Learn proper light usage for Uroplatus
Leaf-tailed geckos are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night and rest during the day. Because of this, many Uroplatus keepers do not utilize specialized lighting, such as UVB. We do not believe this to be the best approach. Therefore, all of our Uroplatus have UVB lighting on their enclosure. Although they do not require intense UVB lighting like some other reptiles, proper lighting can still benefit their health.
When asked this question, I always pause for a second, as in, “Isn’t it obvious?” The most obvious answer is that Leaf-tailed geckos are naturally exposed to UVB light. So, why would we not provide it in their enclosure?
UVB light from a light fixture designed to output UVB can benefit all Leaf-tailed Geckos, aiding in calcium absorption and overall health. When using a UVB light over the enclosure, you should be cautious about supplements containing Vitamin D3. Your gecko will produce all it needs from exposure to your UVB light.
You’ll want to place your light fixture above the cage itself. If you’re using a weaker bulb (5-6%), you can place the light fixture directly on top of your larger enclosures. When placing a UVB light on a smaller enclosure, you’ll want to ensure that the light is lifted off the screen. These lights can burn your geckos if the lights are too powerful or close to the Gecko.
Position the UVB light so the geckos can move in and out of it as they choose. When working with our Uroplatus during the day, we sometimes see them move out from under branches and leaves to expose themselves to the light. This seems to happen more when the Gecko is a gravid female.
Since we are a breeding facility, managing our light cycles is important. We mimic the natural seasons as closely as possible to ensure that our leaf-tailed geckos are exposed to conditions that trigger breeding.
During our Wintering period, we keep the lights on in our Uroplatus building for 10 hours and off for 14. In their natural habitat in Madagascar, the sun will be out less. This means we want to ‘trick’ them into thinking it is winter. We do this in combination with a reduction in temperature as well. With less light and lower temperatures, our Geckos will think it is winter-time and act accordingly.
During our Summer period, we keep our lights on for 14 hours daily and off for 10. Since the sun is out for more of the day during Summer, we mimic that by keeping the lights on longer. During this time, we’ll see Geckos start to display breeding behavior.
If you follow the above lighting schedule, you’ll have one of the breeding success factors taken care of.
We Use Arcadia Lighting
Everyone has their preferred brand, but here at Nealon Reptiles, we use Arcadia lighting 99% of the time. After using many brands, we believe their T5 bulbs simply last longer.
For our Uroplatus, we’ll use the ShadeDweller bulb or the 6% UVB Light—both are T5 HO bulbs. These fixtures can be daisy-chained together, making life easier if you have multiple enclosures.
The only frustrating thing about using Arcadia products is that they can sometimes be difficult to obtain. While this isn’t the end of the World, we wish this wasn’t an issue with their products. Despite this potential drawback, we highly recommend Arcadia lighting in your enclosures. We purchase our Lighting from Reptile Basics.
