I have a huge octagonal tank that I've used for multiple sticky-feet geckos. I have a male Henkel's and a mossy female. They were raised together and are both about 2 years old. I tended to them every day- kept humidity from 80%-90% fluctuating with day/night and timers. They ate a variety of large crickets, mealworms, etc which were sprayed with some mineral supplements. All food was live. I made sure they both ate. 2 days ago, the male Henkel's dropped his tail. I was like "ok that blows"- I kept an eye on them the next day to make sure no attacks were happening. I come back from the store and I find him dead on his bamboo pole with his little toepads clinging to it. I was inconsolably hysterical for about 3 hours. I've checked and checked and checked and I didn't do anything to make a stressful environment or do anything wrong. I feel very terrible because they are amazing as well as borderline endangered. I feel like I've helped in the eradication of a species. I view them as my children. I'm still very upset and possibly overreacting. Can anyone give me any possible reason for him to just drop dead after dropping his tail? Thanks a lot.
Uroplatus death ):
- Thread starter jaguara
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T-ReXx
Uroplatus Fanatic
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Was he wildcaught? If so was he treated for parasites?
Just to let you know, mixing species generally causes problems. What were the temps in there? Henks and sikorae need different temp requirements.
Just to let you know, mixing species generally causes problems. What were the temps in there? Henks and sikorae need different temp requirements.
Northstar Herp
Rhacs and Uros, oh boy!!!
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It's really hard to say anything for sure with these details. Sometimes with all the effort you can muster, there doesn't seem to be any reason for a Uroplatus death.
Here's my Uroplatus "When things look ugly" checklist, in somewhat of an order, though I'm making it up right now-
#1- hydration
#2- parasites
#3- supplementation and/or egg related issues
#4- everything else
Keeping two different species together, particularly the two you have raises some concerns and may have been instrumental in the henk passing. I say that because sikorae females can be really voracious eaters and can "bully", if you can say that about any uroplatus. I've never had a tail drop, but it's usually associated with stress. Maybe that stress came from the sik. female.
It's all a guess though. For certain though, don't keep any more Uroplatus species mixed together. It's hard enough getting these guys to flourish together with their own species without adding to the difficulty.
I'm very sorry I can't help more. Honestly, if you get any answers at all when a Uroplatus dies, you're doing pretty good. And I'd suggest for you to get a sikorae male and try to produce them. They're a CITES 2 animal and we need to produce them if we can.
Good luck with the female you still have.
Here's my Uroplatus "When things look ugly" checklist, in somewhat of an order, though I'm making it up right now-
#1- hydration
#2- parasites
#3- supplementation and/or egg related issues
#4- everything else
Keeping two different species together, particularly the two you have raises some concerns and may have been instrumental in the henk passing. I say that because sikorae females can be really voracious eaters and can "bully", if you can say that about any uroplatus. I've never had a tail drop, but it's usually associated with stress. Maybe that stress came from the sik. female.
It's all a guess though. For certain though, don't keep any more Uroplatus species mixed together. It's hard enough getting these guys to flourish together with their own species without adding to the difficulty.
I'm very sorry I can't help more. Honestly, if you get any answers at all when a Uroplatus dies, you're doing pretty good. And I'd suggest for you to get a sikorae male and try to produce them. They're a CITES 2 animal and we need to produce them if we can.
Good luck with the female you still have.
M_surinamensis
Shillelagh Law
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Northstar Herp
Rhacs and Uros, oh boy!!!
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I think somebody has given you some bad info.
Uroplatus are not illegal to import. Some species are no longer imported, but not the genus as a whole, and not the two you have kept. There will be another shipment coming in at some point and you'll see WC sikorae for sale, they're the most common leaftail imported. You can get a male (of the same species this time) then.
You'd have a hard enough time getting Uroplatus from the same species to breed together, let alone two different ones. Like Ted said, Henkeli and Sikorae have different temp requirements and come from different parts of the island.
You can find not only animals, but CB babies for sale from time to time. Please, though, do more research if you're serious about keeping leaftail geckos. You will not be successful with the information you have right now.
I think whoever you heard SUDS from was being humorous.
Uroplatus are not illegal to import. Some species are no longer imported, but not the genus as a whole, and not the two you have kept. There will be another shipment coming in at some point and you'll see WC sikorae for sale, they're the most common leaftail imported. You can get a male (of the same species this time) then.
You'd have a hard enough time getting Uroplatus from the same species to breed together, let alone two different ones. Like Ted said, Henkeli and Sikorae have different temp requirements and come from different parts of the island.
You can find not only animals, but CB babies for sale from time to time. Please, though, do more research if you're serious about keeping leaftail geckos. You will not be successful with the information you have right now.
I think whoever you heard SUDS from was being humorous.
Northstar Herp
Rhacs and Uros, oh boy!!!
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I haven't been mean or criticizing in any way, if it came across that way it was not intentional. If you truly are interested in leaftails then I'm happy to help, but if you're happy with horrible info then look elsewhere. I don't know where you've gotten your info so far, but it's not accurate at all. I tried to show you that in my last post. I'm not trying to be argumentative, just trying to help.
T-ReXx
Uroplatus Fanatic
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Let me get this straight....
You purchased a U. henkeli and a U. sikorae as a breeding pair? That doesn't even work in any way shape or form. Different species, different sizes, different requirements. Even if by some "miracle" you got two species to produce viable offspring how does that help the gene pool? It's the exact OPPOSITE of helping maintain the pool. As Kev said, importation is not illegal(yet). You come to a forum and ask people who have been keeping these animals successfully for years what went wrong and when they tell you your husbandry is off you get upset about it? Well, no offense, but your husbandry is off. You may want to consider actually learning the care requirements of a species before you put two easily stressed animals together that have no possibility of breeding.
You purchased a U. henkeli and a U. sikorae as a breeding pair? That doesn't even work in any way shape or form. Different species, different sizes, different requirements. Even if by some "miracle" you got two species to produce viable offspring how does that help the gene pool? It's the exact OPPOSITE of helping maintain the pool. As Kev said, importation is not illegal(yet). You come to a forum and ask people who have been keeping these animals successfully for years what went wrong and when they tell you your husbandry is off you get upset about it? Well, no offense, but your husbandry is off. You may want to consider actually learning the care requirements of a species before you put two easily stressed animals together that have no possibility of breeding.
Kevin & Ted have given you very sound advise & have tried to help you. If you choose not to accept the advise given from knowledgeable keepers/breeders of the species in question, then I suggest you invest in a extremely good book on the species to educate yourself. The best book on the Uropatus species is "Keeping and Breeding Leaf-tailed Geckos: The Genus 'Uroplatus' by authors Sascha Svatck & Susanna van Duin." Please invest in this book, it will help you understand the differences between each of the Uroplatus species.
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