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African Fat-Tailed Gecko - Caramel Albino
Hemitheconyx caudicinctus
A T-positive albinism strain. Unlike the fluorescent orange of standard albinos, the Caramel morph retains subtle dark pigments, showing warm toasted cream and caramel tones.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Eublepharidae
Genus:Hemitheconyx
Species:Hemitheconyx caudicinctus*
* Caramel Albino
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
50 - 70 %
Day temperature
24 - 28 °C
Ambient temperature
26 °C
Night temperature
22 - 24 °C
Basking spot
30 - 32 °C
Adult size
16 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 60 L
UVB
Non necessario / Basso
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the dry savannas, grasslands, and semi-arid scrublands of West Africa, including Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo. Unlike the rock-dwelling leopard gecko, the fat-tailed gecko prefers slightly more humid microclimates, spending the dry, hot days sheltering inside deep burrows, moist rocky crevices, or abandoned termite mounds.
Taxonomy and Genetics: A robust, terrestrial gecko characterized by a stocky build and a large, rounded head. Its most notable feature is the short, bulbous tail that stores fat and water. The Caramel Albino is a T-positive albino morph, which retains some dark pigment, resulting in a beautiful contrast of cream, light tan, and rich caramel bands instead of bright orange. They have moveable eyelids and lack adhesive toe pads, meaning they cannot climb smooth vertical surfaces.
Behavior and Habits: Nocturnal and extremely docile. Fat-tailed geckos are notably slower, calmer, and more deliberate in their movements than leopard geckos, making them highly popular for handling. They have a strong fossorial instinct and spend much of their active hours excavating burrows or hunting insects along the ground at night.
Morphology: Sexual dimorphism is distinct. Adult males grow larger and have a broader head than females, and they display a prominent row of preanal pores and visible hemipenal bulges at the base of the tail, which are absent or minimal in females.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: A horizontal enclosure of at least 90x45x45 cm is recommended for an adult. Provide a deep, moisture-retaining substrate such as a mixture of topsoil, play sand, and coconut coir to allow natural burrowing. Include multiple low, tight hides, including a dedicated humid hide filled with damp sphagnum moss, which is essential for shedding.
Lighting and Heating: Provide a thermal gradient with a basking spot at 30-32°C using a halogen heat lamp or deep heat projector, and a cool side at 24°C. At night, lower the temperature to 22-24°C. A low-intensity UVB light (5-7%) is highly recommended to support vitamin D3 synthesis and overall health.
Humidity and Hydration: They require moderate humidity (50-65%), which is higher than for leopard geckos. Mist the terrarium every other day to keep the lower layers of the substrate slightly damp (never waterlogged). Keep a shallow bowl of fresh, clean water available at all times.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly insectivorous. Offer live, active insects such as crickets, roaches, and occasionally silkworms or mealworms. Avoid feeding them only mealworms due to high fat content. Dust all prey insects with pure calcium at every feeding, and a calcium-D3 and multivitamin supplement weekly.
Compatibility: Strictly solitary. Males are highly territorial and will fight aggressively, often resulting in death. While females can sometimes be housed together in very large enclosures, keeping them individually is the safest practice to prevent stress and injury.
Health and Common Diseases: Vulnerable to metabolic bone disease (MBD) if calcium and D3 supplementation is neglected. Low humidity levels can lead to dysecdysis (incomplete shedding), particularly around the toes and eyes, which can cause necrosis or blindness. Handle gently, as they may drop their tail (autotomy) if grasped or startled.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the dry savannas, grasslands, and semi-arid scrublands of West Africa, including Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo. Unlike the rock-dwelling leopard gecko, the fat-tailed gecko prefers slightly more humid microclimates, spending the dry, hot days sheltering inside deep burrows, moist rocky crevices, or abandoned termite mounds.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivars
Varietà da Selezione / Cultivar
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 16 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 16 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 16 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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