The Leaf-Tailed or Fat-Tailed Day Gecko is also known as the Flat-Tailed Day Gecko. These small lizards make lovely pets, but unlike many Geckos should not be handled!

The Leaf-Tailed Day Gecko is a tiny little Gecko, which nevertheless requires a lot of space, since these lizards are territorial. This means that these Geckos should be kept individually or in pairs of males and females. A 20-gallon terrarium should be sufficient, for a male-female pair, so long as lots of hiding places are provided, since Fat-Tailed Day Geckos are easily stressed. This also means that Leaf-Tailed Day Geckos should not be handled. However, one of the great things about this Gecko is that it is diurnal, making it a very viewable pet! Avid climbers, the Leaf-Tailed Day Gecko's terrarium should be full of vertically oriented plants and branches, which are strong enough to support climbing. The substrate should consist of a half-inch layer of pebbles with about a one and a half inch layer of peat moss on top. These should be topped with cork bark. Artificial UV light should also be provided, and the Leaf-Tailed Day Gecko should be lit with seasonal variation in the length of day created. A very hot terrarium is required, about 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day with a warmer area between 85 and 90 degrees. About 80 percent humidity should be maintained. At night about 75 degrees will be good. These Flat-Tailed Day Geckos need a water dish large enough to soak in also, and will lick water from the leaves in their enclosure, so be sure to mist the terrarium several times a day. Insects like mealworms, crickets, or waxworms should be fed twice a week, and fruits such as papaya or mango should be given at least once a week. These Leaf-Tailed Day Geckos can also eat baby food. A calcium supplement should be added to insects and fruits and a multivitamin should be used once or twice a week. They live for 15 to 22 years.

Leaf-Tailed Day Geckos are highly colorful little Geckos, which grow to be about five inches long. The lovely animals are agile climbers and have oddly shaped flat-topped tails. Leaf-Tailed Day Geckos originate in Madagascar.

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Breeding will be effected by the seasonal variation of lighting and temperature. In milder, warm temperatures and longer day lighting, which creates springtime conditions, female Leaf-Tailed Day Geckos should be fed and supplemented more often. If they breed, the eggs will be laid in a protected location, perhaps a bamboo shoot or leafy hollow. One or two hard-shelled eggs will be laid, and these should be removed and incubated at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They will be best laid upon a bed of 1:1 vermiculite and water. The Leaf-Tailed Day Gecko eggs will hatch in about 48 days.