African Fat Tailed Geckos are a small species of gecko found in countries such as Senegal, Sierra Leona, Nigeria, Cameroon and many other countries in Western Africa. They share much of their territory with the popular Royal Python.
They are very similar in appearance to the more commonly kept Leopard Gecko. They have a similar shaped body and size, but their tail is and fatter. Like the Leopard Gecko, the African Fat Tailed Gecko moves quite slowly and is very reluctant to bite. This makes them a good alternative species for beginner reptile keepers.
Description
African Fat Tailed Geckos are quite similar to Leopard Geckos in many ways. However, their tails are fatter and stubbier. They generally reach lengths of about 7 to 8 inches.
Their bodies generally consist of brown and tan bands, but they can come in a wide variety of colours and patterns ranging from orange to yellow, all the way to black and white. Captive selective breeding is the main reason these huge colour variations can be found.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The African Fat Tailed Gecko can be found throughout Western Africa with their range extending from Senegal to Cameroon. They can be found in savannahs, rocky hillsides, river edges, and scrubland.
They share part of their geographical range with other common species such as the Gaboon Viper, Variable Bush Viper, West African Bush Viper, African House Snake and the Rhinoceros Viper.
African Fat Tailed Geckos as Pets
African Fat Tailed Geckos are slow moving lizards that rarely bite. They are also a relatively easy lizard to take care of which makes them an excellent beginner pet. If you are just getting into lizards and want something other than a Leopard Gecko, then this may be the lizards for you.
They do not require UVB or high humidity which makes their care requirements relatively straight forward. As long as you provide them with the correct temperatures and feed them a varied diet, these lizards will generally thrive.
Feeding an African Fat Tailed Gecko
African Fat Tailed Geckos are ferocious eaters and will consume a wide variety of insects. They will eat similar insects to other commonly kept lizards such as the Crested Gecko or Bearded Dragon.
They will readily consume many of the commercially available feeder insects such as Crickets, Dubia Roaches, Mealworms and Waxworms.
Mealworms provide lizards with very little nutrients while waxworms have a high fat content so they should both be used sparingly. However, they can both play an important part in a varied diet.
It is also important to dust your insects with a calcium and vitamin supplement to ensure your lizard is getting all the nutrients they need. There are many good brands available on the market.
African Fat Tailed Gecko Housing
African Fat tailed geckos come from a warm environment so they require a setup that can retain heat while keeping humidity relatively low. A wide range of setups will work for this glass and wooden vivariums while many breeders keep these lizards in a rack system.
A trio of Fat Tailed Geckos can be comfortably housed in a 2.5-3ft long enclosure. The heat source should be on one side with at least one hide at either end. More hides will be required if you are keeping multiple lizards together.
A small water bowl should always be present in the enclosure. This will need to be changed every other day to ensure the water is clean. Keep the bowl at the cool end of the cage to avoid raising the humidity too much.
Light and Heat
African Fat Tailed Geckos need high temperatures of around 90F in the warm end of their enclosure. It is a good idea for this heat to cover around 1/3 of the enclosure. The cooler side should not drop below around 70F while temperatures at night can drop to around 80F.
You can choose a variety of heat sources such as a basking bulb, ceramic bulb or heat mat. Any heat source should be connected to a reliable thermostat to make sure that the temperature is kept correct throughout the day.
If you have lighting in the enclosure, it should be turned off for 12 hours each night. As these lizards are nocturnal, they do not require UVB lighting. However, you can provide these lizards with this light if you wish, just ensure it is turned off at night.
African Fat Tailed Gecko Substrate
As these lizards thrive in low humidity, you should not use a substrate that will increase the humidity in the enclosure. Substrates that work well for these lizards include wood chips and paper towel.
If you are using a fine substrate such as sand, you need to be careful that the lizard doesn’t eat the substrate during feeding as this could lead to impaction. A good idea here would be to feed the lizard outside of their enclosure if you are worried about impaction.
Handling
After purchasing a new African Fat Tailed Gecko, it is best to give them a few days to settle before handling them. Transportation and settling into a new environment can be stressful enough without the additional stress of handling.
Once the lizard is eating regularly, you can start to handle it for a short duration at a time. Once they have settled, you can handle them as often as you like, providing they continue to eat and don’t start acting differently.
Breeding African Fat Tailed Geckos
Before you can breed African Fat Tailed Geckos, you must wait until they are mature. Males reach maturity when they are around 7 months old and weigh at least 40 grams. Females generally take a little longer and mature at around 8 months when they are around 45 grams.
These lizards are seasonal breeders and usually breed throughout the winter and spring. A cooling period is beneficial to entice breeding but they will often breed without one. The natural winter drop of a few degrees at the cool end is usually enough.
Breeding groups generally consist of one male paired with 2-4 females. Breeding will begin shortly after the male has been introduced into the female’s enclosure. You can leave the male in with the females throughout the breeding season. Offer your animals as much food as they will eat at this time as breeding will take a lot of energy out of them.
A moist egg laying box should always be present at the cool end of the enclosure. Any high-quality egg laying substrate such as vermiculite can be used in the egg laying box. The substrate should be damp enough to clump when you squeeze it but not so wet that water drips out.
Females generally lay 2 eggs at a time that will measure around 1 inch in length. They can lay around 5 clutches in the season. It is important to regularly check the egg laying box for eggs. You should also check the entire enclosure as there is no guarantee that she will lay her eggs in the box.
Once eggs are found, remove them from the egg laying box and set them up in an incubator. They should be placed on the same kind of substrate you used in the egg laying box. Eggs that are incubated at around 84F tend to produce mostly females while eggs that are incubated at around 88F generally produce mostly males.
Eggs can take anywhere between 45 and 70 days to hatch. This is largely dictated by the temperatures the eggs are incubated at. Eggs that are incubated at a lower temperature generally take longer to hatch.
Hatchlings can be housed communally, and you can begin to feed them after a couple of days. Small or underweight babies should be housed individually so that you can ensure they are getting the correct amount of food.