captive breeding and maintenance of

Rough Knob-tailed Geckos

Nephrurus amyae and N. asper
Text by Rob Porter

Introduction knob-tails and the rough knob-tails. Centralian Knob-tailed Gecko

The latter group includes four spe- (N. amyae)
Knob-tailed geckos are endemic cies, N. amyae, N. asper, N. sheai and
to the more arid regions of Austra- N. wheeleri. The latter two species This is the largest species in the
lia. There are a total of nine species, are restricted to Western Australia genus, with records of snout-vent
some of which are further divided and the northwestern Northern Ter- lengths close to 140mm. Needless
into subspecies. The genus can ritory and are poorly to say, the poor excuse of a tail does
be roughly divided into two represented in cap- not add much to the overall length!
groups; the smooth tivity. The former However, their size and robust build
two species are place them amongst the largest Aus-
more widely tralian geckos, at least by mass, with
maintained weights exceeding 50 grams. Bed-
and will be ford & Christian (1993) recorded one
dealt with specimen of N. amyae (reported as
in this ar- N. asper) at over 61gms. It is also the
ticle. spiniest of the group, especially over
the posterior part of the body and
hind legs.
Colouration is fairly consistent
with an overall sandy brown to rusty
brown background with scattered
markings of a lighter shade. Some
of the individual tubercles are light
creamy-brown, especially on the
flanks, often forming bands across the
body, while others are slightly darker
or the same as the background co-
lour. There is usually a darker collar
marking around the neck area. The
head is often further marked with a
reticulated pattern of thin dark lines.
The underside is pale creamy-white.
The eyes are large with a vertical pu-
pil and tend to be greyish in colour
and exquisitely patterned with deli-
cate black lines.
True to its name, the Centralian
knob-tail is restricted to the red
centre of Australia around the Alice
Springs area, north to Barrow Creek
in the Northern Territory. Here it in-
habits open or lightly wooded coun-
try on stony soils or rocky hillsides.
The day is spent in shallow burrows
or hiding beneath large rocks. Im-

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 may be maintained together with or
without females in some cases. Ide-
ally, a group of a pair or three geckos
(one male and two females) would
be housed together. These may be
successfully kept in one enclosure all
year around, with breeding occur-
ring regularly every year. However,
mediately after dusk the some keepers believe they achieve
animals emerge to forage, better breeding success if sexes are
stalking a wide range of in- kept apart for most of the year and
sects, scorpions and other simply introduced for breeding at the
lizards, including geckos, appropriate time.
until the early hours of the An enclosure measuring around 60
morning. x 30 x 30cm will adequately house
a pair of N. asper, a little larger for
Queensland Knob- a trio. For N. amyae a bigger enclo-
C. sure is required, say 75 x 30 x 30 for
tailed Gecko
(N. asper) a pair 100 x 30 x 30 for a trio. All
The Cape York population differs in habitat, both N. amyae and N. asper knob-tails are terrestrial lizards so no
that it may
Much inhabitthan
smaller heath land vegeta- are tough and hardy captives. As long vertical height is required. In fact, if
tion as well as
its desert cousin, thewoodland or savan- as temperature extremes, especially a cage with relatively smooth sides is
nah. They
Queensland are widespread
species rarely and abun- at the upper end, are avoided, there used, e.g. a glass aquarium, no lid is
dant over northeastern
exceeds 110mm snout- and central is no reason to believe these geckos required if the sides are over about
ventQueensland.
length. The colour would not happily survive in excess of 20cm as their robust built rather in-
and pattern is also less 20 years in captivity. hibits any agile movements such as
Captive
striking Husbandry
in a dark brown or Although normally solitary in the jumping.
grey-brown with several wild, they appear to be relatively tol- Good ventilation is essential. Most
bandsAs aacross
reflection
the of the arid and se-
body. erant of other specimens housed in of the top of the enclosure should
vere
These banks may be ir-of their natural
characteristics the same enclosure; even two males either be open or covered with
regular, indistinct or even
absent in some specimens.
Lines of creamy-white tu-
bercles are often present
on the back and tail. The
flanks become gradually
lighter, eventually becom-
ing creamy-white on the
ventral surface. As with
N. amyae, the head often
has a black reticulated pat-
tern, although this may be
difficult to see in older or
very dark lizards. Speci-
mens from the northern
part of the range often
possess a more distinctly
banded pattern and the
colour may be an attrac-
tive purplish brown.
Activity patterns are
similar to the Centralian
knob-tail and the habi-
tat is usually open, rocky
woodland or stony plains. 7
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mesh to permit efficient air circula- bulb is also provided at the same end. seen active during the day, especially
tion. Ideally, this would be combined The combination of these two will N. amyae.
with some mesh vents around the produce a heat gradient ranging from Knob-tails are not fussy eaters.
enclosure sides nearer the base. This 32–33°C at the hottest point, down Almost any suitably sized insect is a
will provide an excellent airflow, the to mid to low 20’s at the cooler end. potential food item. My animals are
warmer air leaving through the top In winter temperatures can be safely maintained totally on a diet of cricket,
being replaced by cooler fresh air en- lowered a further 10–12°C and this gut-loaded with rodent pellets and
tering through the vents at the bot- cool period is important to ensure fresh vegetables. Cockroaches, grass-
tom. successful reproduction the follow- hoppers, mealworms, pink mice and
Fine sand, such as red desert, beach ing spring. Although ultraviolet light even other small lizards would all be
or plasterer’s sand make ideal sub- is probably not essential to these ani- readily accepted. Feeding for adults
strates. They are cheap, readily avail- mals, a Reptisun 5.0 tube, controlled takes place 2–3 times per week dur-
able and easy to keep clean. A layer by a timer, is positioned 30cm above ing the warm months, once a month
of approximately 4cm is provided for the substrate surface. This provides during cooler times. If temperatures
rough knob-tails. They are not avid a strong, natural photoperiod, which drop below 18°C no food is offered.
burrowers (unlike the smooth spe- is adjusted seasonally, as well as of- Juveniles are offered food every sec-
cies) as long as other shelter is pro- fering potentially beneficial ultravio- ond day. Food is dusted with a good
vided. Some keepers maintain their let light. The lizards are occasionally quality calcium/multivitamin powder
rough knob-tails on a paper substrate
quite successfully (Wagner & Lazik,
1996) and this is certainly better for
hygiene purposes. However, I pre-
fer a more natural cage covering and
this also reduces cage maintenance.
Once a week any droppings are re-
moved from the sand surface, a task
taking about a minute for each enclo-
sure. Once every 2–3 months the
substrate is totally replaced.
Other furnishings include a glass
water dish approximately 3cm in di-
ameter and 2cm deep and two or
three up-turned flower pot saucers
of appropriate size with an entry hole
cut in one side. The geckos will read-
ily use these as a home site and by
providing several in different areas of
the cage the lizard can chose a warm,
cool, moist or dry home. A flat rock
is also included, which is positioned di-
rectly over a heat pad. This provides
a good thermoregulation area for the
reptiles. A small amount of water is
poured onto the sand on one side
of one of the pot saucers once per
week. This provides a moist, humid
refuge if required by the animals. Suf-
ficient water is added so that the sand
almost dries out within the next 4-5
days.
As well as a low wattage heat pad
underneath one end of the enclosure,
a 25 or 40 watt incandescent light B.

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once per week and at other feeds Sexing adult rough knob-tailed geck- being visible through the abdominal
only a calcium powder is used. Knob- os is relatively straightforward once body wall of the gravid female, the
tails will readily learn to accept food the animals have reached around 12 sand beneath one home site is kept
from forceps even during the day. months of age. Males are noticeably constantly moist by adding additional
Keepers should endeavour to prac- smaller than females in length and water. This area will be utilised by
tise this method as much as possible bulk in both species. They also pos- the female for an oviposition site.
as it ensures each animal receives its sess a pair of hemipenal swellings at The eggs are usually buried some
fair share of food and it also guaran- the base of the tail just anterior of the 30–100mm deep in the sand. Females
tees that the food items is at its peak vent. Wagner & Lasik (1996) claim will continue to produce clutches of
nutritionally when it is eaten. If the knob-tails may be sexed by these eggs over the summer months with
insect is allowed to run around the bulges at 3 months of age. The au- clutches spaced between 27–69 days
enclosure until the lizards opportu- thor has found sexing of rough knob- apart. Clutches invariably comprise
nistically locate it, it may be 24 hours tails may still be problematic even at 1 or 2 eggs as with other gecko spe-
or more later before it is consumed. twelve months of age and is probably cies.
By this time the gut is probably empty dependent on growth rates. Immediately after laying, the eggs
(or filled with lizard droppings, which As mentioned above, sexes are kept are transferred to small 100ml clear
is the only food source in the cage) in pairs or trios of one male and two plastic containers with a lid, which
and the multivitamin/mineral dust has females all year round. A winter cool- have been filled with moist sphagnum
long since fallen off. ing period of around two and a half moss. The moss is soaked and then
months is provided, where tempera- has most of the water squeezed out,
Captive Breeding tures are lowered to an ambient of giving an approximate ratio of dry
10–18°C with a hot spot of 26–27°C sphagnum to water of 1:10 by weight.
during the day only. In mid-August The clutch is embedded in the cen-
the temperatures are gradually raised tre of the moss and the container is
in response to the prevailing natural sealed. No ventilation holes are add-
temperatures and food offerings are ed and the container is not opened
rapidly increased. The first eggs are until the eggs hatch. This technique
usually laid in October, indicating suc- has produced a higher hatch suc-
cessful mating takes place the previ- cess (approximately 95% hatch rate)
ous month. When egg laying is immi- with all types of gecko eggs than the
C. nent, as illustrated by the white shells more familiar vermiculite method.

Pails for Scales

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 D.

The sphagnum has a better moisture water is added so that the sand dries refuse to feed. Two or three crick-
holding capacity while at the same out between watering. The box is ets per lizard are usually offered at
time has more efficient airflow be- then placed over a length of 9cm each feeding session. Sexual maturity
cause of the air pockets amongst the wide heat tape so part of the sand is usually reached after 2–3 years.
moss. under the saucer is heated to a maxi-
Incubation temperature is main- mum temperature of around 32°C. References
tained between 27–29°C and eggs A section of the box lid is cut away
Annable, TJ. 1992
hatch in around 69–84 days for N. and replaced with aluminum insect
“Observations on the husbandry
amyae and between 68-94 days for mesh, which has been melted into
and captive breeding of Nephru-
N. asper. Incubation times as long the plastic lid around its edges using
rus asper, the spiny knob-tailed
as 122 days have been recorded a soldering iron. A Reptisun 5.0 UV
gecko.” Herpetofauna 22(1):7-11.
at lower temperatures (Annable, tube is situated 30cm above the sub-
1992). The first skin shed takes place strate surface. Bedford, G & Christian K. 1993
within 12 hours of hatching. Hatch- Hatchling rough knob-tails usually Egg size of the prickly knob-tailed
ling Queensland knob-tails weigh being feeding at around 10–14 days of gecko (Nephrurus asper, Gunther,
in around 2 - 3 grams and measure age. Two or three week old crick- 1876) with a preliminary comparison
37– 43mm in snout-vent length, while ets are an ideal size and these are of investment per progeny among
their Centralian relatives are much offered three times per week and geckos. Dactylus 1(4):38-41.
larger at 3 - 4.5 grams and 44–54mm dusted with the same Repcal/Herp-
snout-vent length. tivite ratio as the adults at every sec- Sameit, H.–J. 1988
Neonates are transferred to small ond feed for their first 5–6 months. Asper & Co. Australische
plastic lunchbox-type enclosures After this time, dusting is reduced to knopfschwanzgeckos. Aqua-
around 20cm x 15cm x 3cm in height once per week. It is important not Terr.Z., gart 41(6):162-164.
with a 2cm deep fine beach sand to introduce too many crickets to Wagner, E & Lazik C. 1996
substrate and a small upturned pot the enclosure at any one feed. The Husbandry and reproduction of
saucer. A small amount of water is young lizards begin to stress if several Australian geckos of the genus
poured onto the sand on one side of insects start to crawl over their feet Nephrurus. Reptiles May:56-67.
the saucer twice a week. Sufficient and bodies at the same time and then

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