Pics of U. lineatus male?

[zBrinks]

Hi all,

The chain pet store I work at recently got in a U. lineatus (labeled U. henkeli) that was kept at another store for over a year and didnt sell. Ive pulled it into the backroom for some tlc, as it was obviously dehydrated. Judging by the hemipenal bulges, it appears to be a male. It drinks water without a problem, and has lost most of the "wrinkly" look it had when I received it a week ago. It is getting sprayed 3 times a day, being fed 4-6 med/lg dusted crickets every other day, which it eats without a problem. I am also placing yogurt, honey, or fruit flavored baby food on its nose once a day, which it seems to enjoy. It also eats small aquatic snails out of a dish (maybe 4-6 in the past week).
Ive never seen a lineatus in person before, and am unclear on how to tell if the animal is underweight. I would like close-up pics of the limbs, tail, vent, and trunk, if possible, of a healthy animal to compare to the one Im working with. I can still barely see the ribs and limb bones, and am unsure if this is normal with a male, as I understand they are more slender than females.

Thanks!

 

[GaryCrain]

Try this link, its Yahoo Image search of Uroplatus lineatus, granted some pics arent Lineatus but 3 pages of pretty good pics...

Way to go saving that animal by the way!

Yahoo! Image Search Results for Uroplatus lineatus

 

[zBrinks]

Thanks for the quick response! So, is this photo (http://www.gekkota.com/assets/images/lineatus_7.JPG) a representative pic of a healthy male? The gecko has gained a little weight since showing up at my store, so I hope its on its way to a speedy recovery. It is very close in appearance to the Uro in the pic. He certainly is a cool little bugger!

I cant really see customers experienced enough to be successful with Uroplatus ever purchasing this guy(really, who here would ever purchase a Uro from a chain pet store?), so assuming he does well for the next several weeks, Ill probably do my best to give him a long life and purchase him myself.

Would a 40B tank turned vertical (18Lx16Wx36T) be large enough for a lone male, or eventually a pair? Glass front, with a plexi insert across the top, drilled with a small vent and a misting nozzle to allow 3 mistings a day of approx 15-30 seconds. Pvc piping with a computer fan would allow for air circulation, without reducing humidity. Naturalistic setup (drainage layer, bioactive substrate seeded with springtails and isopods, corkbark background, branches 1-3 inches in diameter, live plants such as Sanselvaria, other larger leafed plants).

I have experience with breeding dendrobatid frogs, so I can replicate habitat and needed conditions pretty well. Any recommendations or suggestions would be great!

Thanks in advance!

 

[zBrinks]

UPDATE:

I brought the male home in early March: he is now approaching 27g, and seems to be getting bigger every day. His future home is a 40B stood on end, with a cork/foam background, plenty of oak branches for climbing, and plantings of orchids, ferns, and coffee for cover. Just waiting for the acrylic front I ordered to come in, and he gets introduced to his new digs. Ill be mounting a 3'' fan through some PVC fittings, in a hope to provide circulation while not losing humidity. He's doing so well, I bought him a girlfriend, which is being quarantined separately for a month. She's been in the country for 6 months, and was much heavier and well hydrated when I recieved her.

 

[Kevin McRae]

Thought I would mention you can tell males from female lineatus quite easily by their markings.

Male - Molted stripe -

Female - Stripes-