Uroplatus sikorae

• Synonymous : Uroplatus fimbriatus sikorae • Other names : gecko-foam with tail foliacée ----

Uroplatus sikorae is a Espèce night and arboricolous of gecko rather large with a squat aspect and a lengthened tail, out of spatula. The head is rather massive, crocodilienne . The turn of the body and the head presents an irregular hem of skin, which is plated on the support where the animal is, thus scrambling the edges of its body and making it difficult with repérer.
Moreover colors and the reasons of the skin contribute to the camouflage. This Espèce presents a large variety of colors: black, brown, beige, white, green pale, even orange. The reasons take the shape of bands, of spots, imitating the Lichen, the bark of trees…

Geographical distribution

This species, like the whole the kind Uroplatus , is endemic of the island of Madagascar. She saw in the wet Tropical forest in the south of the island, in the trees (with average height). These Lézard S seldom goes down on the ground.

This species is strongly pledged with its Biotope, the forests of Madagascar. This one being threatened, this species is also.

Subspecies

Uroplatus sikorae sameiti , Böhme & Ibish, 1990
Uroplatus sikorae sikorae , Boettger, 1913

The Sous-espèce of reference ( U.S. sikorae ) has the black oral mucous membranes, whereas at the subspecies sameiti those are pink (that included the language).
It seems moreover than the sharp subspecies sameiti in a biotope or the Hygrométrie is weaker, and it would thus tolerate food in a drier medium (this is however relative).

Breeding

This species as all the members of this kind is delicate to maintain in captivity. The difficulties are its weak tolerance with the variations of moisture, like with the temperature variations. In particular higher temperatures with 30°C can be to him fatal, which makes delicate its breeding in hot areas.

Note that since 2004 or 2005 this species is subjected to QUOTE, i.e. each animal must be provided with an identification number (given at the time of the purchase) and who is obligatory.

Climatic parameters

The climate is wet, with a hygroscopy close to 80% at certain times of the journée.
The temperature is lenient enough for a tropical zone, variable enters 22 and 28°C to the maximum. The nights are soft, with a temperature generally close to 20°C.

The winter is very lenient, with temperatures a little lower (of a few degrees) and a shorter duration of the day of 2 or 3 hours to the maximum.

Breeding in captivity

The Terrarium is arboricolous, with a height of at least 70-80cm. Surface on the ground is of 50x80cm for a couple or a trio.

The terrarium must be equipped with very many branches verticals or in diagonal, and of the hiding-places must be arranged in the branches. Indeed this gecko spends the day to sleep on the trunks (the upside down), and drives out its preys since branches, while dropping itself on elles.
To note for this last point which should be avoided any element being able to wound the animal on the ground (low stones, branches).

The ground is composed of peat and/or chips intended for Reptile S. the substrate must be able to keep moisture (so to contribute to the hygroscopy) and does not have to be able to be swallowed.

Lighting should not be violent, because these animals live in forest. A contribution of UV (ultraviolet) thanks to a Neon for example is not obligatory but cannot make of evil.

Food

These geckos is insectivorous and consumes the majority of the preys having an adapted size (Blatte S, Araignée S,…). They can on the occasion catch the small vertebrate ones like reptiles, sometimes of small of their own species.

They catch the preys which pass to their range on the branches, and if not watch for the insects on the ground since low branches and are dropped above to capture them.

Behavior

In fact very calm geckos count more on their camouflage than on their displacements. They are strictements motionless the day (except if they are disturbed) and slow the night. They can on the other hand move by jumps and climb on all types of surfaces (trees, rocks).

The males are faiblements territorial.

Maturity

These geckos can reproduce at the conclusion of their first year.

Sexage

The male is different from the female thanks to the presence of two side pockets at the base of the tail, housing of the Hémipénis.

Reproduction

The reproductions take place in spring, at the exit of the winter (very lenient in this climate).

Layings

The females lay their egg S in the ground (slightly buried) or sometimes stuck to a low branch.

The eggs are laid two by two, every fifteen days at three weeks, for a total from six to eight eggs.

Incubation

Incubation lasts between two and three months. This duration is all the more short as the average temperature is élevée.
There is not seemed to be of influence of the temperature on the sex of the embryos, as it is the case in other reptiles (some geckos, Crocodile S or tortoise S for example).

The small ones

The small ones have the same food mode as the adults, although they consume smaller preys. They start to feed only after their first moults, which takes place a few days after the birth.

Diseases

Like all alive geckos in moist environment, a prolonged fall of the hygroscopy their installation of the problems. In particular they can have problems of moults, particularly disturbing on the level of the legs, because they lose their capacity then to be climbed (see Setae) and to drive out correctly.

They can also undergo various internal parasitoses or externes.
The external parasitoses are mainly of two types:

the Tick S, small animals sucking the Blood;
subcutaneous, small parasites Worm S alive under the skin and locatable by the balls which they form under the skin.

The internal parasitoses result from an imbalance, following a stress, with a wound or external conditions deviating from the ideal conditions, which supports the proliferation of Bactérie S nativement present in the organization (mainly digestive tracts).

These geckos can also - but it is rarer - present a déficite in Calcium, which results in a softening and deformations of the Os, in particular to the level of the spinal column and legs.

See too

Sheets of care:

Robert Gundy (English)

References:

Zimmermann, H. 2001 Das erste " deutsche" Naturschutzgebiet in Madagaskar, DER " Drachenbaum-Regenwald Maromiza EIB Andasibe und the Seine Herpetofauna. Herpetofauna 23 (134): 28-34
Van Beest, Piet 2004 Herpetologische waarnemingen COp Madagaskar, aprol 2001 deel 4: het Noorden. Lacerta 62 (6): 226-255
Mertens, R. 1933 Die Reptilien DER Madagaskar-Forwarding Prof Dr. H. Bluntschlis. Senckenbergiana biologica 15:260 - 274.
Krüger, Jens 1999 Neue Erkenntnisse zur Faunistik einiger Reptilien Madagaskars. Salamandra 35 (2): 65-76.
Glaw, F. & Vences, Mr. 1994 have off Fieldguide to the Amphibians and Reptiles Madagascar. Vences & Glaw Verlag, Köln (ISBN 3-929449-01-3)
Gehring, P.S. & Kubik, A.L. 2005 Herpetologische Beobachtungen aus Madagaskar. Elaphe 13 (3): 60-66
Böhme, W., and P. Ibisch. 1990 Studien year Uroplatus. L. Der Uroplatus fimbriatus-Komplex. Salamandra 26:246 - 259
Boettger, O. 1913 Reptilien und Amphibian von Madagascar, den Inseln und dem Festland Ostafrikas. Pp. 269-375. In: Voeltzkow, A. Reise in Ostafrika in den Jahren 1903-1905. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse. Vol. 3. Systematische Arbeiten. Schweizerbart' sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Nägele und Sproesser, Stuttgart
Bauer, A.M. and A.P. Russell 1989 have systematic review off the genus Uroplatus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) with notes one its biology. J. Nat. Hist. 23:169 - 203
Andreone F., Randrianirina J., Jenkins P.D. & Aprea G. 2000 Species diversity off Amphibia, Reptilia and Lipotyphla (Mammalia) At Ambolokopatrika, has rainforest between the Anjanaharibe-South and Marojejy solid masses, Madagascar. Biodiversity and Conservation 9:1587 - 1622
Philippe Gerard, the breeding of the diurnal geckos and Uroplatus . Philippe Gerard editions, 1998. EAN 97822912521125 . ISBN 2-912521-12-2 .
Atlas of the terrariophile Vol.3: the lizards . Animalia Editions, 2003. ISBN 2-9517895-2-1

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