African fat-tailed geckos are small, terrestrial lizards native to dry and moist savanna areas of West Africa. They are primarily active at night, which time is spent mostly hunting for insects. Also less popular than the better-known leopard gecko, African fat-tailed geckos are similar in both hardiness and temperament, making them well-suited for new and experienced reptile enthusiasts alike.
An adult African fat-tailed gecko is generally 8-10” long, with bumpy skin, a large head, long body, and plump, ringed tail. Their coloring features alternating bands of medium and dark brown, sometimes with dark spots and white markings, including a white stripe from head to tail. Due to selective breeding in captivity, patterning can be quite variable, but their natural appearance has broad, alternating bands of medium and dark brown, sometimes with dark spots and accents of white. Although they are geckos, they are unique from most others in that they have eyelids and can’t walk up walls. Unlike most other geckos, AFT's have eyelids and lack the "sticky feet" required to climb smooth, vertical surfaces. They are also capable of dropping and regrowing their tails if threatened by a predator.
African-fat tailed geckos generally have very docile, tolerant dispositions and can make very handleable pet lizards. In captivity, African fat-tailed geckos are known to live long lives: 15-20+ years.
Here are some core facts about African fat-tailed gecko care:
- Size: 7″-10″
- Active During: Dawn/Dusk
- Lifespan: 15-20+ years
- Nutrition: Insectivorous
- Humidity: Moderate
- Habitat: Terrestrial
- Basking Temp: 90 °F
- UVB: Recommended
- Availability: Common
- Natural Habitat: Semi-Arid Grassland, Dry/Wet Savanna
African fat-tailed geckos are naturally found in West Africa, from Senegal to Cameroon. They prefer dry Sahel and dry/moist savannah for habitat, and are generally found near rock crevices and among the leaf litter of dry forests.
Read also: Experience Fad's Fine African Cuisine
African fat-tailed geckos are fairly tolerant of humans and can be great to handle. However, they’re generally asleep during the day when humans are active.
African fat-tailed geckos are sometimes recommended as a “first reptile” for children and adults alike. While they are relatively easy to care for, please note that even the easiest reptiles can be expensive and high-maintenance to keep, and children’s pets should always be supervised by an adult. Daily chores may include preparing food, replacing water, and spot-cleaning. Misting several times a week may be required, depending on local climate/weather. Food and water dishes should be disinfected weekly, as well as any soiled surfaces.
Enclosure
African fat-tailed geckos may seem small, but they still need an enclosure that is large enough to give them adequate opportunity to explore, hunt, and generally exercise natural behaviors. They are also terrestrial, which means that they are a ground-dwelling species, and generally prefer terrariums that are wider than they are tall. This is why the minimum recommended enclosure size for a single African fat-tailed gecko is 36”L x 18”W x 16”H. A common available terrarium size is a 40 gallon long. Wherever possible, larger is strongly recommended! Although they are considered terrestrial, African fat-tailed geckos are built to live amongst rocks, and are capable climbers.
Here are some enclosures that are appropriate for housing African fat-tailed geckos:
- Kages 36″x24″x18″ PVC Reptile Enclosure
- Toad Ranch SF36 3’x2’x19 Luxury Reptile Enclosure
- Repti Zoo 36″ x 18″ x 18″ Reptile Terrarium
Your new pet should be housed in nothing smaller than a 36”L x 18”W x 16”H enclosure, with an at least 4” substrate dam for substrate. If you can afford larger, then it’s strongly advised to do so. Bigger is always better!
Read also: The Story Behind Cachapas
Can multiple African fat-tailed geckos be housed in the same enclosure?
No, we do not recommend cohabitation for pet African fat-tailed geckos. This species is generally considered to be solitary, and does not appear to live in groups in the wild. Seufer et al. notes that a pair can be successfully housed together in a large enough enclosure, but keep in mind that if the geckos don’t get along, they can fight and severely injure one another. Males in particular are known to fight.
Lighting, Temperature, and Humidity
African fat-tailed geckos are crepuscular, which means that they are primarily active at night, particularly around dawn and dusk. African fat-tailed geckos are nocturnal, which means that they are primarily active at night. This means that they are likely to prefer cooler temperatures, are exposed to low levels of indirect UVB during the day, and have exceptional night vision. Reptiles aren’t like dogs and cats that can simply roam around your house. They are very sensitive to their environment, and need their own enclosure set up according to their specific needs.
Like other reptiles, African fat-tailed geckos are poikilothermic, which means that they need a range of temperatures within their enclosure so they can regulate their own body temperature as needed. Areas of heat speed up their metabolism and promote activities like digestion and healing. In the wild, African fat-tailed geckos warm up during the day by sleeping in a warm burrow or patch of sunlight. In captivity, the best way to replicate the warming effects of sunlight is with a heat lamp, possibly supplemented (but not replaced) by a heat mat.
Here are the recommended temperature ranges:
RAINY/WARM SEASON (April-October)
Read also: Techniques of African Jewellery
- Warm hide: 90-94°F (32-34°C)
- Cool side: 72-77°F (22-25°C)
- Nighttime: 72-77°F (22-25°C)
DRY/COOL SEASON (November-March)
- Warm hide: 79°F (26°C)
- Cool side: 68-74°F (20-23°C)
- Nighttime: 63-64°F (17-18°C)
Generally speaking, a ~50w PAR30 halogen heat bulb or two should be plenty for achieving the desired temperatures in your African fat-tailed gecko terrarium. However, if the bulb is mounted inside the enclosure, a halogen bulb is likely to be too intense and I recommend an incandescent spot bulb instead, such as the Exo Terra Intense Basking Spot or ReptiZoo Intense Basking Spot.
To create a basking area for your African fat-tailed gecko, you will need a cluster of a halogen flood heat bulbs like the 75w Arcadia GoldenSun Basking Halogen Heater (optimum wattage may vary) and a small ceramic fixture like the small Arcadia Ceramic Reflector Clamp Lamp 5.5". If the basking area gets too warm, you can plug the lamp into thermostat such as the Exo Terra Thermostat 100w and reduce the heat that way.
Place one of the hides (I prefer a rectangular black box hide for this) directly under the heat lamp(s) and place a light-colored slab of stone (ex: flagstone, sandstone) or hardwood on top to create a basking platform. The hide underneath will be the warm hide. The heat lamp should be able to heat the warm hide to the target temperature, but this can vary depending on room temperature, thickness of the basking surface, etc.
To measure the general temperature of different areas of your terrarium, you can use an infrared thermometer (a.k.a. temperature gun). To passively track basking temperature, use a digital probe thermometer, with the probe placed on the basking surface under the heat source.
One distinguishing trait about African fat-tailed geckos’ preferred habitat is that is has distinct wet and dry seasons. African fat-tailed geckos do best in an environment that cycles between wet and dry seasons:
- Rainy/warm season - 70-80% daytime, 100% nighttime
- Dry/cool season - 50% daytime, 70-75% nighttime
From April to October, mimic the wet season with a daily average of 70-80% humidity. From November to March, switch to a “dry season” with a daily average of roughly 50% humidity. To raise the humidity in your gecko’s enclosure and water your plants, use a spray bottle like the 2-quart Pressure Sprayer Mister to thoroughly mist the enclosure every night, and in the morning as needed.
It is also important to your gecko’s health to provide them with consistent access to an area of higher humidity. This can be done with a “humid hide” - a cave or hide with moistened substrate (NOT sphagnum moss), placed on the cool end of the enclosure. Keep the humidity levels in this hide around the same as your current target nighttime humidity. You can monitor humidity levels in your humid hide with a digital probe hygrometer with the probe placed in the middle. You will need another device if you want to monitor the humid hide separately.
All lights should be turned off at night. You can use a 12/12 day/night cycle, or you can vary day length seasonally to encourage more natural hormonal rhythms. If you choose to do the latter, lights should be on for up to 13 hours/day during summer, and down to 11 hours/day during winter, with gradual increments in-between.
This means that they can survive without exposure to UVB radiation, but doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t benefit from it. UVB is important for healthy metabolism, specifically vitamin D synthesis and calcium metabolism, improving skin health, and strengthening the immune system. Reptiles use UVB light to create the vitamin D that their body needs, as well as to strengthen their immune system, and stimulate production of endorphins. While they are technically capable of surviving without UVB if they receive sufficient supplementary vitamin D3 in their diet, simply surviving is not thriving, so we strongly recommend providing appropriate UVB. D3 supplement dosing is very imprecise and not efficiently absorbed by the body. Experts don't know exactly how much vitamin D3 fat-tailed geckos need, but we do know how much UVB they need for to self-regulate their own internal D3 production, so providing a UV lamp is far more natural and beneficial to promote optimum health.
UVB can be replaced with an oral vitamin D3 supplement for African fat-tailed geckos, but this method is less effective and more difficult to regulate, so we strongly recommend using a proper UV lamp instead.
In order to get the right strength of UVB (measured by UV Index, or UVI), distance, obstructions, and fixture type must be considered. The distances listed below should be measured from the gecko’s back on the basking platform to the UVB lamp.
Lamp placed over mesh:
- Arcadia ShadeDweller 7% - 8-12″ / 20-30cm
- Zoo Med T5 HO ReptiSun 5.0 - 14-20″ / 35-50cm
Lamp installed under mesh:
- Arcadia ShadeDweller 7% - 10-16″ / 25-40cm
For best results, use an Arcadia or Vivarium Electronics brand T5 HO fixture. The UVB lamp should be installed on the warm side of the enclosure, overlapping with the heat lamp, because heat and UVB work together.
How to set up a bioactive African fat tailed gecko terrarium 2025 UPDATED
Substrate
Providing substrate for African fat-tailed geckos is a bit of a controversial issue, but the short of it is that as long as a naturalistic substrate is used, and the gecko is adequately heated, hydrated, has access to UVB, and is otherwise healthy, there’s nothing to be worried about. Loose, naturalistic substrate is the best kind of substrate for housing African fat-tailed geckos. Substrate should be 3-6″ deep to facilitate natural burrowing behavior.
Here are a few options for substrate:
- DIY semi-arid mix: 40% organic topsoil, 40% play sand, 20% Zoo Med Excavator Clay
- Lugarti Natural Reptile Bedding
- Zoo Med ReptiSand
- Exo Terra Desert/Riverbed Sand
- Exo Terra Stone Desert
A thick layer of bioactive-compatible substrate is essential to creating a bioactive African fat-tailed gecko enclosure. Because African fat-tailed geckos require fairly moderate humidity levels, no drainage layer is needed. Instead, you can jump right to the dirt. You will need a soil-like mix that mimics a forest floor and nurtures temperate to tropical plants.
If you want to make your own bioactive mix, you will need a mixture of 40% organic topsoil, 40% Zoo Med ReptiSoil, and 20% play sand. Alternatively, you can let The Bio Dude do the work for you with The Bio Dude’s Terra Firma bioactive substrate kit or the African Fat Tailed Gecko Bioactive Kit. To make the substrate fully functional, make sure to add CUC organisms like Dairy Cow Isopods, Dwarf White Isopods, and Tropical Springtails. Other species of isopods that will work are Party Mix Powder, MilkBack, Zebra, Japanese Magic Potion Isopods. You can also add other species like earthworms, Dubia Roaches, Mealworms and Superworms!
Another option is a bioactive setup. Bioactive enclosure setups are designed to mimic a reptile’s natural environment and stimulate natural behaviors. All above substrates can easily support bioactivity with the addition of leaf litter and a “cleanup crew” of isopods and springtails that clean up uneaten food and fecal remains, making bioactive substrates incredibly low maintenance.
When you first bring your new African fat-tailed gecko home, you will need to quarantine for at least 1 month. Paper towels or Komodo Repti-Pads are the best substrate for quarantine, as they can be frequently replaced and make it easier to observe feces and other potential health issues. Paper towels or pads should be fully replaced at least once a week and any soiled areas must be replaced daily. Once your gecko has shown a clean bill of health, you can introduce your long-term substrate to the enclosure.
Feces and urates should be removed daily, and contaminated substrate should be scooped out and replaced.
Enclosure Décor
Enclosure décor is about more than just making your setup look good. It’s also an important part of providing environmental enrichment to your lizard, which enhances your pet’s quality of life by providing opportunities to express natural behaviors. Although your African fat-tailed gecko may not seem particularly active to your perception, they’re usually quite busy at night.
Reptiles are much more intelligent than we humans tend to give them credit for, and that means they need things to entertain them. When reptiles have objects to interact with in their enclosure, they become less stressed and more engaged with their environment. This practice is called environmental enrichment.
It’s important to choose enrichment items (a.k.a. enclosure décor) that are appropriate to your pet’s natural behaviors. Here are some other objects that serve a vital function in a African fat-tailed gecko terrarium:
- Hides: An African fat-tailed gecko needs at least three hides: a warm dry hide below the heat source, a cool dry hide on the opposite side, and a humid hide in between, slightly closer to the warm side to avoid a cold, wet environment. Do not limit yourself to three hides, however. People like having options, and leopard geckos do, too. All 3 of the required hides should be dark, snug, & fully enclosed with a single entrance.
- Rocks/Slate: One of the best ways to provide a naturalistic basking area and attractive appearance is with rocks. African fat-tailed geckos like climbing, and in fact, stacking pieces of slate with 1-2” spacers in-between simulates the cracks that they utilize in their natural environment. You can even build a warm hide with slate or flat rocks to double as a basking spot on top and a cozy cave underneath!
- Climbing Objects: Branches, logs, and cork bark are excellent for varying the terrain and giving your AFT things to climb on/in.
- Plants: Plants are a great way to add more coverage and enhance the appearance of a naturalistic enclosure! Make sure to wash artificial plants before using. Any live plants should be nontoxic and suited to a dry environment. If you have live plants, consider installing a 6500K fluorescent or LED daylight lamp to help them grow and flourish.
- Calcium Dish: Geckos should have access to a small dish or bottle cap of calcium without D3 that they can lick, allowing them to self-regulate their calcium intake between feedings, if needed.
- Backdrop: If you’re using an all-glass enclosure, adding a naturalistic backdrop can be much more attractive. Blocking 3 sides of the enclosure also helps the gecko feel more secure in its environment.
Use things like low branches, cork flats/hollows, caves, ledges, and plants for your gecko to explore and hide in. Don’t be afraid to clutter it up! Live plants in particular are critical to helping your mini-ecosystem function properly. Make sure the plants that you choose are drought-tolerant and won’t be too bothered if their roots get disturbed. Good choices may include pothos, peperomia, sansevieria, calathea, and creeping fig. Note that particularly delicate plants may get trampled to death. Here is the list of plants we have available.
Diet and Supplements
African fat-tailed geckos are insectivores, which means that they need to eat mostly insects in order to be healthy. The key to providing a healthy, balanced diet for your pet is VARIETY. Provide as varied of a diet as you possibly can, and you will be rewarded with a healthier pet that always looks forward to mealtime.
How often an African fat-tailed gecko needs to depends on age: The general rule is to offer 2 appropriately-sized bugs per 1 inch of your gecko’s length, or however much they can eat in 15 minutes. Juveniles should be fed daily, and young adults fed every other day/every 3 days. Adults whose tail is fatter than their neck can be fed every 5 days.
Feeder insects:
- crickets
- dubia roach nymphs
- discoid roach nymphs
- black soldier fly larvae
- mealworms
- darkling beetles
- hornworms
- silkworms
- grasshoppers/locusts
Feeder insects can be easily sourced online from reputable breeders such as Dubia.com, Beastmode Silks, and Luna Roaches.
All insect feeders should be lightly “dusted” with calcium powder to balance the calcium-phosphorus ratio. Multivitamin powder can be used every once in a while to provide extra nutrients. All-in-one powders provide a balanced dose of both at once.
To ensure that your pet is getting all the vitamins and minerals they need, you need a calcium powder and a multivitamin powder. Take care not to use these too often; too much vitamins can be just as deadly as too little.
African fat-tailed geckos should have free access to a shallow bowl of fresh, clean water daily. Choose a bowl that is shallow enough to prevent drowning. The water should be changed whenever it gets soiled. Scrub the bowl with an animal-safe disinfectant at least once a week.
Handling
When you first bring home your new pet gecko, resist the temptation to immediately start playing with it. You’re huge compared to an African fat-tailed gecko, and s/he needs time to figure out that you’re not going to eat them. Once your gecko has established confidence in his/her new home and is eating regularly, you can introduce yourself. Let them watch you outside of the enclosure.
Once you’ve brought your gecko home, it’s tempting to start playing with them right away. But wait 2 weeks after buying before beginning handling - your gecko needs time to settle into their new home, and handling on top of that can cause additional stress. If your gecko hasn’t eaten by the time the 2 weeks are over, do not handle and make an appointment with an experienced reptile vet.
After the 2 week waiting period is over, introduce yourself to your gecko by putting your hand in its enclosure every night for a few minutes so it can get used to your scent and presence. They should already be relatively familiar with you, since you’ve been in their space replacing water, offering food, cleaning up, etc. Let it come to you! (Food bribes can be helpful here.)
