Branch Demon Podcast

It is crunch time on an important project that will affect the Branch Demon Podcast. I give a brief explanation and then talk about the next ten years for you and our community.

It is reptile show season! You might get lucky and find a phant at a reptile show, but that is hit and miss with this rare gecko! I talk about what to consider when you are looking for - or have purchased - a satanic leaf-tailed gecko at a reptile show.

Sydney Jersak is a breeder of Uroplatus, and the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko, from Alberta Canada and he joins us to talk Phants!

You are new and only have one Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko. How can you contribute? You are in a very important position at this stage in our community's growth and today I share how you can help.

Is a satanic leaf-tailed gecko actually right for you? Not "do you want one" — that's easy. The harder questions are whether you can provide what they need, and whether what they give back will be enough for you.

In this episode, Bill works through the honest decision framework that every prospective phant keeper needs before they commit. He covers what handling really looks like with this species , what the daily keeper experience actually is — the world-building, the patience, the satisfaction of catching a glimpse at 11pm — and a checklist of both the reasons to wait and the signs you've found your animal.

Tonight we're talking about planting a Phant enclosure. I'll be singling out some strategies for larger enclosures because they are new to a lot of phant keepers. What is important is not just what to plant, but how to think about it.

Hydration is a critical husbandry parameter and we discuss how to tell if your gecko is hydrated and how to set up your misting and fogging system.

When you think of lights for the Satanic. Leaf-tailed gecko you need to think about lighting the environment that will nurish your gecko. Heat, white light, and UVB are covered as we think about the why of it all.

Lawrence Erickson was the owner of the first website dedicated to education and availability of Uroplatus phantasticus, the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko. In the interview, Yvette and I talk with Lawrence about what it was like in the early days and what lessons we can still take to heart today.

The proper husbandry of a Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko is individually housed. Their low intra-species aggression makes this easy to ignore. But if we are truly the keepers of ideal husbandry then we have the obligation to accept and promote the highest standards. In this episode I lay out the case for proper husbandry for Satanic Leaf-tailed Geckos being individual keeping.