Boehme's giant day gecko (Phelsuma madagascariensis boehmei Meier

Harald Meier

Harald Meier was a German herpetologist who discovered the Phelsuma pusilla hallmanni, a subspecies of geckos....

, 1982) is a diurnal

Diurnal animal

Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...

 species of gecko

Gecko

Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....

. It lives in eastern Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

 and typically inhabits rainforests and dwells on trees. Boehme's giant day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.

Description

This lizard belongs to the largest living day geckos. It can reach a total length of about 22 cm. The body colour is bright green. The skin between the scales has a black colour. A dark red-coloured stripe extends from the nostril to behind the eye. On the head and back there are irregularly shaped brownish or red-brick coloured dots.

Distribution

This species only inhabits the region around Andasibe and Ranomafana in eastern Madagascar.

Habitat

Phelsuma magascariensis boehmei is a rainforest species and is often found on trees high in the canopy. The east coast of Madagascar has a humid and warm climate. However, from June-August, the night temperature can be as low as 10°C and around 20–25°C during the day.

Diet

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

Behaviour

This Phelsuma species is apparently not as quarrelsome as other members of the genus.

Reproduction

The pairing season is between November and January. During this period, the females lay up to 6 pairs of eggs. At a temperature of 28°C, the young will hatch after approximately 48–55 days. The juveniles measure 60–65 mm.

Care and maintenance in captivity

These animals should be housed in pairs and need a large, well planted terrarium. The humidity should be maintained between 75 and 100%. It is often suggested (McKeown, 1993; Henkel & Schmidt, 1995) that the daytime temperature should be between 25 and 28°C between November and January. These authors also suggest that between July and August, the daytime temperature should be 25°C while dropping it to 15°C at night. This way one simulates the rainforest environment. However the period between July and August corresponds with the warmest months on the northern hemisphere so active cooling might be necessary. For some breeders it therefore may be more adequate to shift this essential drop in temperature to the colder months (November–January) and the higher temperature to the months April–August. In captivity, these animals can be fed with crickets, wax moths, fruit flies, mealworms and houseflies.