This is a robust, medium-sized gecko from the family Eublepharinae - the "eyelid" geckos. Fat-tailed geckos are fully terrestrial & do not climb walls like other geckos. They are also one of the few gecko species that possess eyelids. Fat-tailed's get their name from their large, fleshy tails. Hatchlings are born with dark bands that turn lighter as the geckos mature. The base coloration of the fat-tailed gecko consists of alternating bands in light & dark brown.

Adult fat-tailed geckos are generally very docile, good-natured, hardy creatures. Nonetheless, they should be handled with some care as their thick, fleshy tails are designed to detach as a defense mechanism. Never grab a fat-tailed gecko by the tail; while broken tails do regenerate, they are rarely as attractive as the original tail. Juveniles of this species are often squirmy, flighty babies that take some time & growing to settle down. Perspective: when you're 3" long, EVERYTHING seems like a potential predator, and as a little gecko all you want to do is HIDE! This phase is quickly outgrown with gentle handling.

Fat-tailed's are frequently bred in captivity, therefore finding a good, healthy CB specimen is quite simple! Potential purchases should be alert, bright-eyed & somewhat active. Check for stuck skin around toes as this indicates a shedding problem that should have been rectified prior to offering the animal for sale. First-time owners should seek well-started juveniles at least 8 weeks of age to help ensure a positive endeavor in gecko keeping.

Enclosures can be as simple or elaborate as one is capable of caring for. Remember that the more "stuff" you put in a cage, the more "stuff" you have to clean & disinfect on a regular basis. That said, there are many different enclosures that work well for fat-tailed geckos, short-tailed pythons, including, but not limited to: plastic sweater boxes (i.e. Rubbermaid), melamine racks, Freedom Breeder cages, and any of the commercially available plastic-type reptile cages, (i.e. those from Vision Herp & other similar manufacturers). Glass aquariums & tanks also work very well for this species. Also refer to our Lizard Caging care sheet for more information. Remember that ALL enclosures must allow for a proper thermal gradient that the lizard can utilize, with a hot spot on one end and a cooler spot on the other.

When choosing a cage for your fat-tailed, consider the number of animals you wish to house. A single gecko can be kept in a 10 gallon aquarium. For multiple animals, larger enclosures should be used to allow the animals space to interact & also move away from each other. An enclosure measuring 36" x 18" x 16" will sufficiently house up to 10 adult fat-tailed geckos. Harem groups, consisting of a single male and several females, often thrive & reproduce in this setup.

NOTE: NEVER house more than one male fat-tailed gecko in the same enclosure! Males of this species are extremely territorial & will fight extensively, causing injury or even death to a rival male.

Fat-tailed geckos are carnivorous and thrive on a diet of crickets and mealworms. Consider your gecko's size when choosing prey items - young Fat-tailed geckos should be fed small crickets and mealworms, moving up to adult crickets/mealworms as your gecko matures. Start your young fat-tailed's on a feeding regimen of every other day, and offer them as many insects as they will eat in one sitting. Crickets can be introduced to roam throughout the gecko's enclosure, while mealworms may be offered in a shallow dish that allows the lizard to locate and capture them easily. Remove any uneaten food items within a few hours of feeding.

Supplementation

Fat-tailed geckos require calcium & vitamin supplementation throughout their lives. Younger geckos should be supplemented every feeding, while older fat-tailed geckos require supplementation only on every second or third feeding. To "dust" prey items prior to feeding, shake a small quantity of calcium & vitamin supplement into a plastic bag. Add prey items and "shake & bake" them by gently jostling the bag until all insects are covered in a layer of calcium/vitamin dust, then feed them to your geckos. For older geckos, you may also leave a shallow dish of calcium/vitamin supplement available within the enclosure, as the geckos will utilize and ingest the supplement of their own accord.

Note: When offering live prey items to your geckos, it is extremely beneficial to "gut load" the feeder insects for 24-48 hours prior to feeding them off. Give your feeder insects a mixture of fruits and vegetables dusted with calcium powder, or offer them any of the commercially available "gut load" diets specifically designed for feeders. Ensuring that your crickets and mealworms are gutloaded will help provide a balanced diet for your fat-tailed geckos.

Other Prey Items

Adult fat-tailed geckos may be offered wax worms and small pinky mice upon occasion. Both contain higher amounts of fat & protein than are necessary in a standard fat-tailed gecko diet, so use these items sparingly, or to provide an extra boost for breeding adults.

Fat-tailed geckos reach sexual maturity around 18 months of age under optimal conditions. Mature males are easily sexed by the presence of hemipenal bulges as well as femoral pores. The pores will be obvious in a V-shaped formation right above the vent. Females will also exhibit these pores, but they are much less pronounced. Animals should be well established and in excellent condition before any breeding is attempted. Breeding may be induced by reducing daytime photoperiod to 8 hours and dropping nighttime temperatures to 70 degrees for approximately 4-6 weeks. Do not feed the geckos at this time. After the cooling period, slowly raise temperatures to normal levels over the course of several days. Mature male fat-tailed geckos will typically breed with any receptive, available females several times throughout the course of the year. Breeding groups of one male & several females may be kept in the same enclosure as long as space is available to accommodate them all.

Gravid females are easy to spot - eggs are visible through the skin on the females belly, and typically two eggs will be present. Provide an egg-laying chamber similar to the humidity box, and place it on the warm side of the gecko's enclosure. Check both the egg box & the humidity chamber daily for the presence of eggs, and monitor the humidity within both boxes. Once eggs are laid, they can be checked for fertility by "candling" with a small flashlight. Fertile eggs will give off a pinkish glow & a network of blood vessels will be visible within the egg. Incubate fat-tailed gecko eggs in slightly-moist vermiculite for approximately 60 - 70 days. As gender of fat-tailed geckos is temperature-dependent, incubation temperatures in the low 80's should yield mostly female babies; at 88 - 90 degrees the resulting offspring will be mostly male.

Fat-tailed geckos are considered very easy to breed and are an excellent starter project for the beginning herpetoculturist.