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Orange-spotted Day Gecko
Phelsuma guimbeaui
This beautiful arboreal gecko from Mauritius inhabits mature native trees. Due to severe habitat fragmentation, captive care in a densely planted, vertical terrarium is essential.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Gekkonidae
Genus:Phelsuma
Species:Phelsuma guimbeaui
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
65 - 85 %
Day temperature
24 - 28 °C
Ambient temperature
25 °C
Night temperature
18 - 22 °C
Basking spot
32 - 34 °C
Adult size
7 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 80 L
UVB
Medio
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the western and northwestern coastal areas of Mauritius. These arboreal geckos inhabit the canopy of ancient, mature native trees in transitional forest habitats. Like many Mauritian geckos, their populations are severely fragmented due to habitat loss and urbanization.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Adults reach about 15 cm in total length. They feature a forest-green dorsum with a brilliant light blue patch on the back of the neck, and a dense pattern of crimson-red or orange spots. The underside is yellowish-white. The species has dilated toes equipped with adhesive lamellae for climbing.
Behavior and Habits: Formidable climbers that use microscopic adhesive hairs (setae) on their toe pads to scale vertical and smooth surfaces via Van der Waals forces. They are highly active, diurnal, and patrol tree trunks looking for insects and nectar. They are significantly more sensitive to stress than larger day geckos like Phelsuma grandis.
Morphology: Sexual dimorphism is evident in adults. Males are larger and more robust, show high territorial aggression, and possess prominent femoral pores on the inner thighs as well as visible hemipenal bulges at the base of the tail.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: A densely planted, vertically oriented terrarium is required, with a minimum size of 45x45x60 cm for a single specimen or a pair. Decorate the enclosure with crossed bamboo canes, smooth branches, and broad-leaved live plants (such as Sansevieria or Pothos) to mimic tree trunks and provide secure hiding places.
Lighting and Heating: Being highly heliophilic (sun-loving), they require intense lighting and high UV output. Provide a high-quality 5-6% UVB tube (T5) for 12-14 hours daily. The basking spot should reach 32-34°C (90-93°F), with a thermal gradient down to 24-26°C (75-79°F) in the lower, shaded areas.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain an average humidity of 60-70%, rising to 80-90% with twice-daily misting. They rarely drink from standing water; instead, they hydrate by licking water droplets off leaves and bamboo. An automated misting system or daily spraying is essential.
Feeding and Supplementation: Omnivorous. Their diet consists of small insects (fruit flies, micro-crickets, roaches) and nectar/pollen. High-quality commercial gecko diets (such as Pangea or Repashy) should be offered 2-3 times a week. Dust all live insects with calcium and vitamin D3 every 2-3 feedings to prevent metabolic bone disease.
Compatibility: Highly territorial and aggressive toward conspecifics. Males must never be housed together, and even female-female pairs often fight. Housing should be species-specific, and keeping them individually is recommended. If a pair is housed together, they must be monitored closely for signs of stress or bullying.
Health and Common Diseases: Lack of proper UVB lighting or calcium supplementation leads to metabolic bone disease (MBD), resulting in soft, deformed limbs and jaws. Incomplete sheds (stuck shed) on the toe pads can prevent them from climbing, leading to dangerous falls. Regular misting and proper humidity levels facilitate normal shedding.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the western and northwestern coastal areas of Mauritius. These arboreal geckos inhabit the canopy of ancient, mature native trees in transitional forest habitats. Like many Mauritian geckos, their populations are severely fragmented due to habitat loss and urbanization.
Origin
Africa and Madagascar
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 7 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 7 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 7 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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