Mauritius lowland forest day gecko

Mauritius lowland forest day gecko
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Gekkonidae
Subfamily:	Gekkoninae
Genus:	Phelsuma
Species:	P. guimbeaui
Subspecies:	P. g. guimbeaui
Trinomial name
Phelsuma guimbeaui guimbeaui Mertens, 1963

The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko (Phelsuma guimbeaui guimbeaui Mertens, 1963) is a diurnal subspecies of gecko. It lives on the western coast of Mauritius and typically inhabits large trees. The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.

Description

This lizard belongs to the mid-sized Phelsuma genus. Males can reach a total length of about 15.5 cm. Females are only 9-13 cm. The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko has a short, compact body form. The body colour is a brilliant green with a diffuse blue area on the neck region. There are irregular shaped orange-red bars and spots on the back and tail, the tip of which may be blue. The ventral side is whitish-yellow. One or two brown v-shaped bars are present on the chin. Juveniles are greyish-brown with little white spots. They start changing their colour after 6 months and after 12-15 they have the adult appearance.

Distribution

This species inhabits the western side of Mauritius. It occurs at low and mid elevation. Populations can be found at the villages of Chamarel, Yemen, Tamarin and Grande Rivière Noire. Phelsuma guimbeaui guimbeaui is also established on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

Habitat

The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko prefers large trees such as palms and acacia species. It gecko is only rarely seen near human dwellings. P. guimbeaui. guimbeaui lives in the drier and warmer part of Mauritius. Much of the lowland forest of Mauritius, which is the original habitat of P. guimbeaui. guimbeaui, has been cleared to make way for sugar cane plantations. This day gecko sometimes shares its habitat with Phelsuma cepediana and Phelsuma ornata ornata.

Diet

The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko feeds on various insects and other invertebrates. It also likes to lick soft, sweet fruit, pollen and nectar.

Behaviour

The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko is rather shy because it is heavily predated by different bird species.

Reproduction

The pairing season is between March and the first weeks of September. During this period, the females lay up to 6 pairs of eggs. The young will hatch after approximately 60-90 days. The juveniles measure 36-40 mm. The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko is an egg gluer and often a colony nester. It often lays its eggs in tree holes. Juveniles reach pubescence after 18-20 months.

Care and maintenance in captivity

These animals should be housed in pairs and need a large, well planted terrarium. The daytime temperature should be between 29 and 32 °C. During the night, the temperature should drop to approximately 20 °C. The humidity should be maintained between 60 and 70%. In captivity, these animals can be fed with crickets, wax moths, fruits flies, mealworms and houseflies.

References

• Henkel, F.-W. and W. Schmidt (1995) Amphibien und Reptilien Madagaskars, der Maskarenen, Seychellen und Komoren. Ulmer Stuttgart. ISBN 3-8001-7323-9
• McKeown, Sean (1993) The general care and maintenance of day geckos. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside CA.