African fat-tailed geckos (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus) are insectivores that enjoy feasting on crickets, mealworms and waxworms – consult your exotic vet about appropriate amounts for your pet gecko!
Thin tails indicate an insufficient food source; thick and round ones signify health.
Contents
Crickets
Reptiles that inhabit this species tend to be solitary and territorial; their appearance resembles Leopard geckos but with much smaller bodies and bolder patterns with bright accents of white. Their signature feature, known as fat tails, are used for storage of fat but can also act as defense mechanisms against threats when threatened.
Captive reptiles tend to be insectivores and, when kept as pets, should be given crickets, mealworms and waxworms for diet. Before each feeding it is recommended that these insects are gut loaded with reptile calcium powder from pet stores or discussed with an exotic vet regarding various multivitamin options available to them.
Your African fat-tailed gecko can also benefit from being fed roaches, which are easy to breed at home and maintain without relying on outside sources for sustenance. Roaches do not fluctuate as much with temperature fluctuations compared to crickets and can easily be dusted with reptile calcium powder for dusting purposes. When selecting substrate material such as newspaper shreddings or orchid bark, please ensure draught-free conditions for your reptile’s comfort.
Roaches
African fat-tail geckos kept as pets typically receive a diet consisting of crickets and mealworms as feeder insects, as well as dusting them with calcium or vitamin powder or gut loading them (feeding an abundance of proteins and other essential nutrients prior to feeding).
African Fat-Tailed Geckos have the ability to go days without food, yet still need enough calories so their tails are wider than their bodies in order to hunt better and avoid overeating since fat stores in their tails.
As another possible reason, geckos may stop eating because of stress caused by their new environment with all its unfamiliar scents and sights. To help reduce stress levels in their new habitat, ensure they have somewhere quiet to hide as well as a regular rhythm of light and dark, without handling until they settle in. Humidity levels should range between 50 – 60%.
Mealworms
African Fat-Tailed Geckos make an excellent first reptile pet for new reptile owners as they are extremely docile and easy to handle. Growing to quite large sizes, they add beauty and grace to any terrarium or habitat and also make great companions for children as they provide a calming presence.
Geckos are herbivorous lizards that feed on insects such as crickets, locusts, cockroaches, mealworms and calci-worms. Before feeding live insects to a gecko, be sure to gut-load them first to ensure they get all of the required vitamins and nutrients.
An effective feeding schedule for geckos should aim at providing them with enough food until their interest wanes; typically this will involve five crickets at once for hatchlings and increasing to a full sized cricket as your lizard grows larger. Furthermore, keep their habitat humid with plenty of hiding spaces as well as fresh, non-chlorinated water available at all times.
Ants
African Fat-Tailed Geckos are poikilothermic reptiles, meaning that they require various temperatures in order to regulate their bodies and maintain equilibrium. Areas with high temperatures accelerate their metabolisms and can promote activities such as digestion; conversely, cool areas slow their metabolisms down further and enable rest and energy conservation.
Geckos have an extremely high metabolism and must be fed regularly. A regular feeding schedule should ensure your gecko receives enough nutrition. In addition, gut loading insects before giving them to your gecko can make their food even more nutritive for them.
Young African Fat-Tailed Geckos may be skittish when first acquired, but as they mature they become easier to handle. A good idea would be to handle two times per week for 15-minute periods until your gecko has learned to associate your hand with food time – this may help him build trust for future interactions! To begin training your gecko correctly it may also help if you try feeding him some worms through tongs in their cage!
