| Gold dust day gecko | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Subfamily: | Gekkoninae |
| Genus: | Phelsuma |
| Species: | P. laticauda |
| Binomial name | |
| Phelsuma laticauda Boettger, 1880 |
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The gold dust day gecko (Phelsuma laticauda (Boettger, 1880) (syn. Pachydactylus laticauda Boettger, 1880)) is a diurnal species of gecko. It lives in northern Madagascar and on the Comoros, it has been also introduced to Hawaii and other Pacific islands. It typically inhabits various kinds of trees and houses. The gold dust day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.
Contents |
This lizard belongs to the smaller day geckos, and can reach a total length of about 15–22 cm (6–9 in). The body colour is a bright green or yellowish green or rarely even blue. Typical for this day gecko are the yellow speckles on the neck and the upper back. There are three rust-coloured transverse bars on the snout and head; the upper part of the skin around the eye is blue. On the lower back there are three tapering red bars. The tail is slightly flattened. The under side is off-white.
The gold dust day gecko inhabits the northern part of Madagascar. It can also be found on the island of Nosy Bé, the Comoros and Réunion island. The species has also been introduced to the Seychelles, and onto the Hawaiian Islands, where it is established on both sides of O'ahu, the Kona side of the Big Island, and on Maui (McKeown, 1993). It has also been spotted on Kauai and the eastern tip of the Big Island.
These day geckos feed on various insects and other invertebrates, and are also capable of eating other smaller lizards. They also eat soft, sweet fruit and pollen and nectar from flowers, often congregating in groups of many individuals to feed off of one plant.
The males of this species are rather aggressive and can be quite quarrelsome. They do not accept other males in their territorry. In captivity, where the females cannot escape, the males may also seriously wound a female. In this case the male and female must be separated.
The females lay up to 5 pairs of eggs. At a temperature of 28°C, the young will hatch after approximately 40–45 days. The juveniles measure 55–60 mm. They should be kept separately since even the juveniles can be quite quarrelsome. Sexual maturity is reached after 10–12 months.
These animals should be housed singly or in pairs and need a large, well-planted terrarium. The temperature should be about 28°C during the day and drop to around 20°C at night. The humidity should be maintained between 65 and 75%. In captivity, these animals can be fed with crickets, wax worms (wax moth larva), fruit flies, maggots, meal worms and houseflies.