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Standing's Day Gecko
Phelsuma standingi
The arid giant among day geckos. Unlike most Phelsuma, this massive and robust species inhabits the hot, dry spiny forests of southwestern Madagascar. Notable for its striated pastel colors and the rare habit of forming stable monogamous pairs.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Gekkonidae
Genus:Phelsuma
Species:Phelsuma standingi
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
50 - 70 %
Day temperature
28 - 32 °C
Night temperature
20 - 24 °C
Adult size
9.3 cm
UVB
Medium
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to a very restricted area in southwestern Madagascar. Unlike other Phelsuma that live in rainforests, this species lives in the unforgiving "spiny forests," characterized by a very hot, arid, and dry climate for most of the year, taking refuge on giant Baobab trees.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Standing's day gecko (Phelsuma standingi) belongs to the family Gekkonidae. Named after physician and paleontologist Herbert F. Standing, it is one of the largest species in its genus. Genetically, it displays stable traits with no recognized subspecies.
Behavior and Habits: Extraordinarily intelligent and territorial. They are among the rare reptiles to show prolonged pair bonding: males and females form monogamous pairs that actively defend their tree and their nests from intruders.
Morphology: Among the largest existing day geckos (can exceed 10-11 inches / 25-28 cm) and extremely robust. The livery is peculiar: instead of typical neon greens, it features pastel shades of gray, bluish, and apple green, with a fine reticulation of purplish and gray spots. Juveniles are born with a distinct and beautiful light green and fiery red zebra pattern that fades with maturity.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Large vertical glass or screen enclosures (e.g. 24x18x36 inches for a pair). Decor does not require humid plants, but rather thick rough dry branches, cork bark logs, and large horizontal and vertical bamboo poles simulating the robustness of Malagasy Baobabs.
Lighting and Heating: Diurnal heliotherms from extreme climates. They need extremely strong UVB radiation (at least 10% T5 or metal halide lamps) to prevent severe metabolic bone disease (MBD). They require very high temperatures: the basking spot must reach 95-100°F (35-38°C), with a cool zone at 79-82°F (26-28°C).
Humidity and Hydration: Dry climate (40-60% humidity). Should not be heavily misted like other Phelsuma, except very lightly in the early morning to provide drinking droplets. A small water dish on the floor can be provided.
Feeding and Supplementation: Exceptional predators that require more substantial prey (adult crickets, large lateral roaches, locusts, occasional waxworms), heavily dusted with calcium/D3. They love nectar and will greedily accept specific powdered diets for frugivorous geckos (Repashy/Pangea) mixed thickly.
Compatibility: They are territorial and should be kept individually or in established monogamous male-female pairs. Never house multiple males together. In large enclosures, they can sometimes cohabit with other non-aggressive reptiles, but single-pair housing is recommended.
Health and Common Diseases: Highly susceptible to metabolic bone disease (MBD) if intense UVB and calcium/D3 supplements are lacking. Prone to skin injuries during shedding if the enclosure is kept too humid. Monitor for parasites in wild-caught specimens.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to a very restricted area in southwestern Madagascar. Unlike other Phelsuma that live in rainforests, this species lives in the unforgiving "spiny forests," characterized by a very hot, arid, and dry climate for most of the year, taking refuge on giant Baobab trees.
Origin
Africa and Madagascar
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 9.3 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 9.3 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 9.3 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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