La Digue day gecko
Encyclopedia
Phelsuma sundbergi ladiguensis is a diurnal
subspecies
of La Digue Day Gecko
. It lives on the islands Ladigue, Felicite and Cocco
in the Seychelles
, and typically inhabits trees and dwellings. The Seychelles giant day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.
, Felicité
and Cocco
in the Seychelles
.
This is a skittish species that should not be handled and is prone to escape. 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. A commercial powered Crested Gecko diet (made by Repashy and mixed with water), supplemented with occasional insects, works well and supports breeding. This diet works well for most fruit/nectar-eating geckos.
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...
subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of La Digue Day Gecko
La Digue Day Gecko
The La Digue Day Gecko, Mahé Day Gecko, or Seychelles Giant Day Gecko is a species of lizard in the Gekkonidae family.It is endemic to Seychelles....
. It lives on the islands Ladigue, Felicite and Cocco
Cocco
is a female Ryukyuan folk rock singer who debuted in 1996 with a self-titled EP titled Cocko. A track from the EP, "Sing a Song ~No Music, No Life~", was used in an advertising campaign for Tower Records Japan. In March 1997, she released her major label debut single "Kauntodaun" and a full-length...
in the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
, and typically inhabits trees and dwellings. The Seychelles giant day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.
Description
This lizard is large day gecko. It can reach a total length of about 16 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 redish dots and bars present which can be quite variable in appearance. These geckos have yellow eye rings. The throat is yellow. The ventral side is yellowish white or yellow.Distribution
This species is found on the islands La DigueLa Digue
La Digue is the fourth largest inhabited island of the Seychelles, lying east of Praslin and west of Felicite Island. It has a population of about 2,000 people, who mostly live in the west coast villages of La Passe and La Réunion. It has an area of 10 km²...
, Felicité
Felicite Island
Félicité Island is a small heavy forested granitic island 4 km east of La Digue in the Seychelles. It is 2.68 km² and today is a resort that can handle up to 20 guests.The highest point on the island is 213 meters....
and Cocco
Cocco
is a female Ryukyuan folk rock singer who debuted in 1996 with a self-titled EP titled Cocko. A track from the EP, "Sing a Song ~No Music, No Life~", was used in an advertising campaign for Tower Records Japan. In March 1997, she released her major label debut single "Kauntodaun" and a full-length...
in the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
.
Habitat
Phelsuma sundbergi ladiguensis is often found on different large trees such coconut palms. This species also lives near or on human dwellings.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 singly or in pairs. Unpaired P. sundbergi ladiguensis are prone to fighting, sometimes causing significant injury or death if not quickly removed.This is a skittish species that should not be handled and is prone to escape. 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. A commercial powered Crested Gecko diet (made by Repashy and mixed with water), supplemented with occasional insects, works well and supports breeding. This diet works well for most fruit/nectar-eating geckos.