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Madagascar Day Gecko
Phelsuma madagascariensis
A large and showy diurnal lizard of the Malagasy forests. Although often confused with the 'grandis' species, it is slightly smaller in size with less dense red patterns, but retains the same emerald charm and strong visual intelligence.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Gekkonidae
Genus:Phelsuma
Species:Phelsuma madagascariensis
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
60 - 80 %
Day temperature
24 - 28 °C
Ambient temperature
24 - 28 °C
Night temperature
18 - 22 °C
Basking spot
32 - 34 °C
Adult size
12 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 80 L
UVB
Low - Medium
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the coastal humid tropical forests and wooded areas of eastern Madagascar. It adapts well to agricultural areas, plantations, and gardens with tall trees, living a strictly arboreal lifestyle.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the Gekkonidae family. The Madagascar Day Gecko (*Phelsuma madagascariensis*) is a large diurnal species characterized by a vibrant bright green body, irregular red spotting, and a red line between eye and nostril.
Behavior and Habits: Diurnal, highly active, and territorial. They spend the day exploring and hunting, defending their territory from other day geckos. Males show extreme intolerance towards one another.
Morphology: Adults reach 22-24 cm in total length. It is morphologically more slender than the closely related *Phelsuma grandis*. Males are distinguished by prominent femoral pores and a wider tail base.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: A vertically oriented glass terrarium (minimum 45x45x60 cm, ideally 60x45x90 cm for a pair) is required. Mandatory decor includes large-diameter hollow bamboo poles placed diagonally and sturdy broad-leaved live plants.
Lighting and Heating: Provide mandatory UVB lighting (5.0 or 6%) for vitamin D3 synthesis. Use heating lamps to create a localized basking spot of 32-34°C, keeping the rest of the enclosure at 24-26°C with a nighttime temperature drop.
Humidity and Hydration: Requires high relative humidity between 60% and 80%. Day geckos drink by licking water droplets from leaves and glass, making regular morning and evening misting essential.
Feeding and Supplementation: Omnivorous diet. Provide high-quality powdered fruit diets mixed with water 2-3 times a week, alternated with live insects (crickets, roaches) dusted with calcium and vitamin D3.
Compatibility: Territorial species. Keep individually or in established male-female pairs. Never house two males together, as they will fight, and monitor pairs for female-directed aggression.
Health and Common Diseases: Prone to metabolic bone disease (MBD) if calcium or UVB lighting is inadequate. Their skin is extremely fragile and susceptible to tearing if grabbed; handling is discouraged. Tail autotomy is possible.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the coastal humid tropical forests and wooded areas of eastern Madagascar. It adapts well to agricultural areas, plantations, and gardens with tall trees, living a strictly arboreal lifestyle.
Origin
Africa and Madagascar
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 12 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 12 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 12 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.
Related species
Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
