Mossy Leaf Tail Gecko

Introduction
    Mossy leaf tail geckos and other geckos in the Uroplatus species are quite unique among the other gecko species. The amazing aspect of this gecko is that its coloration...

imitates the coloration of a lichen or moss. The combination of green, brown, and some black and white along with the actual texture lichen found on the gecko gives it the phenomenal ability to conceal itself. Add this to the fact that it has minuscule skin flaps or frills that line its body that help to obscure where the gecko begins and the log/branch/vine ends. They are small geckos that only get to be around 6-8 inches in length. As with a lot of gecko species, mossy geckos are nocturnal and will only be active during the night while remaining camouflaged, most of the time in the same position, all day.

Choosing your gecko
            Wherever you go to buy your new gecko, make sure that the cage it has been living in is clean, with no dead geckos in it. Also, be sure that the cage has many places for the gecko to hide during the day and it hasn’t been subjected to having to cling to the walls of the cage all day. Hide places ensure that the animal isn’t stressed out. Also, be sure that the humidity levels were kept fairly high since these are tropical geckos that love lots of humidity. When choosing, make sure you check to see it has all fingers and toes and that there isn’t’ any gunk around the eyes or rectum. These could be signs of an infection or parasites. Also if it is “day” in the cage, and the appropriate hide places have been provided, the gecko shouldn’t be moving around the cage. When taking him home, be sure to immediately put him in his habitat or if you haven’t set it up yet, place him in a holding container with a most paper towel and place him in a dark place, such as a closet. Leave him there until you are done setting up his cage. This will help to relieve stress.

Housing
            These geckos don’t require a lot of space and a pair can easily be housed in a 20-gallon aquarium. Since these are arboreal and spend a majority of their lives in the trees, a “tall” aquarium is preferable over a long one. For a lid, you can use an acrylic slab with several air holes in it. This will help to keep the humidity up in the cage. I have found that placing a layer of hard plastic, such as the kind used in light fixtures, over the majority of a screen lid also works in keeping humidity up. The cage should have many vines for the gecko to climb on. The Bend-A-Branch variety does quite well. Also, be sure to provide a piece of cork bark that you can place in the back of the cage. This will provide a shelter for your gecko. Live plants such as a pothos do well in providing a hiding place along with helping to keep the humidity up in the cage. Fake plants can be provided as well to make the cage more eye pleasing.

Heating/Lighting
            Mossy leaf tail geckos require fairly simple heating needs. During the day, you can have the warm side of the cage reach around 78-80 degrees and the cool end be around 72-75, which is roughly room temperature. When placing a good hide place such as cork bark, be sure to place it more on the cooler side. At night, the temperature should range around 69-73. The debate for the necessity of having UVB light is still going on. However, it has been argued that since the mossy leaf tail gecko will “hide” on the bark of trees in direct sunlight, it definitely won’t harm them by providing it. Under the tank heaters are unnecessary since the gecko will never be near enough the experience the benefits from one.

Water

            Water should be de-chlorinated and be provided by frequent misting. Since these geckos are nocturnal, they will most likely only drink during the night when they are active. Therefore, misting the cage at night is a must. It doesn’t hurt to mist the cage in the day to keep the humidity levels around 70%.

Food

            Crickets should be your main food source for your gecko. I have found from personal experience that your gecko prefers fast moving food over slower moving prey such as mealworms or waxworms. Feedings should be roughly 2-3x a week with roughly 4-6 appropriate size crickets each time.

Substrate

            Substrate should be able to hold onto a lot of moisture, which is required by mossy geckos. A mixture of coconut husk and a moss is a good at holding water. Other kinds of substrate can be used such as bark chips (as long as they are not cedar or pine). However, you will have a harder time keeping the humidity up.

Other Notes

            While other herpers may frown on this, I have been able to successfully keep a pair of green anoles in the same 30-gallon tall terrarium with my mossy leaftail gecko. I have a temperature regulator on one side of the cage that allows me to keep the anole’s basking spot at around 85 while the rest of the cage stays around 75-78 degrees. Since the gecko hides during the daylight hours, he is never in the heat or in contact with the anoles. At night, when the anoles are asleep, he has free range of the cage. Because of the different hunting periods, I will vary whether I put crickets in the cage in the day or night to give both a chances at getting them first. I would only recommend trying this kind of housing arrangement in a 30+ gallon tank to ensure the proper space and heating gradient can be provided.

Cage Accessories

• 20-30 gallon terrarium
• UVB light and fixture
• Heat light (if needed)
• Night viewing light (if wanted)
• Live plants (pothos, etc)
• Cork bark
• 2x Thermometers
• 1x Hygrometer
• 2x Bend-A-Branch vines
• Mister (electronic or spray bottle)