thorrshamri
Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
If you are not able to provide 365 days a year, 24/24h the following basic conditions, these animals are not suitable for you. They are much more fragile than for example leopard geckos or crested geckos. Any mistake could easily lead to the death of specimens of the Uroplatus species. No temperatures above 30°C/84°F, even far less than this for some species of the genus (phantasticus, ebenaui, finiavana, and sikorae to a lesser degree). Night temperatures need to be in the lower 70°F/16-21°C. You need to be present on a daily basis, every day of the year, or have a suitable automatic misting system to mist them every evening, at least.
-They don't breed as easily as mainstream gecko species, this is why their price range will never drop too much.
-If you are into morphs, Uroplatus is a fairly complex genus with localities, and species needing to be described, lots of variations inside the same species, but no morphs.
-You need a fair amount of reading, more than with any other species, before considering buying any. Getting the info first before getting the animal is the only way to go. That's even truer with them than with any other genus of geckos.
-All these species are endangered. So, if you don't intend to breed them, better leave them to others. They are all listed under CITES appendix II. You will need papers to prove the legal origin of each specimen, or that may get you into serious trouble. This is true wherever your live, in all countries of the world.
-Always buy captive-bred animals if this is your first Uroplatus. CB are the only legal ones in the European Union anyway. Outside the EU, it's much wiser to buy CB ones. Wild-caught imports reach the USA, Russia, Japan or Canada with loads of internal parasites and are often dehydrated.
-If your experience is based on crested geckos or gargoyle geckos, be prepared to something much more difficult and needing much more time, money, patience, than what you already know. They are definitely much more complicated to keep than cresteds, leos, gargoyles, leachies, knob-tails...so you will need to learn first!
-Uroplatus females will need snails during the breeding season, it's difficult to keep them in good health without any live snails supplier around. They swallow them whole, with shell, and can eat large-sized snails compared to their own size. Make sure you can find snails before buying your first Uroplatus, or breed snails yourself, f.e. Achatina sp. snails. It's possible to own and breed them without snails, but we all want optimal conditions for our animals, don't we?
-There are no stupid questions on this forum and thread. Better ask around than running the risk to buy any Uroplatus just because you love the way they look, or because you have just seen a good offer, and see it die in no time.
-I am in no way attempting to discourage people new to Uroplatus. Just trying to raise awareness. If you want to own them, you have to accept from scratch having one day dead animals is much more likely with this genus than with other geckos you are more familiar with. That has happened, and will happen, to most of us.
-They are display animals only. Handling them will only stress them out, so do it only if you have very good reasons, such as veterinariy treatments. They don't like to be handled and will let you know it, especially the bigger species which may bite!
-clim units: some experienced/advanced keepers manage very well in warm areas with such devices. Still, one has to be aware they dry up ambient air a lot. Enclosures will have to be misted accordingly. Other people use their basement to have e better temperature range. This seems to work well, it's preferrable if the said basement has a window letting daylight in, so that lighting is not 100% artificial.
Ok.
You may have realized you can't offer them proper conditions, still, you like how Uroplatus look. Closed doors are always frustrating.
Here is an open list of hardier species, less demanding as for temperatures, humidity, and more likely to breed. This list takes also into account the threat level in the wild on the animals as well as the price range. What could we suggest to people who can't keep Uroplatus because it's too warm where they live, because they can't be at home every day to mist cages, or because they are too expensive and/or too fragile? What other gecko species are camouflaged and cumulate all these qualities? That's just a start, feel free to suggest other species, as long as they are less fragile, less difficult, less demanding and looking a bit like Uroplatus.
-Flying geckos/ Ptychozoon kuhli and lionotum, cheap, easy as CB, some specimens with great camouflage!
-Mossy (New Caledonian) Geckos aka "Chewies", Mniarogecko chahoua
-Giant New Caledonian Geckos aka "Leachies" Rhacodactylus leachianus
-Halmahera Giant Geckos, Gehyra marginata
-The whole Blaesodactylus genus
-Homopholis fasciata, for those who love smaller species
-Some Chameleon species- browse forums or websites specialized in chams for more precise suggestions.
-Turnip-tailed geckos, Thecadactylus rapicauda (non autorisé sans CDC en France, faune Guyanaise) - I've seen some with an amazing camouflage and lichenous patches!
-Saltuarius and Phyllurus aka Australian Leaf-tail geckos - expensive but all CB and way hardier than Uroplatus species.
Any other ideas of alternatives to Uroplatus species?
-They don't breed as easily as mainstream gecko species, this is why their price range will never drop too much.
-If you are into morphs, Uroplatus is a fairly complex genus with localities, and species needing to be described, lots of variations inside the same species, but no morphs.
-You need a fair amount of reading, more than with any other species, before considering buying any. Getting the info first before getting the animal is the only way to go. That's even truer with them than with any other genus of geckos.
-All these species are endangered. So, if you don't intend to breed them, better leave them to others. They are all listed under CITES appendix II. You will need papers to prove the legal origin of each specimen, or that may get you into serious trouble. This is true wherever your live, in all countries of the world.
-Always buy captive-bred animals if this is your first Uroplatus. CB are the only legal ones in the European Union anyway. Outside the EU, it's much wiser to buy CB ones. Wild-caught imports reach the USA, Russia, Japan or Canada with loads of internal parasites and are often dehydrated.
-If your experience is based on crested geckos or gargoyle geckos, be prepared to something much more difficult and needing much more time, money, patience, than what you already know. They are definitely much more complicated to keep than cresteds, leos, gargoyles, leachies, knob-tails...so you will need to learn first!
-Uroplatus females will need snails during the breeding season, it's difficult to keep them in good health without any live snails supplier around. They swallow them whole, with shell, and can eat large-sized snails compared to their own size. Make sure you can find snails before buying your first Uroplatus, or breed snails yourself, f.e. Achatina sp. snails. It's possible to own and breed them without snails, but we all want optimal conditions for our animals, don't we?
-There are no stupid questions on this forum and thread. Better ask around than running the risk to buy any Uroplatus just because you love the way they look, or because you have just seen a good offer, and see it die in no time.
-I am in no way attempting to discourage people new to Uroplatus. Just trying to raise awareness. If you want to own them, you have to accept from scratch having one day dead animals is much more likely with this genus than with other geckos you are more familiar with. That has happened, and will happen, to most of us.
-They are display animals only. Handling them will only stress them out, so do it only if you have very good reasons, such as veterinariy treatments. They don't like to be handled and will let you know it, especially the bigger species which may bite!
-clim units: some experienced/advanced keepers manage very well in warm areas with such devices. Still, one has to be aware they dry up ambient air a lot. Enclosures will have to be misted accordingly. Other people use their basement to have e better temperature range. This seems to work well, it's preferrable if the said basement has a window letting daylight in, so that lighting is not 100% artificial.
Ok.
You may have realized you can't offer them proper conditions, still, you like how Uroplatus look. Closed doors are always frustrating.
Here is an open list of hardier species, less demanding as for temperatures, humidity, and more likely to breed. This list takes also into account the threat level in the wild on the animals as well as the price range. What could we suggest to people who can't keep Uroplatus because it's too warm where they live, because they can't be at home every day to mist cages, or because they are too expensive and/or too fragile? What other gecko species are camouflaged and cumulate all these qualities? That's just a start, feel free to suggest other species, as long as they are less fragile, less difficult, less demanding and looking a bit like Uroplatus.
-Flying geckos/ Ptychozoon kuhli and lionotum, cheap, easy as CB, some specimens with great camouflage!
-Mossy (New Caledonian) Geckos aka "Chewies", Mniarogecko chahoua
-Giant New Caledonian Geckos aka "Leachies" Rhacodactylus leachianus
-Halmahera Giant Geckos, Gehyra marginata
-The whole Blaesodactylus genus
-Homopholis fasciata, for those who love smaller species
-Some Chameleon species- browse forums or websites specialized in chams for more precise suggestions.
-Turnip-tailed geckos, Thecadactylus rapicauda (non autorisé sans CDC en France, faune Guyanaise) - I've seen some with an amazing camouflage and lichenous patches!
-Saltuarius and Phyllurus aka Australian Leaf-tail geckos - expensive but all CB and way hardier than Uroplatus species.
Any other ideas of alternatives to Uroplatus species?