Congrats Renee! I, too just hatched my first U. phantasticus a few days ago. She hatched 1/31/01 and she is still going strong today. Yours sounds similar to mine, it's a deep reddish/purplish kinda color, but mine doesn't have the lichen spots. Mine is a female. You can tell this because the tail (when it fully widens out a couple days after the first shed is completed) will have either "chunks" missing from the sides (male) or it will be solid all around (female). Daniel and Jon are very right, keeping the temperatures low to slow their metabolism is indeed very helpful. I have mine at 70-72. I feed "fly size" crickets (around 1/8") dusted with calcium every day. I believe calcium is essential the first month or so. Keep him/her in a tall (5" diameter at the top and 3 1/2" tall) deli cup. I used three layers of paper towels as a substrate. I cut out two layers of regular white paper towels to fit in the bottom, and one made of paper bag. For the first week I used a white paper towel under a brown paper bag piece. I have heard that the white can be strainful to their little eyes and that a brown substrate is best. After the first week to 10 days, when I saw it was eating well, I placed a piece of paper towel on the bottom, then a piece of paper bag and on top a piece of paper towel. this way the paper towel isn't as bright because you can see the paper bag through it. Three layers also helps soak up the excess water from daily mistings. I mist (w/ a very light mist) 2-3 times a day. Water will collect into a pool very quickly under these conditions so be sure to empty excess water as to not drown the hatchling or the crickets. Hope my experiences help you some. Also attached are 2 pics of my baby. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
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