Madagascar day gecko

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Madagascar day gecko
Madagascar day gecko (Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis), male, adult, in the terrarium

Madagascar day gecko ( Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis ), male, adult, in the terrarium

Systematics
Superordinate : Scale lizards (Lepidosauria)
Order : Scale reptiles (Squamata)
without rank: Geckos (gekkota)
Family : Geckos (Gekkonidae)
Genre : Day geckos ( Phelsuma )
Type : Madagascar day gecko
Scientific name
Phelsuma madagascariensis
Gray , 1831
Subspecies
  • Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis - nominate form
  • Phelsuma madagascariensis boehmei

The Madagascar Taggecko ( Phelsuma madagascariensis ) is within the genus of Taggeckos ( Phelsuma ) of the major species.

With a total length of up to 24 cm and a head-trunk length of up to 12 cm, the subspecies Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis is the larger of the two subspecies; P. m. boehmei reaches a total length of up to 23 cm and a head-torso length of up to 11 cm.

Until 2007, P. m. grandis ( Great Madagascar day gecko ) and P. m. kochi as a subspecies, then received species status.

coloring

The basic color of this colorful adhesive toe (you can walk with your feet on a smooth surface (e.g. panes of glass)) is green, the top of the head and tail can be dark green, sometimes even tinged with turquoise and bluish. Red-brown spots (but mostly reddish-orange) of varying intensity and arrangement can occur on its upper side. It always ends at the base of its tail. Often in the middle of the front half of the back there is an - often interrupted - red-brown stripe. A distinctive red-brown line runs from the nostril through the eye region to above the ear opening. With the exception of this nasofrenal strip, the red-brown markings can also be missing. The Madagascar day gecko can quickly darken when it is uncomfortable, which makes it difficult to identify: you sometimes think you are looking at animals of a different species. This species is the fastest color changer in the Madagascariensis group. However, a constant dark color is a symptom of constant stress, oppression by other animals or illness.

The underside is light cream to light green, the throat is sometimes striped, the cloaca region (preanoemoral pores) in the male is yellow. The underside of the tail of the males can be light blue.

The skin between the scales is light yellow-orange, which distinguishes it from Phelsuma madagascariensis subsp. boehmei plays a major role (exception: the Madagascar day geckos of the subspecies madagascariensis on the island of Nosy Boraha, which also have dark intercalated skin). In contrast to Phelsuma madagascariensis subsp. kochi , the tops of the legs in the subspecies madagascarienses are not speckled.

Madagascar day gecko ( Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis ), juvenile, in the terrarium

The young animals have a completely different color and pattern. On the yellow to olive-green base color, red-brown lines and spots as well as white and dark brown points are irregularly distributed, the flanks can be red-brown-orange, the underside is yellow, the underside of the tail orange, sometimes also medium blue. After a year, the juvenile color changes into that of the adult animals.

These geckos, like all others, can throw off their tail in case of danger, the tail still trembles, so that the attacker is confused and the gecko can run away.

classification

Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis is the Nominatform the earlier of four sub-types existing species . The subspecies P. m. grandis ( Great Madagascar day gecko ) and P. m. kochi received species status in 2007, so that P. madagascariensis madagascariensis and P. madagascariensis boehmei currently represent the two subspecies of the species.

Occurrence and habitat

Satellite photo of Madagascar showing the distribution of Phelsuma madagascariensis subsp. madagascariensis

The name Madagascar day gecko is derived from its occurrence in Madagascar . The Terra typica designata (MERTENS 1970) is Tamatave / Toamasina in eastern Madagascar. He lives as a cultural companion on the east coast of Madagascar - tellingly green on the satellite image. It can be found in primary and secondary forests, but even more so on hut walls, on roofs, in banana plantations. The mean annual temperature there is 27.5 ° C, the lowest temperature is 11 ° C, the highest is 36 ° C. The annual precipitation there amounts to 3530 mm, the air humidity averages 82.5%.

threat

Like all day geckos and other animals and plants in Madagascar, the Madagascar day gecko is threatened by the destruction of its habitat (primary forests, secondary forests, the construction of huge hotel complexes), the associated use of insecticides, and capture and export. However , it has not yet been classified as endangered by the IUCN .

Terrarium keeping

Breeding animals are preferable for keeping in terrariums . The easy cultivation makes imports superfluous. In Germany, the species is so successfully bred that it was exempted from the reporting obligation in 2005 in accordance with Annex 5) to Section 7 (2) of the Federal Species Protection Ordinance; furthermore, the lawful acquisition and the origin must be proven.

A more or less dense planting with large-leaved plants ( bow hemp ), a lot of climbing possibilities (bamboo, yucca , high terrarium), a lot of light, air and space, high humidity without stickiness are with this species, which is easy to keep and grow and very trusting can be announced. In the long term, only a paired keeping is possible due to the intrapspecial and extrapspecific aggressiveness. If there is too much banana pulp and other foods with a high content of sugar, the animals tend to become fatty more quickly, which should be avoided. If kept optimally, the animals can live up to 20 years in captivity.

literature

  • Hans-Peter Berghof: Day geckos. The genus Phelsuma. Maintenance and propagation. Natur-und-Tier-Verlag, Münster 2005, ISBN 3-937285-45-8 .
  • Wolfgang Böhme , Harald Meier: On the area studies of Phelsuma madagascariensis (GRAY, 1831) based on the A. Koenig and Senckenberg museum collections, with comments on the variability of Phelsuma m. kochi MERTENS, 1954. In: Salamandra Vol. 27, No. 3, 1991, ISSN  0036-3375 , pp. 143-151.
  • Gerhard Hallmann, Jens Krüger, Gerd Trautmann: Fascinating day geckos. The genus Phelsuma. 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Natur-und-Tier-Verlag, Münster 2008, ISBN 978-3-86659-059-5 .
  • Friedrich-Wilhelm Henkel, Wolfgang Schmidt (ed.): Amphibians and reptiles of Madagascar, the Mascarene, Seychelles and Comoros. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-8001-7323-9 .

Web links

Commons : Madagascar day gecko ( Phelsuma madagascariensis )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. See protection status and statutory provisions . IG Phelsuma, accessed July 8, 2016.