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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

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.

  1. African Fat-Tailed Gecko Care Sheet

    ReptiFiles

    breeder community

    Husbandry ranges with veterinary cross-references for Hemitheconyx caudicinctus.

    Published: 2023-01-01

  2. African Fat-Tailed Gecko Care Sheet

    The Bio Dude

    breeder community

    Bioactive care reference for Hemitheconyx caudicinctus.

    Published: 2023-01-01

  3. The African Fat-Tailed Gecko

    Reptiles Magazine

    breeder community

    Industry magazine husbandry reference for Hemitheconyx caudicinctus.

    Published: 2019-01-01