Spear point leaf tailed geckos (Uroplatus ebenaui) are one of the smaller leaf tailed gecko species native to Northwestern Madagascar and some of the larger offshore islands like Nosy Be. They occur in coastal forest areas in the warmer northern region but often at slightly higher altitudes where it is a slightly cooler environment than the Henkels Leaf tailed geckos habitat which often live in the same forests but at lower elevations. In the wild we found that they often preferred to rest during the day in either bamboo thickets or in amongst Dracaena surculosa type plants often no more than about 3-4ft off the floor. They would often hide in amongst dried leaves that had collected in the living bushes. They become active at night and could be seen navigating amongst the relatively dense foliage and clambering around on very thin twigs searching for their insect prey. They appear to have relatively small home ranges as we found the same individuals on successive nights in the same bushes indicating that they hadn’t moved far from one day to the next. The elevated areas of forest in which they inhabit (300-400m above sea level) often have patches of mist and fog that pass through at night and we have found replicating these periods of nighttime fogging to be beneficial in their captive care.

Many of the Spear Point leaf tailed geckos in captivity are not actually this species but are misidentified Uroplatus fiera which look superficially similar but come from the rainforests in the central highlands and occur in a completely different habitat. These individuals we are offering are genuine Uroplatus ebenaui as can be identified by the line of enlarged interorbital scales and smaller size (we also breed both species so we can Identify them quite easily).

They will thrive in a moderate size live planted enclosure which should be filled with plants such as Dracaena surculosa, Chameodora, Ficus benjamina etc and have plenty of thin twigs 0.25-0.75in in diameter. They don’t like to live in a permanently wet environment so regular mistings with a chance to dry out slightly in between is preferable along with the nightly fogging for a short period of time. They prefer a diet of small crickets and tiny snails which would make up a considerable part of their wild diet. We have found them to be one of the most active of the smaller leaf tailed gecko species at night and are often actively moving around their enclosure after lights out.

The otherworldly appearance of Leaf tailed geckos makes them one of the most sought after families of gecko in the hobby and the demand always outstrips supply. These spear point leaf tailed geckos are bred right here in store. Leaf tailed geckos are not for beginners, they are delicate by nature and although not aggressive, regular handling is likely to stress individuals to their detriment these are a “hands off” species.

We have extensive experience with this species both in captivity and in the wild and will be happy to provide a wealth of advice to serious enquiries but please research the needs of this species before attempting to purchase as they need dedicated keepers to help boost their numbers in the hobby. These individuals are unrelated to each other and our adults originate from mixed EU bloodlines.

You can also check out some of our Tik Tok Videos about them here, here and here.