[Madagascar Uroplatus]

Hi forum, I bought a U. Fimbriatus over 6 months ago after extensively researching the breed. He should be around 4 years old now. When I first got him he was eating pinky mice (force fed, not willingly) I switched him to ****roaches and he LOVES them. He would eat 2 or 3 a night if I let him, but I read the ****roaches should fill them for about a week. I fed him a ****roach every other day as he learned where his "dish" was and whenever he was hungry he would perch near his dish waiting for dinner. I am not sure if I just maybe overfed him (he was definitely a healthy eater!), or if maybe the cold temperature in the house is the cause (house averages 66 degrees) but it's now been 4 weeks and he has not eaten anything. I've tried keeping a roach in his dish for a week. I've tried removing the roach for a few days and introducing a new one (new movement). Nothing...he does move actively around at night, but no eating. I am at a loss now. I do have a small heat lamp on one side of his tank to help keep the temperature up a bit but I think his tank still averages 68 degrees. I wonder if he's upset about his fog machine and water being gone? Fog machine died and he turned his water dish into a bathroom so now I just regularly mist the tank at night when his light goes off so he has water on the glass / leaves to drink while he is active.

Any suggestions?

[pakinjak]

68F is way too cold for a Fimbriatus. If your enclosure will allow it, you can still have the room temps the same, but give him a hot spot of at least 78-80. Just use a dome light you can get from Home Depot, then experiment with using CFL's or incandescent bulbs until you get the proper temp range. Put the light on top if you can.

Also, get a heat gun to measure temps, anything else just doesn't work well.

[Madagascar Uroplatus]

Thanks I'll set up a different heat source for him. I did also put a container of water back in after reading another members post about their fimb using the water dish. I do remember seeing him on the dish a couple times and wondered if he drank out of it. I'll see if he comes out and finds it tonight.

[pakinjak]

Just make sure you're not getting too much of the cage too hot. If the floor is 70-72 and the overall temp is 74-78 with a hot spot of 80-82 then it's all good. That's why you need the temp gun, you can't measure that well or quickly any other way.

[Madagascar Uroplatus]

I read they prefer temps of 68-74, I used to have a hot spot at 80 for him and he hated it, always sat on the colder end of his tank...but maybe with the winter chill he will like it now. His hot spot now is about 70-72 but he never sits by it, he's still always in the farthest, coldest corner. He still looks healthy, tail isn't rippled or dehydrated, and he shed about 2 weeks ago. I bet it is the water and the temp though...I'll try getting the temps up and see if he starts eating again.

[Peter B]

I also think an average of 68 is on the cold side. I found fimbriatus in october where it was 95 in the shade the whole week. But that's maybe on the hot side then.
One thing I have learned last year: it's difficult to say whitch temps Uroplatus need and/ or tolerate without knowing their locality.