Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, my roommate has an african fat tailed gecko and a lepard gecko in the same terrarium. Every time she feeds them the lepard gecko eats fast, but the fat tailed seems to be to slow to catch the crickets.

I just played with them a bit today and the fat tailed is looking...well...skeletal. I'm no expert on geckos, or lizards of any type, but i'm pretty sure his hips, shoulders, and spine aren't supposed to stick out.

I know I said it was my roommates gecko but i just can't let him..or her...live like that, especially if i can help. besides, i might be inheriting them shortly.

Anyways, suggestions on things i could feed him to fatten him up? prefferably cheap things as i am one of the proverbial 'starving students'.

Thanks
Jakhi

I beleive fat tailed geckos do have simiar care requirements as leopards but not completely positive. They do need temps of 88-90F in the warm end and 75-80F in the cool end of the tank. Their diet is insects only, crickets, silkworms, roaches etc, are good insects for them. They should get 6-10 appropriate sized insects three times a week with younger geckos offered smaller amounts (and sized) insects more often.

First thing I suggest is get a separate cage for the fat tail. Make sure it is well hydrated (provide a shadow dish of water for it to drink or mist it with a spray bottle). Use a digital thermometer to measure warm and cool ends of the cage (warm end can be created using regular household bulb, night bulb, heat emmiter or under tank heater). They are nocturnal so feed in the early evening. Remove any uneaten crickets in the morning.

Do some research online for fat tailed gecko care, there are quite a few out there.

Don't forget to dust the insects regularly with a calcium and multivitamin poweder.