Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko
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| iUroplatus phantasticus | ||||||||||||||||
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| Uroplatus phantasticus |
The Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko, Uroplatus phantasticus, is an interesting species of gecko found in the eastern forest regions of Madagascar. First described in 1888 by Boulenger, U. phantasticus is the smallest in body of the Uroplatus geckos, though there is an ongoing debate as to whether one of it's cousins, U. ebanaui, is smaller because of its shorter tail. Its adult size is anywhere from 2.5-6 inches total length. The satanic Leaf tailed gecko is also commonly known as the eyelash leaf tail gecko or fantastic leaf tail gecko.
U. phantasticus is an interesting looking gecko. As with all Uroplatus geckos, the tail is flattened and leaf-like. Some U. phantasticus even have notches in their tails to further resemble a decaying leaf. This is also thought to be a form of sexual dimorphism, as the trait seems more common in males of the species. In addition, U. phantasticus has an eyelash-like projection above each eye. During the daylight hours, these adaptations help the gecko blend into its surroundings. At night it helps the gecko when it hunts by providing camouflage.
The satanic leaf tail gecko comes in a variety of colors. Purples, oranges, tans and yellows are not uncommon. This makes the satanic a very desirable gecko to herpetoculturists. Unfortunately, captive husbandry of this species is difficult at best. This means that most specimens seen in captivity are wild caught.
The satanic leaf tailed gecko may be kept in breeding pairs or trios. Two geckos may be kept in a commercially available 10 gallon aquarium with a screen lid. Males should not be housed together but females or a pair may be. They eat a variety of appropriately sized insects including crickets and moths. If breeding is successful in captivity, eggs will be laid every 30 days and take 90 days to hatch.
