Phelsuma
Encyclopedia
The genus Phelsuma consists of several lizard
s in the gecko
family, commonly referred to as Day Geckos.
species, day geckos are active mainly during the day. Other diurnal geckos are members of the genus Lygodactylus
and the genus Gonatodes
. Day geckos have rounded pupils and a clear, fixed plate covering their eyes which they clean with their tongue. Day geckos do not have eyelids. Many species have bright green, red and blue colors which make them popular terrarium or vivarium
pets. These brilliant colours play a role in intraspecies recognition and also serve as camouflage.
The length of the different Phelsuma species varies between about 6.5 to 30 cm (2.6 to 11.8 in), but the extinct Rodrigues Giant Day Gecko
was even larger. Day geckos have toe pads consisting of tiny lamellae which allow them to walk on plain vertical and inverted surfaces like bamboo or glass. The inner toe on each foot is vestigial. Males have well-developed femoral
pores on the undersurface of the rear limbs. These pores are less developed or absent in females. Females often have well-developed endolymphatic chalk sacs on the sides of their necks. These sacs store calcium, which is needed for egg production. Those eggs can often be seen through the ventral surface of the female's body shortly before they are laid. The hatchlings reach sexual maturity between 6-12 months. Smaller species may live up to ten years whereas the larger species have been reported to live more than 20 years in captivity.
. The exceptions are Phelsuma andamanense, which is endemic to the Andaman Islands
in the Bay of Bengal
, and Phelsuma dubia, which is also found on the East Coast of mainland Africa, although it is possible that it was introduced there. Most Phelsumas are found in Madagascar
, which may also be the origin of the genus. Some species are found on neighbouring island groups, including the Mascarenes, Seychelles
, Comoros
. Due to human introduction, they are also often found on some of the Hawaiian Islands
, including the Big Island
and Kauai
, and the state of Florida
, where they were introduced as a form of pest control. The different Phelsuma species can be found from sea level up to 2,300 meters. Most day geckos are arboreal. They inhabit, amongst others, coconut
palms and banana
trees, but can also be found near human settlements, in gardens, on fences, houses and huts. An exception to this rule is Phelsuma barbouri, which is a terrestrial species.
Day geckos feed on various kinds of insect
s and other invertebrate
s in the wild. They also eat nectar, pollen and occasionally soft, ripe and sweet fruits such as bananas.
In captivity, such a diet is simulated. Insects which may be used include: (wingless) fruit flies
, various flies
, wax moths, cricket
s, small super worms, small butter worms and mealworm
s. Fruit, which is required a few times a week, may be small pieces of papaya
, banana
, fruit based baby food, or commercial gecko nectars.
In 2008 a BBC
film crew took footage of a Day gecko successfully begging a Planthopper
insect
for honeydew
.
in 1825 and named after the Dutch
physician Murk van Phelsum
. The genus consists of about 70 known species
and subspecies
.
Two Phelsuma species (Phelsuma gigas and Phelsuma edwardnewtoni) are now considered to be extinct, probably due to the destruction of their environment by human settlers and their domestic animals. Many day gecko species are endangered today because an increasing percentage of their natural habitat, especially tropical forest, is being destroyed by human activity.
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s in the 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....
family, commonly referred to as Day Geckos.
Description
In contrast to most other geckoGecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
species, day geckos are active mainly during the day. Other diurnal geckos are members of the genus Lygodactylus
Lygodactylus
Lygodactylus is a genus of diurnal geckos with approximately 60 species. They are commonly referred to as Dwarf Geckos. They are mainly found in Africa and Madagascar although two species are found in South America. Lygodactylus picturatus, the best known species, is found in Kenya and commonly...
and the genus Gonatodes
Gonatodes
Gonatodes is a genus of dwarf geckos of the family Gekkonidae. The majority of the species in the genus are diurnally active and sexually dichromatic....
. Day geckos have rounded pupils and a clear, fixed plate covering their eyes which they clean with their tongue. Day geckos do not have eyelids. Many species have bright green, red and blue colors which make them popular terrarium or vivarium
Vivarium
A vivarium is a usually enclosed area for keeping and raising animals or plants for observation or research...
pets. These brilliant colours play a role in intraspecies recognition and also serve as camouflage.
The length of the different Phelsuma species varies between about 6.5 to 30 cm (2.6 to 11.8 in), but the extinct Rodrigues Giant Day Gecko
Rodrigues giant day gecko
Rodrigues giant day gecko was an extinct diurnal species of gecko. It lived on the island of Rodrigues and surrounding islands and typically dwelt on trees. The Rodrigues giant day gecko fed on insects and nectar.-Description:...
was even larger. Day geckos have toe pads consisting of tiny lamellae which allow them to walk on plain vertical and inverted surfaces like bamboo or glass. The inner toe on each foot is vestigial. Males have well-developed femoral
Femoral
Femoral can refer to:* Femoral artery* Femoral vein* Femur* Femoral triangle* Femoral nerve...
pores on the undersurface of the rear limbs. These pores are less developed or absent in females. Females often have well-developed endolymphatic chalk sacs on the sides of their necks. These sacs store calcium, which is needed for egg production. Those eggs can often be seen through the ventral surface of the female's body shortly before they are laid. The hatchlings reach sexual maturity between 6-12 months. Smaller species may live up to ten years whereas the larger species have been reported to live more than 20 years in captivity.
Distribution and habitat
Day geckos inhabit the islands of the south-west part of the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. The exceptions are Phelsuma andamanense, which is endemic to the Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
in the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
, and Phelsuma dubia, which is also found on the East Coast of mainland Africa, although it is possible that it was introduced there. Most Phelsumas are found in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, which may also be the origin of the genus. Some species are found on neighbouring island groups, including the Mascarenes, 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....
, Comoros
Comoros
The Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar...
. Due to human introduction, they are also often found on some of the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, including the Big Island
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
and Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
, and the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where they were introduced as a form of pest control. The different Phelsuma species can be found from sea level up to 2,300 meters. Most day geckos are arboreal. They inhabit, amongst others, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
palms and banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
trees, but can also be found near human settlements, in gardens, on fences, houses and huts. An exception to this rule is Phelsuma barbouri, which is a terrestrial species.
Diet
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and other invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s in the wild. They also eat nectar, pollen and occasionally soft, ripe and sweet fruits such as bananas.
In captivity, such a diet is simulated. Insects which may be used include: (wingless) fruit flies
Drosophilidae
Drosophilidae is a diverse, cosmopolitan family of flies, which includes fruit flies. Another family of flies called Tephritidae also includes fruit flies. The best known species of Drosophilidae is Drosophila melanogaster, within the genus Drosophila, and this species Is used extensively for...
, various flies
Fließ
Fließ is a municipality in the Landeck district and is located5 km south of Landeck on the upper course of the Inn River. It has 9 hamlets and was already populated at the roman age; the village itself was founded around the 6th century. After a conflagration in 1933 Fließ was restored more...
, wax moths, cricket
Cricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
s, small super worms, small butter worms and mealworm
Mealworm
Mealworms are the larval form of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling beetle. Like all holometabolic insects, they go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult...
s. Fruit, which is required a few times a week, may be small pieces of papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
, fruit based baby food, or commercial gecko nectars.
In 2008 a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
film crew took footage of a Day gecko successfully begging a Planthopper
Planthopper
A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha within the Hemiptera. The name comes from their remarkable resemblance to leaves and other plants of their environment and from the fact that they often "hop" for quick transportation in a similar way to that of grasshoppers. However,...
insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
for honeydew
Honeydew (melon)
Honeydew is a cultivar group of the muskmelon, Cucumis melo Inodorus group, which includes crenshaw, casaba, Persian, winter, and other mixed melons.-Characteristics:...
.
Classification
The genus Phelsuma was first described by the British zoologist John Edward GrayJohn Edward Gray
John Edward Gray, FRS was a British zoologist. He was the elder brother of George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray ....
in 1825 and named after the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
physician Murk van Phelsum
Murk van Phelsum
Murk van Phelsum was a Dutch physician who was born 1730 and died 1779 in Sneek. He is most memorable as the namesake for the lizard genus Phelsuma....
. The genus consists of about 70 known species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
and 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...
.
Two Phelsuma species (Phelsuma gigas and Phelsuma edwardnewtoni) are now considered to be extinct, probably due to the destruction of their environment by human settlers and their domestic animals. Many day gecko species are endangered today because an increasing percentage of their natural habitat, especially tropical forest, is being destroyed by human activity.
- Phelsuma abbotti
- Aldabra Island Day Gecko, Phelsuma abbotti abbotti
- Cheke's Day Gecko, Phelsuma abbotti chekei
- Phelsuma abbotti pulchraPhelsuma abbotti pulchraPhelsuma abbotti pulchra Rendahl, 1939 is a subspecies of geckos. It typically lives near human settlements on Cousine Island. Phelsuma abbotti pulchra feeds on insects and nectar.-Scientific synonyms:*Phelsuma abbotti pulchra - Hoesch, 1982...
- Assumption Island Day Gecko, Phelsuma abbotti sumptio
- Andaman Islands Day Gecko, Phelsuma andamanense
- Phelsuma antanosy
- Seychelles Day Gecko, Phelsuma astriata
- Phelsuma astriata astovei
- Seychelles Small Day Gecko, Phelsuma astriata astriata
- Phelsuma astriata semicarinataPhelsuma astriata semicarinataPhelsuma astriata semicarinata is a subspecies of geckos. It is a small, slender lizard, has a bright green colour and feeds on insects...
- Barbour's Day Gecko, Phelsuma barbouri
- Phelsuma berghofi
- Phelsuma beufotakensis
- Phelsuma borbonica
- Agalega Day Gecko, Phelsuma borbonica agalegae
- Reunion Island Day Gecko, Phelsuma borbonica borbonica
- Phelsuma borbonica mater
- Phelsuma brevicepsPhelsuma brevicepsPhelsuma breviceps is a diurnal species of gecko. It is native to south-east Madagascar and typically dwells on trees and bushes. Its diet in the wild consists mainly of insects.- Description :...
- Blue-tailed Day Gecko, Phelsuma cepediana
- Phelsuma comorensisPhelsuma comorensisPhelsuma comorensis Boettger, 1913 is a species of geckos. It lives on the island Grande Comore and typically dwells on trees. It feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :...
- Dull Day Gecko, Phelsuma dubia
- Rodrigues Blue-dotted Day Gecko, Phelsuma edwardnewtoni (extinct, last seen 1917)
- Yellow-throated Day Gecko, Phelsuma flavigularis
- Rodrigues Giant Day Gecko, Phelsuma gigas (extinct, last seen 1842)
- Round Island Day Gecko, Phelsuma guentheri )
- Orange-spotted Day Gecko, Phelsuma guimbeaui
- Mauritius Lowland Forest Day Gecko, Phelsuma guimbeaui guimbeaui
- Mauritius Upland Forest Day Gecko, Phelsuma guimbeaui rosagularis
- Speckled Day Gecko, Phelsuma guttata
- Phelsuma hielscheri
- Reunion Island Ornate Day Gecko, Phelsuma inexpectata
- Phelsuma kelyPhelsuma kelyPhelsuma kely is a species of diurnal gecko which lives on the central east coast of Madagascar, south of Tamatave. It typically inhabits dragon trees. The gecko feeds on insects and probably nectar....
- Yellow-headed Day Gecko, Phelsuma klemmeri
- Broad-tailed Day Gecko, Phelsuma laticauda
- Gold Dust Day Gecko, Phelsuma laticauda laticauda
- Phelsuma laticauda angularisPhelsuma laticauda angularisPhelsuma laticauda angularis Mertens, 1964 is a diurnal subspecies of geckos. It lives in northern Madagascar and typically inhabits different trees and houses. The Gold dust day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :...
- Phelsuma lineataPhelsuma lineataPhelsuma lineata, the Lined Day Gecko, is a species of diurnal Gecko native to Madagascar.- Subspecies :* Phelsuma lineata bombetokensis* Phelsuma lineata chloroscelis* Phelsuma lineata bifasciata* Phelsuma lineata dorsivittata...
- Lined Day Gecko, Phelsuma lineata lineata
- Phelsuma lineata bifasciataPhelsuma lineata bifasciataPhelsuma lineata bifasciata Boettger, 1913 is a diurnal subspecies of geckos. It inhabits the east coast of Madagascar and typically occurs on different trees and bushes. This day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :This lizard belongs to the mid sized day geckos...
- Phelsuma lineata chloroscelisPhelsuma lineata chloroscelisPhelsuma lineata chloroscelis Mertens, 1962 is a diurnal subspecies of geckos. It inhabits central and the east coast of Madagascar and typically occurs on different trees and bushes. This day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :...
- Phelsuma lineata bombetokensisPhelsuma lineata bombetokensisPhelsuma lineata bombetokensis Mertens, 1964 is diurnal subspecies of geckos. It inhabits northwestern Madagascar and typically occurs on different trees and bushes. This day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :...
- Striped Day Gecko, Phelsuma lineata dorsivittataPhelsuma lineata dorsivittataPhelsuma lineata dorsivittata Mertens, 1964 is a diurnal subspecies of geckos. It inhabits northern Madagascar and typically occurs on different trees and huts. This day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :...
- Phelsuma lineata punctulataPhelsuma lineata punctulataPhelsuma lineata punctulata Mertens, 1970 is a diurnal subspecies of geckos. It inhabits northern Madagascar and typically occurs on different trees and huts. This day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :...
- Phelsuma madagascariensisPhelsuma madagascariensisPhelsuma madagascariensis is a species of day gecko that lives in Madagascar. It is among the most widespread day geckos and is found in a wide range of habitats. With a length of up to , it is also the largest day gecko in Madagascar...
- Madagascar Day Gecko, Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis
- Madagascar Giant Day Gecko, Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis
- Koch's Giant Day Gecko, Phelsuma madagascariensis kochi
- Boehme's Giant Day Gecko, Phelsuma madagascariensis boehmei
- Phelsuma malamakibo
- Phelsuma masohoala
- Phelsuma minuthi
- Modest Day Gecko, Phelsuma modesta
- Phelsuma modesta modesta
- Phelsuma modesta leiogasterPhelsuma modesta leiogasterPhelsuma modesta leiogaster Mertens, 1973 is a subspecies of geckos.- Scientific synonyms :*Phelsuma lineata leiogaster Mertens, 1973*Phelsuma lineata leiogaster – Meier, 1982*Phelsuma leiogaster – Meier, 1989...
- Phelsuma modesta isakae
- Thicktail Day Gecko, Phelsuma mutabilis
- Island Day Gecko, Phelsuma nigristriata
- Namaqua Day Gecko, Phelsuma ocellata
- Mauritius Ornate Day Gecko, Phelsuma ornata
- Pemba Island Day Gecko, Phelsuma parkeri
- Phelsuma pronkiPhelsuma pronkiPhelsuma pronki Seipp, 1994 is diurnal species of geckos. It lives in central Madagascar and typically inhabits rainforests and dwells on trees. Phelsuma pronki feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :...
- Phelsuma pusilla
- Phelsuma pusilla pusillaPhelsuma pusilla pusillaThe Phelsuma pusilla pusilla Mertens, 1964 is a diurnal gecko and lives in eastern Madagascar. It typically inhabits different trees and houses...
- Hallmann's Day Gecko, Phelsuma pusilla hallmanniPhelsuma pusilla hallmanniPhelsuma pusilla hallmanni Meier, 1989 is a diurnal subspecies of geckos. It lives in eastern Madagascar and typically inhabits different trees. This day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :...
- Phelsuma pusilla pusilla
- Peacock Day Gecko, Phelsuma quadriocellata
- Four Spot Day Gecko, Phelsuma quadriocellata quadriocellata
- Phelsuma quadriocellata bimaculataPhelsuma quadriocellata bimaculataPhelsuma quadriocellata bimaculata Kaudern, 1922 is a diurnal subspecies of geckos. It lives in eastern Madagascar and typically inhabits different trees and houses. This day gecko feeds on insects and nectar....
- Phelsuma quadriocellata lepidaPhelsuma quadriocellata lepidaPhelsuma quadriocellata lepida Krüger, 1993 is a diurnal subspecies of gecko. It lives in north-eastern Madagascar and typically inhabits trees and houses. This day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :...
- Small Peacock Day Gecko, Phelsuma quadriocellata parvaPhelsuma quadriocellata parvaPhelsuma quadriocellata parva Krüger, 1993 is a diurnal subspecies of gecko. It lives in north-eastern Madagascar and typically inhabits different trees and houses. This day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :...
- Phelsuma ravenala
- Robert Mertens' Day Gecko, Phelsuma robertmertensiRobert Mertens' day geckoRobert Mertens' day gecko is diurnal species of geckos. It lives on the Comoros and typically inhabits banana trees. Robert Merten's day gecko feeds on insects and nectar. It is named after German herpetologist Robert Mertens.- Description :This lizard species is one of the smallest of its...
- Seipp's Day Gecko, Phelsuma seippi
- Flat-tailed Day Gecko, Phelsuma serraticauda
- Standing's Day Gecko, Phelsuma standingi
- Praslin Island Day Gecko, Phelsuma sundbergi
- Seychelles Giant Day Gecko, Phelsuma sundbergi sundbergi
- La Digue Day Gecko, Phelsuma sundbergi ladiguensis
- Mahé Day Gecko, Phelsuma sundbergi longinsulae
- Three Lined Day Gecko, Phelsuma trilineata
- Phelsuma vanheygeni
- Indian Day Gecko, Phelsuma v-nigra
- Pasteur's Day Gecko, Phelsuma v-nigra pasteuri
- Phelsuma v-nigra v-nigraPhelsuma v-nigra v-nigraPhelsuma v-nigra v-nigra Boettger, 1913 is a small diurnal subspecies of geckos. It lives in the Comoros and typically inhabits trees and bushes. Phelsuma v-nigra v-nigra feeds on insects and nectar....
- Anjouan Island Day Gecko, Phelsuma v-nigra anjouanensis
- Grand Comoro Day Gecko, Phelsuma v-nigra comoraegrandensis
Explanation of the species epithets
- abbotti: after W. L. Abbott.
- agalagae: from Agalega.
- andamanensis: from the Andaman IslandsAndaman IslandsThe Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
. - angularis: angular (refers to the tail).
- anjouanensis: from Anjouan (island).
- astovei: from Astove (island).
- astriata: without stripes (in comparison to Phelsuma lineata lineata).
- barbouri: after Barbour.
- befotakensis: from BefotakaBefotakaBefotaka is a town in Atsimo-Atsinanana Region in southeastern Madagascar....
. - bimaculata: with two blotches, spots.
- boehmei: after Wolfgang BöhmeWolfgang BöhmeWolfgang Böhme is an East German former handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics.He was born in Wolfen. He was the husband of Ute Rührold, but they are now divorced....
. - bombetokensis: from Bombetoka (bay).
- borbonica: from Bourbon (now called RéunionRéunionRéunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
). - breviceps: short headed.
- cepediana: after Bernard Germain Étienne de la Ville, Comte de Lacépède.
- checkei: after Anthony. S. Checke.
- chloroscelis: with (leaf) green thighs.
- comoraegrandensis: from Grande Comoros.
- comorensis: from the ComorosComorosThe Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar...
(island group). - dorsivittata: back wrapped in ribbons.
- dubia:
- edwardnewtonii: after Edward NewtonEdward NewtonSir Edward Newton KCMG was a British colonial administrator and ornithologist.He was born at Elveden Hall, Suffolk the sixth and youngest son of William Newton, MP. He was the brother of ornithologist Alfred Newton....
. - flavigularis: with a yellow throat.
- grandis: big.
- guentheri: after Albert Günther.
- guimbeaui: after B. Guimbeau.
- guttata: with teardrop formed spots.
- hallmannii: after G. Hallmann.
- inexpectata: unexpected.
- kely: small (in the Malagasy languageMalagasy languageMalagasy is the national language of Madagascar, a member of the Austronesian family of languages. Most people in Madagascar speak it as a first language as do some people of Malagasy descent elsewhere.-History:...
). - kochi: after K.L. Koch.
- ladiguensis: from la Digue (island).
- laticauda: with a broad, flattened tail.
- leiogaster: smooth scales (belly).
- leiura: smooth tail scales.
- lineata: striped.
- longinsulae: from Long Island.
- madagascariensis: from MadagascarMadagascarThe Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. - martensi: after Karl MartensKarl MartensKarl Martens is a German-Canadian Semi-professional footballer with Trinity Western Spartans, a first division team in Canada.-Canada:...
. - menaiensis: from Menai.
- minuthi: after W. Minuth.
- modesta: modest.
- mutabilis: variable, changeable.
- nigristriata: with black stripes.
- notissima: best known.
- ornata: ornated.
- parkeri: after Park.
- parva: small.
- pasteuri: after Georges Pasteur.
- Phelsuma: after Murk van PhelsumMurk van PhelsumMurk van Phelsum was a Dutch physician who was born 1730 and died 1779 in Sneek. He is most memorable as the namesake for the lizard genus Phelsuma....
. - pulchra: beautiful.
- punctulata: with small spots.
- pusilla: tiny.
- quadriocellata: with four eyes.
- robertmertensi: after Robert MertensRobert MertensRobert Mertens was a German herpetologist. The Robert Mertens' day gecko is a species named after him, and he also postulated Mertensian mimicry....
. - rosagularis: with a rose-coloured throat.
- rubra: red(-hot).
- seippi: after Robert Seipp.
- semicarinata: semi-keeled (scales).
- serraticauda: with a serrated tail.
- standingi: after Standing.
- sumptio:.
- from Assumption IslandAssumption IslandAssumption Island is a small island located at in the Indian Ocean north of Madagascar and is part of the country of the Seychelles. It is located about 30 km southeast of the Aldabra Atoll and is part of the Aldabra Group. It is a single coral island which measures 11.07 km² in area and...
. - from sumptuous (posture, build).
- from Assumption Island
- sundbergi: after H. Sundberg.
- trilineata: with three stripes.
- umbrae: shaded.
- v-nigra: with a black V (marking).
- venusta: sweet.
- vinsoni: after Jean Vinson and Jean-Michel Vinson.