Mahé day gecko (''Phelsuma sundbergi longinsulae'') is a diurnal

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

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. They range from . Geckos are unique among lizards ...

s. It lives on the western granite islands of the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...

and typically inhabits trees and human dwellings. The Seychelles giant day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.

Description

This lizard is a mid-size day gecko. It can reach a total length of about 15 cm. The body colour is bright green or bluish green. A red stripe extends from the nostril to the eye. On the back there are irregularly shaped reddish dots and bars present which form longitudinal rows. On the head there is a red v-shaped marking. These geckos have a yellow eye ring. The ventral side is yellowish white or yellow.

Distribution

This species is found on the western granite islands of the

including the island Mahé.

Habitat

''Phelsuma sundbergi longinsulae'' is often found in coconut plantations, gardens, bushes and trees. This species often lives near or on human dwellings. This day gecko also shares its habitat with ''

Phelsuma astriata astriata ''Phelsuma astriata astriata'' is a subspecies of Seychelles small day gecko. It is a small, slender lizard with bright green colour that feeds primarily on insects. It is found on several islands of the Seychelles. Description Its body is li ...

''.

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. These geckos often live in small groups of one male and several females.

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 75–85% 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. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mahe day gecko Phelsuma Reptiles of Seychelles