African Fat Tail Gecko Hemitheconyx caudicinctus Various Gecko pics A Fatty! The Fat-Tailed Gecko, or Hemitheconyx Caudicinctus, is another commonly kept gecko. It can be found in West Africa inhabiting the warm and mostly dry areas. These are captive bred in small numbers but most are still wild caught. As a relatively docile species, Fat-Tailed Geckos are not apt to bite. They are a rising favorite amongst collectors. They require little space and are easy to maintain, keeping in mind that wild caught specimens require a lot more work to adjust to captivity. "Fatty's" are a relatively small lizard obtaining a length of just over 8". These lizards overall are a brownish color, but with many new morphs coming out they are getting a lot more attractive. African Fat-Tailed Gecko-Hemitheconyx Caudicinctus Origin-West Africa Size-8"-10" Life Span-Up to 15yrs Temperment/Handling-Semi-docile if captive born.  More often these are wild caught lizards, requiring a good amount of time before they take kindly to handling, without being aggressive or running away.  Never hold by the tail because it can fall off. Hardiness-Semi-easy to maintain if captive born.  A lot more difficult to acclimate to captivity if wild caught. Care must be taken to rid them of any diseases and parasites. Some people even recommend precautionary wormings every six months. Housing-A 10gal aquarium is adequate for two babies or one adult. A 20gal long is big enough to house one male and up to three females. Never house two males together. A lid is not necessary but recommended to keep other things from getting to the geckos.  Newspaper, paper towels, sand,  a sand/soil mix, fine orchid bark, or coconut fiber can be used as substrate. Baby geckos should always be kept on newspaper or paper towels to avoid sand impaction. This can cause serious health problems. Hide spots should be provided at both the warm and cool ends of the enclosure. To help facilitate with shedding, a hide box (small plastic container with a hole cut out of the side or top) containing moistened vermiculite or spragnum moss, should be provided, that may also double as a nesting box.  A shallow water dish should be available at all times, as well as a small dish of calcium and possibly a dish of mealworms. These geckos are nocturnal and may remain hidden most of the day. Finally add a few pieces of cork bark or well secured rocks to help keep the geckos occupied. The larger the enclosure, the more entertaining your new pet will be. Rack Systems-If housing a lot of geckos you may choose to keep them in a rack system, consisting of many tight fitting shelves full of Rubbermaid plastic bins.  A shoe box (12"x6"x4.5") will comfortably house a baby gecko, moving up to a sweater box (16"x10.5"x6")  for an individual or blanket box (22"x16"x6") for a small breeding group. The shelves on the rack double as a lid to keep the geckos from escaping.  Paper towels should be used as a substrate.  A hide spot should be provided at the warm end and the cool end as well as a single hide box containing moistened vermiculite or spragnum moss, that doubles as a nesting box.  A shallow water dish should be available at all times, as well as a small dish of calcium and possibly a dish of mealworms.  Rack systems are heated using heat tape. Enclosure maintenance-Substrates can be changed every couple weeks as long as you remove fecal (poop) every few days. All cage items should be cleaned with a dilution of 1part bleach to 30parts water every three months or so making sure to thoroughly rinse.  Water should be changed daily.  Check all electrical devices as often as possible to help prevent fire hazards. Lighting-This is a nocturnal (on the move at night time) species requiring no UVA/UVB lighting, but it can't hurt.  I use fluorescent and a basking or incandescent bulb suspended above one end of the enclosure. Never let the lizard touch the bulb itself, for this can cause severe burns. The lights should be left on 14hrs a day throughout the summer months and 9-10 hrs a day in the winter.  I recommend keeping all lighting on a timer, it saves the hassle of manually turning on and off the lights every day. Heat/Temp-A good daytime temp should be 82-85F to help acclimate to captivity. Slowly increasing to 82-90F over time. Temps should be slightly cooler in the winter time. Nighttime temps should be 75-80F. Always allow a cooler end to help with thermo-regulation. A reptiles surroundings determine it's body temp, so they move from end to end as needed. Temps should be slightly cooler in the wintertime. Heating options include, under tank heaters covering about 1/2 to 1/3 the length of the tank, heat tape, or a basking bulb in a ceramic fixture over head.  Never use hot rocks, they often concentrate extreme heat causing severe burns. Humidity/Water-Fat tailed geckos are a species that prefer a semi-dry environment. Mist two to three times a week to help keep the cage slightly damp and to help facilitate with shedding. A small, shallow water dish should be available at all times, as well as the humid hide box. Diet/Food-As a general rule food items should be no larger than the width of the head. Commonly used food items include commercially raised crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and various other insects. Wild insects are readily accepted, but make sure they haven't come in contact with any pesticides.  Adult fat-tailed geckos will enjoy an occasional pink mouse. All food items should be gut loaded (fed a nutritious diet of various greens, potatoes, and cricket food) for at least 24hrs prior to feeding. Insects should be supplemented or lightly coated (the easiest way is in a plastic bag) with vitamins and minerals.  The proper use of supplements can help lead to a healthier, happier gecko, and reduce the risk of metabolic bone disease. I use Rep-cal Calcium/vitD3, Herptivite, and  Miner-All.  All can be found at any pet store. I like to leave a small dish of calcium and mealworms in the enclosure at all times. Babies should be offered food 1 to 2 times daily. Juveniles should be fed daily. Adults should be fed 4-6 times a week offering an occasional pink mouse.  Remove all free roaming food items if not eaten within 15-20min.  Insects will foul water and stress the geckos. Sexing-Sexing baby fat-tails can be difficult. With maturity sexing becomes much easier. To sex, look on the underside of the gecko. Males have a V-shaped row of enlarged pre-anal pores and hemipenal bulges at the base of the tail. Females have pre-anal pores that are less obvious and are lacking the hemipenal bulges. Phases/Morphs-Albino, White Striped, Starburst, Etc. Other-Very much like the leopard gecko in care. Disclaimer-Everything on this page is a matter of my personal opinion.  This care sheet is merely meant to help get you started.  Always do lots of other research and do what is in the best interest of you and your pet. Last Updated-03/06/03 Aaron Downing            ReptileAaron@aol.com  https://www.angelfire.com/me4/pets Suggested Reading *The Leopard Gecko Manual                                                                       DeVosjoli,Viets,Tremper,Klingenberg                             1998 Advance Vivarium Systems                                                      *Geckos Bartlett,Bartlett 1995 Barron's Educational Series *Lizards Of The World  Mattison  1992 Blandford  *Designer Reptiles and Amphibians Bartlett and Bartlett 2002 Barron's Educational Series *Reptiles Magazine Various Authors & Issues