Giant Madagascar Day Gecko
Phelsuma grandis
- Habitat: Different types of habitats in rainforests, moist and dry forests, agricultural, orchard and urban settings
- Range: Northern Madagascar
- Natural Diet: Insects and other invertebrates
- Status in the Wild: Common
Fun Facts
- The giant Madagascar day gecko is bright green in color with some reddish-brown blotches on their dorsal area and head. When an animal is under stress, its body color darkens. This bright green color helps them camouflage when they are on tree in their natural habitat
- They are active by day and rest by night living in tree canopies.
- Sexually mature adult females have calcium deposits stored in sacs on each side of their necks, which is used for the formation of egg shells.
- Their toes have special adaptations which allows them to adhere to a variety of surfaces.
- When they are being hunted by a predator, geckos are able to drop their tails. The tail continues to move even after being dropped to distract predators giving the gecko time to make a quick getaway.
Conservation Threats
- Illegal trapping for pet trade has a detrimental influence on their free-ranging population numbers