''Phelsuma pronki'', also known as Pronk's day gecko, is a critically endangered diurnal species of

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 ...

, a

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to central Madagascar, and threatened by severe habitat loss and collection for the international pet trade. It typically inhabits rainforests, dwells on trees, and feeds on insects and nectar.

Etymology

The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''pronki'', is in honor of Dutch naturalist

Olaf Pronk Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" a ...

Description

''P. pronki'' belongs to the smallest day geckos. It can reach a total length (including tail) of about . The body colour is greyish, and the head is yellow. Four serrated black stripes extend from the snout to the tail. The extremities are blackish with grey speckles. A yellow eye ring is present.

Geographic range

''P. pronki'' inhabits the rainforest of the highland of central Madagascar near Andramasina.

Habitat

The habitat of ''Phelsuma pronki'' is rainy and very moist. There is a huge difference in temperature between night and day and between the different seasons. During the colder months, the temperature can be as low as at night, yet over during the day.

Diet

''P. pronki'' feeds on various insects, other invertebrates, and nectar.

Reproduction

The females of ''P. pronki'' glue their eggs under loose bark.

Captivity

This critically endangered species is still wild-caught for the international pet trade. It can be captive-bred by experts. ''Phelsuma pronki'' should be housed in pairs and need a well-planted terrarium which should provide many places to hide. It is important that there are some spot lights for basking. The daytime temperature should be around , while at night the temperature should drop to . The humidity should be maintained between 75 and 100%. In captivity, these animals can be fed with crickets, wax moth larvae, fruit flies, mealworms, and houseflies.

References

*Henkel, Friedrich-Wilhelm; Schmidt, Wolfgang (1995). ''Amphibien und Reptilien Madagaskars, der Maskarenen, Seychellen und Komoren''. 311 pp. Stuttgart: Ulmer. . (in German). * McKeown, Sean (1993). ''The general care and maintenance of day geckos''. Lakeside, California: Advanced Vivarium Systems. * Rösler H (2000). "''Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha)''". ''Gekkota'' 2: 28-153. (''Phelsuma pronki'', p. 103). (in German). *Seipp, Robert (1994). "''Eine neue Art der Gattung'' Phelsuma ''Gray 1825 aus Zentral-Madagaskar (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae)''". ''Senckenbergiana biologica, Frankfurt'' 74 (1–2): 193-197. (''Phelsuma pronki'', new species). (in German). {{DEFAULTSORT:Phelsuma Pronki Phelsuma Reptiles described in 1994 Endemic fauna of Madagascar Reptiles of Africa Species endangered by the pet trade Reptiles as pets