Care sheet

African Fat-Tailed Gecko

Hemitheconyx caudicinctus

Also known as: Fat-Tail Gecko

Eublepharidae · Squamata

BeginnerIUCN LC

Activity: 🌙 Nocturnal
Temperament: Docile
Adult length: 7–9 in
Adult weight: 45–75 g
Lifespan (captivity): 15–20 yrs
Native range: West Africa — savanna with dry season refugia, humid burrows

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Care guide

Overview

African Fat-Tailed Gecko (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus) — Close cousin of the leopard gecko with two key differences: they need higher humidity and tend toward shyer, less handling-tolerant temperaments. Provide a humid hide with moist sphagnum — this species gets stuck sheds more readily than leopard geckos if humidity is too low. Otherwise similar husbandry: thermal gradient, belly-warm basking surface, three hides, safe loose substrate. Never pull on the tail.

Environment

Climate

Cool side

72–78 °F

Warm side

80–85 °F

Basking spot

88–92 °F

Nighttime

70–75 °F

Humidity (ambient)

50–70%

Shed-cycle boost

70–85%

Environment

UVB lighting

Required?

Optional / beneficial

Fixture type

T5 HO

Distance to basking

12–18 in

Replacement interval

Every 12 months

Housing

Enclosure

Orientation

Terrestrial

Bioactive setup

Suitable

Minimum size by life stage

Hatchling10 gallon
Juvenile20 gallon long
Adult36"L x 18"W x 18"H minimum

Housing

Substrate

Depth

2–4 in

Safe options

topsoil/coco fiber mixcypress mulchpaper towel (quarantine)

Avoid

calcium sandwalnut shellcedarpine

Nutrition

Diet & feeding

Dietary type

Insectivore

Prey size by life stage

Hatchling1/4" crickets, pinhead locusts, small dubia
Juvenile1/2" crickets, medium dubia, small hornworms
AdultAdult crickets, medium dubia, hornworms

Feeding frequency by life stage

HatchlingDaily; 5–8 insects per feeding
JuvenileEvery other day; 5–7 insects per feeding
AdultEvery 3–4 days; 4–6 insects per feeding

Prey ratio by body weight

Stage

Body weight

Prey (% BW)

Interval

Hatchling
up to 15 g
5–10%
1 day
Juvenile
16–35 g
5–8%
2 days
Subadult
36–50 g
4–7%
3 days
Adult
51 g+
3–6%
3–4 days

Feed prey roughly the listed percentage of the snake's current weight, at the listed interval. Use it as a starting point — adjust based on body condition, not the calendar.

Feeding thresholds

Typical hatchling weight

3–6 g

Power-feeding line

> 10% body weight

30-day weight-loss concern

> 10% in 30 days

Supplementation

Dust insects with calcium + D3 at most feedings and a reptile multivitamin 1–2× per week. Tail thickness is the condition indicator — AFTs store fat in the tail like their leopard gecko cousins. Gut-load feeders 24–48 hours before use.

Care

Water & behavior

Water

Shallow bowl. A humid hide with moist sphagnum is essential for shed cycles — more so than for leopard geckos.

Defensive displays

vocalizingtail wavingtail drop (if severely stressed)

Legal & ecology

Conservation

IUCN Red List

LC · Least Concern

Genetics

Morphs

Morph market

Active

Complexity

Moderate

Citations

Sources

Every husbandry parameter on this page is backed by the references below. Click through to read the originals.

African Fat-Tailed Gecko Care Sheet
ReptiFiles
breeder community
Husbandry ranges with veterinary cross-references for Hemitheconyx caudicinctus.
Published: 2023-01-01
African Fat-Tailed Gecko Care Sheet
The Bio Dude
breeder community
Bioactive care reference for Hemitheconyx caudicinctus.
Published: 2023-01-01
The African Fat-Tailed Gecko
Reptiles Magazine
breeder community
Industry magazine husbandry reference for Hemitheconyx caudicinctus.
Published: 2019-01-01