Leaf-tailed geckos in terrarium - Herpetomania
An article I wrote about leaf-tailed geckos. Published in the journal of the Finnish Herpetological Society 2/2023.
Photo: Wikipedia
Any leaf-tailed gecko species should never be handled if it's not necessary. All Uroplatus lizards are extremely sensitive to stress and like to be left alone. The lizards of this genus are strictly look-but-don't-touch animals. However, they are very beautiful and interesting to look at!
Because of its small size, Uroplatus phantasticus might be able to escape its terrarium unnoticed . There is also a high risk of injuring the lizard if you try to catch it by your hands. In general, you should try to catch the lizard with a deep, transparent cup, as it's usually the safest way. However, you should never try to catch the lizard unnecessarily, unless you are moving it from one terrarium to another, have to take it to a veterinarian or check its condition if there's something suspicious about it. Primarily, you should turn to the breeder if you have any questions concerning your lizard.
U. phantasticus lying on the ground among dry leaves
Terrarium
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The minimum size of the terrarium for one lizard is 45x45x60 cm. For the terrarium, I recommend Exo Terra, because of its safety and the mesh lid feature. Similar type of terrariums are also available from other brands.
I definitely recommend making the terrarium bioactive. A bioactive terrarium means that it's "alive" and cleans itself. In bioactive terrariums, there'll be real plants and "clean-up crew" insects to take care of the cleanliness of the terrarium. Tropical isopods and springtails make excellent clean-up crew. They help keeping the clean and free of feces. Springtails mainly eat mold, which means they prevent the bottom and interior of the terrarium from getting moldy. Isopods eat feces and dead leaves for example.
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The terrarium should be cluttered, and not too bare. For example, Schefflera arboricola, Fittonia verschaffeltii and various other plants such as Peperomia are great plants for the terrarium of Uroplatus phantasticus. There should be plenty of small and thin branches in the terrarium, as they are part of the natural habitat of this species. This species spends most of its time only a few meters above the ground and prefer to hide in bushes and vegetation. For example, Bauhaus often has a wide selection of really good plants for terrariums and they are also inexpensive. You can find suitable branches for free, for example, from your own or a friend's backyard. However, the branches should not be conifers, as conifers are not safe for terrarium animals. Suitable tree species are, for example, birch, apple tree and cherry tree.
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Suitable terrarium
However, store-bought plants should be rinsed very carefully with water before planting in the terrarium, in order to wipe away all possible chemical residues. You should also remove the soil from the plants, rinse them off and try to get the roots as clean as possible. This is to avoid any harmful pests that may come with the plants. The leaves and stem of the plant should be carefully checked for pests. After thorough cleaning and checking of the plants, they can be planted in the terrarium in a new base material that is safe for the lizard. For example, coconut peat and natural peat are safe materials to use. The base material should never contain any fertilizers. Branches taken from nature should be heated before placing in the terrarium, so that any pests living in them also die. The branches can be heated, for example, in a sauna or in the oven, or you can sink them in hot water.
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These geckos might escape in the blink of an eye, so the terrarium should definitely be a front-opening one. In this case, the sliding or hinged door can only be opened slightly when feeding the lizard or doing other maintenance procedures. If the terrarium has a lid that can be opened from above, the entire lid is completely open and the risk of escaping is bigger. The gecko might also get stuck underneath the lid when the lid is closed.
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Humidity and temperature
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Uroplatus phantasticus requires misting once in the evening, so that the humidity rises to around 90-100% at night. During the day, the humidity can drop a little lower to around 65-85%. During the day you might need to lightly spray/mist 1-2 times to maintain the humidity. This depends on the ventilation of your terrarium. The lizards also often drink from water drops. Despite this, the lizard should have water available at all times in a separate water cup. For misting, I recommend buying a separate automatic misting system, if additional misting during the daytime is needed. Automatic misting also significantly reduces the risk of the lizard escaping and it is easier and safer. And of course, since this is a small lizard, all of the small holes in the terrarium must be covered and it should be completely escape-proof.
Although this species requires constant high humidity, there should still be sufficient ventilation in the terrarium. Stagnant and heavy air can make the lizard sick very easily. Remember: wet doesn't always equal humid! This species is extremely sensitive - they might die readily if any significant mistakes are made with the setup. I personally cover at least half or at most 3/4 of the mesh lid of the terrarium. You can use, for example, plastic film for covering, as it is an inexpensive and easy solution, but still lets light through.
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Photo: Frank Vassen
Masoala National Park, Madagascar
Good ambient temperature for the terrarium is around 22-24°C. At night, the temperature should drop to at least 21°C, preferably closer to 18-20°C. The night temperature must not rise above 21°C. In summer, the weather can be warm, but even then the ambient temperature of the terrarium should not rise above 25-26°C for a long period of time. An ambient temperature above 26°C is extremely dangerous for this species, even very fatal.
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In winter time, you can drop day temperatures to 20-22°C and night temperatures to 16-18°C. This is not compulsory, but it's beneficial for the lizard. Correct humidity and temperature readings are very important, so they should be monitored daily. Many reptile stores sell thermostats that measure the ambient temperature of the terrarium, which start to alarm after exceeding a certain temperature range, so that the too high temperatures are noticed immediately. The terrarium should also have a thermal gradient suitable for the species. This means that the temperature varies from cooler to warmer in different parts of the terrarium. It is usually a few degrees cooler at the bottom than at the top. However, if you're using a daylight and/or UVB on top of the terrarium, the thermal gradient will be formed as a result. In this case, no additional action is required in order to create the thermal gradient. A common sign that a lizard of the Uroplatus-genus is unwell, is changes in its tail. A sick or unwell lizard's tail often begins to curl or roll up or the lizard may completely drop its tail. The tail doesn't grow back.
Lighting and UVB
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Although this species is nocturnal, many hobbyists still recommend providing separate UVB lighting. Leaf-tailed geckos sleep exposed to sun during the day, relying on their camouflage, so in the wild they do receive small amounts of UV rays. When you put an UVB bulb on top of the terrarium, the lid should be mesh on those areas where the UVB bulb is placed. This is because glass doesn't let through much, if any UVB rays. I highly recommend Arcadia's Shade Dweller 2.4% UV light. For the daytime lights, I recommend Arcadia's Jungle Dawn, because it's a really bright and effective light for the terrarium plants.
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Feeding
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Uroplatus phantasticus is an insectivore. Almost any small insects are suitable as food, such as small crickets, fruit flies, small dubia roaches, isopods and soldier fly larvae. Small meal worms can also be given as a treat, but not as a main diet due to their fat content. Every insects should be placed into a food bowl and not set free in the terrarium, except for fruit flies. Feeding should be done in the evening, because the species is nocturnal. Snails are also part of their natural diet, so it's important to offer them from time to time. However, you can substitute the snails with isopods or soldier fly larvae, as they're also rich in calcium. Sufficient supply of calcium is very important for the lizard of Uroplatus-genus. Don't collect wild insects from nature, as they may carry parasites or toxic pesticides. Suitable feeder insects can be bought from pet stores or directly from insect breeders.
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However, you should not feed your lizard with just fruit flies alone, because they are quite poor in terms of nutritional value. Personally, I mainly feed my Uroplatus crickets, isopods and soldier fly larvae. Occasionally I offer fruit flies and meal worms as well. All feeder insects should be dusted with vitamins and calcium. I dust my feeder insects with Repashy Calcium Plus every other feeding. This product contains a balanced amount of vitamins and minerals that are essential for reptiles.