Pasteur's day gecko (''Phelsuma v-nigra pasteuri'' ; synonym, ''Phelsuma pasteuri'' ) is a small diurnal

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

. It lives in the

Comoros The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. It ...

and typically inhabits trees and bushes. Pasteur's day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.

Etymology

This subspecies (or species) is named ''pasteuri'' in honor of French

herpetologist Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and rept ...

Georges Pasteur.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . "''Phelsuma (v-nigra) pasteuri'' ", p. 201.

Description

This lizard belongs to the smallest day geckos. It can reach a maximum length of approximately . The body colour is bright green. The tail may be bright blue. There is a red v-shaped stripe on the snout and a red bar between the eyes. On the back there often are a number of small red-brick coloured dots. Typical is the turquoise blue patch in the neck region, which may be segmented by a small red dorsal stripe. A yellow ring around the eye is present. This subspecies doesn't have the typical v-shaped marking on the throat The ventral side is yellowish.

Distribution

This subspecies only inhabits the island

Mayotte Mayotte (; french: Mayotte, ; Shimaore: ''Maore'', ; Kibushi: ''Maori'', ), officially the Department of Mayotte (french: Département de Mayotte), is an overseas department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is loc ...

in the Comoros.

Habitat

''Phelsuma v-nigra pasteuri'' is found on bushes and trees along streams.

Diet

These day geckos feed on various insects and other invertebrates. They also like to lick soft, sweet fruit, pollen and nectar.

Care and maintenance in captivity

These animals should be housed in pairs and need a medium-sized, well planted terrarium. The daytime temperature should be between , and at night. The humidity should be not too high. A two-month winter cooldown should be included during which temperatures should be during daytime and at night. In captivity, these animals can be fed with crickets, wax moth larvae, fruit flies, mealworms and houseflies.