General Information

As the name suggests, Uroplatus giganteus is truly a giant when compared to most other species. Hidden for years under the guise of the “white-eyed fimbriatus”, it wasn’t until 2006 that enough data was collected to elevate its status to it’s own species. In many respects U.giganteus is very much like U.fimbriatus, however, there is an unmistakable morphological distinction between the two, the color of their irises. In contrast to the irises of U.fimrbiatus, U.giganteus sport a white coloration during the day and mostly white with thin red “veining” at night.

 

Habitat and Range

U.giganteus is found in the northern rainforests of the Montagne d’Ambre National Park

 

Captive Care

While specimens of Uroplatus giganteus are  uncommon in captive collections, they are not unheard of.  Wild caught specimens can be very slow to acclimate to captivity, often requiring extended water sessions and a variety of larger feeders like roaches, snails, small lizards or geckos, and large crickets.  They do not appear to take to bowl feeding as easily as U. fimbriatus in captivity, despite having similar care requirements.  Due to their large size, U. giganteus should be provided the largest enclosure possible with a lot of vertical branches for them to jump to.