Day Gecko
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PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
There are about 25 species of Day Geckos (genus Phelsuma) mainly from Madagascar. Most Phelsuma species are brightly colored and strikingly patterned.
Mauritius Day Geckos, Phelsuma cepediana, grow to 4-6 inches. They are dark green to blue-green with attractive red spots. They are known to be quite quarrelsome. Females are smaller and slightly less colorful.
Gold Dust Geckos, Phelsuma laticauda, grow to 4-6 inches. Their head is bright green with three tear-drop shaped red spots on their backs. They are bright blue around the eyes, with scattered yellow or gold scales on their shoulders. Gold Dust Geckos can survive prolonged dry periods.
They are also known as the Flat-tailed day gecko.
Lowland Forest Orange-spotted day gecko, Phelsuma guimbeaui guimbeaui, are usually green.
Seychelles Day Gecko, Phelsuma sundbergi, are bright green in color.
Day Geckos are relatively strongly built. Their toes have well-developed, broad adhesive lamellae (thin flat scales), without claws. Their eyes are large with round pupils. The scales on their backs have a grainy appearance.
The name 'gecko' probably derives from the calls of these lizards, produced by clicking their broad tongue against the roof of their mouth.
Sexually mature females may have calcium deposits in their endolymphatic sacs located just behind the ears.
Sexually mature males develop enlarged pores on femoral scales on their hind legs and produce a waxy exudate resembling droplets.
DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:
Day Geckos are from Madagascar, various neighboring island groups, and the coast of East Africa. They inhabit tropical forests and coconut plantations.
BEHAVIOR:
Day geckos are diurnal, and arboreal. They tend to prefer relatively smooth areas to rest and sunbathe. Most species are rather quarrelsome among each other.
DIET:
In the wild their diet consists mainly of various arthropods (crabs, insects, spiders and scorpions) and occasionally some sweet fruit. They also like to lick honey.
In the zoo, geckos are fed small crickets, mealworms, and occasionally mashed papayas. Because it is difficult to teach geckos to drink water from a dish, their enclosure is periodically misted and they take water from the leaves.
REPRODUCTION and GROWTH
Females lay two eggs several times a year that require an incubation period of two to three months. The young reach sexual maturity in one year.
Males can be recognized by their distinctly broader head. Adult males are usually more colorful than adult females.
Sexually mature males develop enlarged pores on their hind legs and produce a waxy substance resembling droplets. Sexually mature females may have calcium deposits on each side of the neck.
