Won't Come Out?

[Ddvw123abc]

Hey there, my aunt gave me her African Fat Tailed gecko, and as of lately he won't come out from underneath his hide. Are they nocturnal? Also she had a heat lamp on top, should I buy a heat pad instead? If I get a heat pad do I put it underneath his rock he has or should I just remove the rock all together?

 

[Embrace Calamity]

When did you get it? And what's your setup like? What are the temps on the hot and cool side and how are you measuring them?

~Maggot

 

[DrCarrotTail]

UTHs are better. They go outside the tank on the bottom side. They do not like light and will stay in their hides most of the time if their cage is bright. In general AFTs are reclusive and hide more than leopard geckos. In my experience their care is almost the same as leopard geckos except they do better in a more secluded, darker and quieter area as they are a bit more reclusive which could be due to being slightly more insecure or maybe just less active than leos.

 

[Islan]

I would definitely suggested an UTH. They love the heat. If you find that the tank gets to cold at night, a night heat lamp may help. I barely see my AFT out and about on his own. They are nocturnal, and I know I have caught him crawling around in the middle of the night a couple of times. Make sure the temps are regulated. They are nice and slow, so if you need your AFT time, let him mosey on a nice warm blanket with you. They are easy to have outside the tank because of their chilled nature.

 

[Ddvw123abc]

is there a certain brand of UTH thats best? what are the risk of fire if my cage sits on top of a wooden dresser? also i may try taking him out a bit, last time I tried to pick him up and get kind of angry, not sure why

 

[Embrace Calamity]

is there a certain brand of UTH thats best? what are the risk of fire if my cage sits on top of a wooden dresser? also i may try taking him out a bit, last time I tried to pick him up and get kind of angry, not sure why

If you're gonna get a UTH, I strongly suggest a thermostat to go with it like this: Amazon.com: Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats: Patio, Lawn & Garden It'll prevent it from overheating. I don't think they can actually catch a dresser on fire, especially not if you follow the safety precautions and allow adequate air flow underneath the enclosure. If you didn't, it could crack the glass and scorch the dresser, though.

Also, he's a reptile, not a cat. You can kind of expect him to get agitated when you pick him up. He thinks you're gonna eat him.

~Maggot

 

[cassicat4]

If your tank is elevated using the rubber feet that come with the UTH (allowing sufficient airflow) and your UTH is set up on a thermostat, the risk is very low.

Brand preference is up to you. The most common brands are ZooMed and ExoTerra, and it really comes down to personal preference. Me, I like ExoTerras and have had very little issues with them.

Often, UTH fires are the result of improper usage.

 

[Ddvw123abc]

If you're gonna get a UTH, I strongly suggest a thermostat to go with it like this: Amazon.com: Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats: Patio, Lawn & Garden It'll prevent it from overheating. I don't think they can actually catch a dresser on fire, especially not if you follow the safety precautions and allow adequate air flow underneath the enclosure. If you didn't, it could crack the glass and scorch the dresser, though.

Also, he's a reptile, not a cat. You can kind of expect him to get agitated when you pick him up. He thinks you're gonna eat him.

~Maggot

Thanks, and it's just sort of unusual for him to get agitated because my aunt that owned him before handled him quite a bit and he was pretty tame