UROPLATUS  PHANTASTICUS CARE SHEET

BY ROBERT GUNDY

INTRODUCTION

Uroplatus phantasicus is a small species of the Uroplatus  (Leaf Tail or Flat Tail Geckos) Genus from parts of Madagascar.  Uroplatus phantasticus is a small Uroplatus  reaching about a maximum from 5-6 inches in total length at adulthood with an  (eyelash) over each eye. These (eyelashes) make them look very interesting. Their tails are very advanced in camouflage at resembling dead leaves. They are  the exact shape of most dead leaves and some will have small partitions taken  from the sides to make the (leaf) look as if eaten by an insect. Very cool  looking.  It has several common names including Satanic, Eyelash, and Fantastic Leaf Tail Geckos. Most specimens found for sale are WC and imported into the U.S. Very few people have successfully captive bred them. Prices will range from $50-$100 retail for WC, $75+ for CB, but CB is not easy to find. Most imports will suffer from either dehydration or  a heavy parasite load and should be isolated and treated appropriately before  introducing into colonies. Most females will be gravid when brought in which  will provide extra surprise and enjoyment. Now to the care sheet.

THE ENCLOSURE

You can keep a pair to trio of U. phantasticus in a 10 gal tank with either a screen top or the glass tops made by All Glass Aquarium Inc.  You can use a hexagonal or normal, but it can be hard to find a top for a hexagonal, and expensive as well. Reptariums and screen mesh cages made for  Chameleons are not a good choice for phantasticus because it is hard to keep the humidity up in those conditions.  

TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY

Temperatures should range from 65-80, usually from 70-75. I  have them under an AC vent to help keep them this cool because I am in Florida,  and it gets pretty hot. Humidity should be kept at 75-90%, usually staying in the 80-90% range. Mist the cage as often as needed, usually 3 or so times a day. I have also found it helps if you occasionally water the substrate some. This  helps to keep humidity up also. I have noticed though, when the humidity drops  for some reason, usually under 80%, my male will immediately go into shedding. The female however doesn't do this. She has shed very little so far. 

SUBSTRATES

For a substrate there is a variety of possibilities. Things  such as Peat Moss (one of my favs), Sphagnum Moss, Bed-a-Beast (another fav), Orchid moss, live pillow moss, soil and what not. I personally prefer Peat Moss  and Bed-A-Beast because they do not smell, are finely grained, dark (so eggs can  be easily found) and safe. They also keep in humidity well and can be used as a  substitute for soil. I do not like sphagnum moss because it smells, can have  sharp twigs in it, and may be hazardous if a gecko lunges for a meal on the  floor. Orchid moss I have not tried yet, but should make a very nice substrate  because it is soft, does not smell, retains humidity well and is pleasing to the eye. I believe that the phantasticus  themselves may not like it as much because they will feel stressed against such a lightcolored substrate, not blending in.  Live pillow moss is a very attractive  substrate, but can be difficult to maintain. Crickets also will find their way underneath this, and make become trapped, die, and smell like you know what. With soil you have to go through the hassle of making sure you get the kind  without fertilizer, you have to buy this enormous bag (that you end up spilling all over the place) and does not keep in humidity very well. It also will commonly dry out and harden, making it tougher for plants to grow. I prefer not  to keep dead leaves on the ground because they have a tendency to decompose and  smell.

CAGE ACCESSORIES

For cage accessories I stress that you not use too many light  colored cage accessories if you have darker colored animals. I prefer not to use grape wood because I have experimented with it and they did NOT seem to like it. They do not camouflage with it, therefore feeling vulnerable. Things such as cork bark, bamboo, Bio-Vine, and certain sterilized branches are good cage  accessories to use with them. In my experience they seemed to prefer the Bio-Vine and a branch I have in there with them. I have found that artificial plants (like those stuck to wooden fixtures that they sell at pet stores in the  "reptile section”) and Dieffembachia. Other kinds will work too as long as they are strong enough and large enough to support the phantasticus on the leaves without bending too much. Some of the bromeliads will store water in them, and crickets become trapped between branches where water is. And when you have both  crickets and water in there together it will smell like nothing else. It is a  HORRIBLE smell. Pothos would be a good choice because they easily grow in  low-light conditions and are virtually indestructible.

UV LIGHTING

As for UV lights, I have not tried them yet, but I will be getting some UV lights on them soon to see if it helps at all with their overall  health and egg production. Everyone has his or her own opinions on UV. Some say  it's good for them and helps w/ fertile egg production, and some say too much light will stress them. Some say that they noticed no changes. You can acquire hoods at Wal-Mart for $8 for fluorescent tubes. I believe the best UV lights are the Repti-Sun 5.0 Fluorescent tubes. I use these for other animals and I do  notice that it enhances their color. I have not used any other brand of UV lighting. Places such as Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc have fluorescent tubes for  indoor plants. Those may work, but I have not used them. They are cheaper than  the reptile bulbs. The choice is yours.

FEEDING

For adults, crickets make the best diet. The crickets are  cheap and have a good nutritional value. Some people say to feed 1/4 inch  crickets, but I think they can easily handle 1/2 in and even ¾ inch. Other  insects like mealworms, waxworms, silkworms and moths work well too. I have not  offered waxworms, silkworms or moths. Though they worms stay on the ground, the  phantasticus will venture to the ground to eat them. It is best to gut load the crickets with some sort of calcium enriched feed and dust them with a  Herptivite/Rep-Cal mix or Miner-All every feeding to every other feeding. I use  a Calcium Enriched Cricket Feed from Worm Man (www.wormman.com) to gut load them  and I dust with a Herptivite/Rep-Cal mix every feeding to every other feeding. I  give them as much as I think they can handle, and I feed them every other day.

BREEDING

Cycling is not necessary in the captive breeding of  phantasticus. I have only heard of one person who cycled their phantasticus. He  said that he cooled them to about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Several other keepers  say it is not necessary at all and does not seem to have any affect. So far I have not done anything to entice them to breed. I have, however gotten several  clutches of fertile eggs. Some people say that keeping them together in colonies  such as 2.2 or more will help in breeding because the 2 males will become jealous or try to show off in order to attract in the females, probably just to  show that they're bigger and better than the other. Us males have egos that we must live up to!! LOL  Some keepers have had experiences where the two males will fight. When the females lay the eggs, they will lay them on the ground. They will usually lay under a piece of cork  bark or at the base of a plant, bush or tree.  One advantage to dark substrate is that it’s easy to find the eggs.

INCUBATION

Incubating temperatures should be from 70-75, 72 being ideal. Humidity should be around 80%. There are several ways to incubate them  and several different mediums to use. I have mine in deli cups at room  temperature. Vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, sphagnum moss, bed a beast, orchid moss all can be used. Some have had success using paper towels or brown paper  bag pieces to rest the eggs on. Right now I'm using vermiculite but may try  orchid moss, bed a beast or peat moss when I get more eggs. Perlite would not be the best choice because it doesn't retain moisture well and the eggs of the  phantasticus are same color and about the same size! The eggs of the phantasticus are about the size of a pea, literally!! Another way to incubate  the eggs is to keep them in a deli cup or similar container with the incubating medium of your choice at room temp somewhere on a shelf or something where they  will not be disturbed, but can easily be checked on. One last method is to keep the eggs in the cage, but simply place a small screen mesh cubicle over the eggs  to ward off crickets. Try to place them in an area where water dripping off the tank sides, or leaves will not drip on them. That way you have less chance of molds growing on them. I have one small theory on keeping mold off of the  eggs.....Don't hold or handle them except for placing them in their deli cups or whatever. Moisten the medium by dripping it AROUND the eggs slowly. Do not drip  water on the eggs or flood the incubation medium. Do not apply any mold killers  and all should be well.

CARING FOR THE HATCHLINGS

Everybody says that raising hatchling U. phantasticus is the hardest part of captive breeding. I have hatched one baby so far (more to come soon) and it has lived this far and I believe I will be able to raise to an adult. The baby has to be strong to survive, that is the first step. If the baby is not strong to  begin with, there really is little hope. The key to keeping the babies is the  right temperature and humidity. Keeping the temperatures low is the biggest  thing. The babies have a very high metabolism and they simply cannot tolerate high temperatures. Keeping them cool will keep them alive. Temperatures should be70-72 during the day and 68-72 at nighteli cups about 5” across and 3.5” high that have holes in the sides and a top. I use layers of paper towels and brown paper bag as substrate. Frank Fast claims that white paper towels will strain  their eyes, so I used brown paper bag pieces. They should be fed 1/8 “ - ¼” crickets  dusted with calcium at every feeding for the first 20-30 days. After the first  20-30 days, a vitamin/mineral supplement should be used. A small pothos leaf or  two and a ficus twig with several leaves should be placed in the container.

CONCLUSION

I hope this care sheet gave some helpful information to all  of those interested in keeping Uroplatus phantasticus. They are a wonderful and amazing species of gecko that will bring enjoyment to those who will take the  time and dedication to properly care for them.