Seychelles giant day gecko (''Phelsuma sundbergi sundbergi'') is
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 ...
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 ...
s. It lives on the island
Praslin
Praslin () is the second largest island (38.5 km2) of the Inner Seychelles, lying northeast of Mahé in the Somali Sea. Praslin has a population of around 7,533 people and comprises two administrative districts: Baie Sainte Anne and Gra ...
in the
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
and typically inhabits trees and dwellings. The Seychelles giant day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.
Scientific synonyms
* ''Phelsuma sundbergi''
Rendahl
Carl Hialmar Rendahl (born Jönköping 26 December 1891; died Stockholm 2 May 1969) was a Swedish zoologist, cartoonist and painter. He is most famous in Sweden for his authorship of ''Fågelboken'', the "bird book" which sold 60,000 copies.
Renda ...
, 1939
* ''Phelsuma pulchra''
Rendahl
Carl Hialmar Rendahl (born Jönköping 26 December 1891; died Stockholm 2 May 1969) was a Swedish zoologist, cartoonist and painter. He is most famous in Sweden for his authorship of ''Fågelboken'', the "bird book" which sold 60,000 copies.
Renda ...
, 1939
* ''Phelsuma cousinense''
Rendahl
Carl Hialmar Rendahl (born Jönköping 26 December 1891; died Stockholm 2 May 1969) was a Swedish zoologist, cartoonist and painter. He is most famous in Sweden for his authorship of ''Fågelboken'', the "bird book" which sold 60,000 copies.
Renda ...
, 1939
* ''Phelsuma menaiensis''
Mertens __NOTOC__
Mertens () is a surname of Flemish Origin, meaning "son of Merten" (Martin). It is the fifth most common name in Belgium with 18,518 people in 2008.
Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 43.4% of all known bearers of the surname ''Merte ...
, 1966
* ''Phelsuma rubra''
Börner & Minuth, 1982
* ''Phelsuma umbrae''
Börner & Minuth, 1982
Description
This lizard is one of the larger day geckos. It can reach a total length of about 20 cm. The body colour is bright green or bluish green. A faint red stripe extends from the nostril to the eye. On the back there are irregularly shaped reddish dots and bars present. The ventral side is white.
Distribution
This species is found on the island
Praslin
Praslin () is the second largest island (38.5 km2) of the Inner Seychelles, lying northeast of Mahé in the Somali Sea. Praslin has a population of around 7,533 people and comprises two administrative districts: Baie Sainte Anne and Gra ...
and
Curieuse
Curieuse Island is a small granitic island in the Seychelles close to the north coast of the island of Praslin. Curieuse is notable for its bare red earth intermingled with the unique coco de mer palms, one of the cultural icons of the Seychelles ...
in the
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
Habitat
''Phelsuma sundbergi sundbergii'' is often found on different large trees such coconut palms, sea grape and coco-de-mer palms (''
Lodoicea maldivica''). This species also lives on human dwellings. This day gecko also shares its habitat with ''
Phelsuma astriata
''Phelsuma astriata'', the Seychelles (small) day gecko or stripeless day gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gecko, Gekkonidae endemic to the Seychelles.
Its natural habitats are subtropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical dry forest ...
'' which may be eaten or pursued by the Seychelles giant day gecko if it attempts to reside on the same trees.
Diet
These day geckos feed on various insects and other invertebrates. They also like to lick soft, sweet fruit, pollen and nectar.
Behaviour
While feeding, these geckos aid in the pollination of palm trees by transferring pollen between female and male trees.
Reproduction
The females of this species are colony nesters and more than 50 eggs can be found at one location. At a temperature of 28 °C, the juveniles will hatch after approximately 56–71 days.
Care and maintenance in captivity
These animals should be housed in pairs. They need a large, well planted terrarium. The temperature should be about 28 °C during the day. The humidity should be maintained around 65–75% during the day and slightly higher at night. In captivity, these animals can be fed with crickets, wax moth larvae, fruit flies, mealworms and houseflies.
References
* Henkel, F.-W. and W. Schmidt (1995) ''Amphibien und Reptilien Madagaskars, der Maskarenen, Seychellen und Komoren''. Ulmer Stuttgart.
*
McKeown, Sean (1993) ''The general care and maintenance of day geckos''. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside CA.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q16992529
Fauna of Seychelles
Phelsuma