New Homopholis fasciata.

[David Kelley]

I've been eagerly awaiting my opportunity to jump into this species, with my chance finally occurring. Thanks to Ted F. Cook II, 2.2 Homopholis fasciata made their way here today. These small geckos inhabit Eastern Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya, according to Homopholis fasciata | The Reptile Database.

I've only had them for 13 hours, but I'm enamored with them beyond everything else in my reptile room. I need more time to properly build up experience with these, but for now, here are some pictures. They have been very active at night and shy during the day, curing up under deep leaf litter.

Group 1

Group 2

Female from group 1 basking.

Female from group 2 showing me who is boss during photograph sessions. I'd heard these guys are finger nippers, but today I experienced it for myself. She held on for 3 minutes.

 

[Pirarucu]

Very nice. Such interesting faces on these guys, their grins can look downright psychopathic. How large is the viv you're keeping them in?

 

[David Kelley]

Whoops, looks like I put the Reptile Database link in place of some of my pictures....fixed!

These guys are small, only 3-4 inches snout to tail, maybe 2-3 SVL. I have 1.1 each in a 10 gallon, filled with a bioactive substrate, piles of sticks and leaf litter. They've been taking shelter in the leaf litter during the day by curling in a half circle, then bouncing all about the glass and sticks at night.

 

[David Kelley]

Just a small update: these are active just about every night possible. Whenever I go in the room at night, even if I don't see them, they loudly leap into into the leaf litter, making their presence known. When climbing, they almost seem to stretch like in the below picture, making their way slowly unless disturbed. I'd heard they contort themselves in almost impossible positions, and I can confirm that they are indeed able to do so. While hunting crickets tonight, (err...ambushing, I guess), one female bent her back into almost an L position, while then grabbing the cricket with her mouth, then regrabbing the branch she was on with her front feet. Very interesting and underrated geckos.