The African fat-tailed gecko is a ground-dwelling, nocturnal relative of the leopard gecko from the savannahs and dry forests of West Africa.
Like the leopard gecko it has eyelids and lacks climbing pads, storing fat in its thick tail, but it comes from a more humid habitat and is often considered even calmer.
It is a hardy, slow-moving and forgiving first reptile that lives well into its teens.
Its modest size and gentle temperament suit beginners, provided they meet its need for a warm spot, a humid hide and a properly furnished terrestrial vivarium.
Housing
House one adult in a vivarium of at least 90x45cm floor area, with a tight lid and good ventilation.
Provide a warm end with a basking surface around 30-33C and a cool end of about 24C, controlled by a thermostat, with a nighttime drop.
A low-output UVB tube supports bone health and is recommended.
Offer at least three hides, including a humid hide with damp moss, as this species needs higher humidity (around 50-60%) than leopard geckos to shed cleanly.
Use a solid or fine, particle-free substrate such as a bioactive soil mix or tile rather than deep loose sand, which can contribute to impaction.
Spot-clean daily.
Diet
African fat-tailed geckos are strict insectivores.
Feed a varied rotation of appropriately sized live insects such as crickets, dubia roaches, locusts and black soldier fly larvae, keeping fatty waxworms as an occasional treat only.
Gut-load all feeders and dust them with calcium and a vitamin/D3 supplement on a regular schedule.
Feed juveniles daily and adults every two to three days, with prey no longer than the gap between the eyes.
Provide a shallow dish of fresh water at all times.
Obesity from over-feeding rich insects and metabolic bone disease from poor supplementation are the most common diet-related issues.
Health
A healthy fat-tailed gecko has a plump tail, clear eyes and a steady appetite.
Because it needs more moisture, retained shed around the toes and eyes is a frequent problem if humidity is too low, so a damp hide and correct husbandry are essential.
A dropped tail will regrow with an altered shape and colour.
Watch for metabolic bone disease, impaction and respiratory infections from cold or overly damp, poorly ventilated conditions.
A wobbly gait, soft jaw or weight loss needs a vet experienced with exotics.
Stable warmth, correct humidity and good supplementation prevent most problems.
Temperament
African fat-tailed geckos are typically docile, even more placid than leopard geckos, and tolerate gentle, regular handling once settled.
They are nocturnal, so they are quiet by day and most active in the evening.
When startled they may wave the tail or vocalise, but they rarely bite.
They are solitary and should be housed alone.
Males fight, and any grouping risks stress, injury and food competition.
One gecko per enclosure is the correct and trouble-free approach for this species.
Small geckos dehydrate and lose condition quickly, and the tail is the fuel gauge.
Go now
Tremors, weak grip, or a jaw that will not close properlyGo now. Calcium and D3 deficiency.
Now
Today
Tail visibly thinning in a species that stores fat thereWeigh, then call with the trend. The fat store goes before the body condition does.
Today
Stuck shed around the toes or over the eyesRaise humidity, offer a damp hide, and call if it is not clear within a day. Constricting shed rings cost toes. This is the most common avoidable injury in geckos.
Today
Refusing food with weight lossCheck the cool-end and warm-end temperatures, then call. A gecko that cannot reach its preferred temperature cannot digest.
Today
This is general guidance for a healthy adult, not a diagnosis. An exotics vet who knows your animal always overrides it — and the time to find one is before you need one.
Can a african fat-tailed gecko eat that?
Geckos split into two diets that share almost nothing: insectivores like the leopard gecko, and the fruit-and-insect species like the crested gecko. Check which one you have.
Never (13)
AlcoholNo safe amount at any body weight on this site.
never
AvocadoPersin.
never
CaffeineCoffee, tea and energy drinks. Cardiac and neurological toxicity at tiny doses for an animal this size.
never
ChocolateTheobromine and caffeine. Small mammals and reptiles cannot clear either.
never
CitrusAcidic, and it blocks calcium absorption.
never
FirefliesLucibufagins. Fatal to geckos.
never
GarlicSame allium toxicity as onion, and more concentrated by weight.
never
Insects larger than the gap between the eyesA recognised cause of impaction and neurological injury in small geckos. Size the feeder to the animal, every time.
never
LeekAllium family. Same mechanism as onion and garlic.
never
OnionOrganosulphur compounds damage red blood cells. The whole allium family is out.
never
RhubarbVery high in soluble oxalate, high enough to cause acute kidney injury. The leaves are worse than the stalks.
never
Salty or seasoned human foodSalt, oil and seasoning. Crisps, chips, seasoned leftovers and processed meat are all out.
never
Wild-caught insectsPesticides and parasites.
never
Rare treats (1)
WaxwormsVery fatty and habit-forming. Useful to get weight on a thin animal. One or two, rarely.
rare treat
Occasional (4)
HornwormsHigh water content; useful for a dehydrated animal. One occasionally.
occasional
Mashed fruitFor crested and gargoyle geckos only, and only as a supplement to a complete diet. Never for a leopard gecko. A small amount, alongside the complete diet.
occasional
MealwormsHard chitin and a poor calcium ratio. A leopard gecko fed only mealworms is a leopard gecko heading for calcium problems. A few alongside better feeders.
occasional
SuperwormsFatty. One or two.
occasional
Everyday foods (4)
Black soldier fly larvaeHigh in calcium, and readily taken. Several per feed.
everyday food
Complete crested gecko diet powderFor crested, gargoyle and chahoua geckos only, mixed with water. A complete food and the simplest way to feed those species correctly. Fresh, every other day, for fruit-eating species.
everyday food
CricketsStandard feeder. Gut-load for 24 hours before offering. Sized to the eye gap.
everyday food
Dubia roachesThe best routine feeder for insectivorous geckos. Sized no wider than the space between the eyes.
everyday food
That food is not on our list. Check which kind of gecko you have first — the two diets barely overlap — then ask an exotics vet.
Dust feeders with calcium to the schedule in the species guide, and keep a small dish of plain calcium available for insectivorous species.
Setup, monthly, first year and across a whole life, itemised and with the electricity worked out from the actual wattage. Published figures for the same animal disagree by a factor of four, so the calculator shows ranges rather than picking one.
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