In order to make the best attempt at proper cycling of the animals (even considering there is no research I am aware of that actually pertains to the breeding phenology of and of the species within the genus), it is my opinion that it is best to make use and try to mimic the conditions experienced within the wild. I don't specifically like the term "cooling" (though I acknowledge the general use of the term in the hobby) because it implies a significant drop in the temperatures to which the animals are exposed (primarily for animals in populations of temperate origins), specifically with Uroplatus due to the fact that many (if not most or all) of the species do not experience dramatic seasonal variation in average daily temperatures. I would be interested in looking into whether the daily range of temperatures (max temp - min temp) varies significantly between the seasons. Luis was so kind as to provide people with some climate figures on his website (if you haven't checked it out:
Madagascar Climate Graphs) to which keepers can associate their species with a general locality which Luis has plotted. Notice that most localities' average monthly temperatures do not vary more than 5-10 degrees F in a given year (disregarding the trough expressed by Antananarivo, which I suspect is due to an error in the data entry/availability or equipment malfunction prior to Luis' interpretation of the data). 5-10 degrees difference throughout the year is not much...in temperate regions here in the US, the disparity of seasonal temperatures is much more pronounced. So I ask, do you really think that average temperatures play a role in the animal's reproductive physiology? Well, we can't rule it out. But if it has a role, it's not likely major. So let's look at something else.
Relative humidity (RH) remains steady throughout the year. Let's just go ahead and assume that one is a throw-away as a factor to consider to effectively manage seasonal reproductive cycles.
Average monthly precipitation. Whoa. We can see all four locations trending similarly, while Toamasina undoubtedly receives more rain (or at least for the period in which the data was gathered) than the other sites. The dry period lasts roughly May through October. The wet period lasts from November to April. For those of us in temperate regions that experience the contrast between cold winters and hot summers, in tropical regions, the wet and dry seasons prove to be the characteristics of seasons more identifiable than temperatures themselves. Also, resource abundance likely peaks during the wet season. However, we must also recognize things that vary along with these factors. Light/Dark (LD) cycles change through the year because of the relation between Earth's tilt with respect to the way it revolves around the sun, with more drastic differences in LD cycles for any given day depending on the distance of a location from the equator (the ring around the earth for which LD cycles roughly do not change throughout the year). Depending on which hemisphere you fall in, you should look at the LD cycles to which your animals are exposed in relationship to the southern hemisphere (in which Madagascar is located). If you're in the northern hemisphere, unfortunately the LD cycle is the exact opposite for the same distance from the equator in the southern hemisphere. This can be problematic if you don't have access to a dark room in your facilities in which your animals can be sheltered from the cues of daylight that likely spread through the majority of your house. It does not take much light at all to influence circadian rhythms and ultimately a species' phenology. I suspect this could be one of the great factors influencing how poorly recent imports survive and thrive, even aside from sub-standard husbandry in the transition from wild populations to captive collections. I strongly believe that this should be taken into account (with other things) in the acclimation process, but it's not easy for people without dark rooms.
I have manipulated LD cycles ever since I first began breeding
U. phantasticus around 2002, and continued to do so for the extent which I owned a collection. Admittedly, it was not until later in the time that I kept various
Uroplatus species that I considered the influence of abrupt shifts in exposure to vastly different light cycles in the breeding success of relatively recent
Uroplatus imports. It was not until fairly recently that I began keeping again, though I now keep a different species from what I had previously kept and have nowhere near the size of my former collection at its peak. The adults I acquired had already spent several months in captivity after being imported, and once they reached my hands, I wished not to attempt to reset their biological clocks
again. So really, I advocate keepers trying their best to determine the duration for which the newly imported animals have been in transit. If you're one of the lucky people to get them more or less freshly off the boat, I'd strongly suggest trying to mimic LD cycles similar to those within the species origins. For those that have been putting up with the local conditions for a matter of months, it may be best to very slowly manipulate LD cycles to eventually coincide with what your area naturally receives.
Light cycle, rainfall (misting), and food availability are the most important environmental cues I believe play a roll in cycling
Uroplatus. Of course, I could be wrong. Nevertheless, I believe I've had great success with the species I've kept, particularly
U. phantasticus,
U. henkeli and
U. aff
. henkeli. I do not recommend haphazard management of light cycles. Use a timer. At the very least, it relieves you from the responsibility of turning on/off lights in a reliable manner. We can easily control the amount of food and water we provide our animals, and the keen observer should be able to recognize when too much or too little is offered.
I have none of my old records, but I have begun keeping records with the
U. aff
. henkeli currently in my collection. I hope once I have gathered sufficient data to document success (or failure) that I can return it to the keeping community. I think once people begin sharing records of dates of breeding, oviposition, and hatching, we may be able to determine if patterns exist in order to better help us manage our captive husbandry skills.
