Gold dust day gecko
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Gold dust day gecko ( Phelsuma laticauda ) |
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| Phelsuma laticauda | ||||||||||||
| Boettger , 1880 |
The gold dust day gecko ( Phelsuma laticauda , Syn . : Pachydactylus laticauda ) is a diurnal gecko species. It is native to northern Madagascar and the Comoros . This gecko inhabits trees and houses.
features
This lizard is one of the smaller day geckos . It reaches a total length of about 12 cm. The body color is light green, yellowish green or blue-green. The yellow scales in the neck region and on the front back are typical of this species. There are three red vertical stripes on the back, which narrow towards the base of the tail. The tail is slightly flattened. The underside is creamy white. The eyes are covered with a blue stripe on the top.
distribution
The original range of the gold dust day gecko includes the northern part of Madagascar, the island of Nosy Be and the Comoros . There are now significant anthropogenic occurrences (deportation, captive refugees and deliberate releases). Thus, the species is now on Reunion , Mauritius , the Farquhar Atoll ( Seychelles ) and on some islands of Hawaii -Inselgruppe so on O'ahu , on Big Iceland , and on Maui before.
habitat
The gold dust day gecko is often found near settlements as a cultural follower. It inhabits different types of trees, larger plants such as deciduous trees, coconut and other palms, sisal agaves, banana trees and houses. It shares the habitat with palm day geckos ( Phelsuma dubia ).
Way of life
This species eats insects and other arthropods . Sweet fruit , pollen and nectar are also eaten with pleasure. In terrariums, this food is often supplemented with vitamin and mineral supplements.
The males of this day gecko species can be quite aggressive. They do not accept other males around. In captivity, where the females are unable to escape, the males can also seriously injure the females. In this case, the animals must be separated.
The females lay up to five pairs of eggs per year. At a constant temperature of 28 ° C, the young hatch after about 40 to 45 days. The boys are between 55 and 60 millimeters tall. Since the young animals can also be aggressive, they should be raised separately. Sexual maturity is reached after 10 to 12 months.
literature
- Friedrich-Wilhelm Henkel, Wolfgang Schmidt (ed.): Amphibians and reptiles of Madagascar, the Mascarene, Seychelles and Comoros. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-8001-7323-9 .
- Sean McKeown: The general care and maintenance of day geckos. Special edition. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside CA 1993.
Web links
- Biotropics.com
- Phelsuma laticauda in Encyclopedia of Life
- Phelsuma laticauda in The Reptile Database
- Phelsuma laticauda inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Gerlach, J., Ineich, I. & Vences, M., 2011. Accessed January 31, 2014.
Individual evidence
- ↑ occurring on both sides of the island, cf. Onomea Bay and Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden