Common Name : Day Gecko

Scientific Name : Phelsuma spp.

General Information

Day geckos are quite possibly one of the most spectacular lizards kept in captivity, with nearly all species exhibiting vivid and vibrant colouration. With the exception of one species day geckos are only found on a handful of islands across the Indian Ocean, with many of the most popular species being endemic to Madagascar. Although numerous species of day gecko exist there are only a few that are frequently offered for sale, the Giant day gecko (grandis), the Gold dust day gecko (laticauda), and the Standings day gecko (standingi) being the most popular. One of the main attractions of day geckos is the fact that they lend themselves perfectly to a well planted and landscaped vivarium and can be an attractive feature of any room. Adult day geckos will grow to between 5 and 10 inches dependant on species and when properly cared for normally live to about 8 to10 years old, with up to 16 years not unheard of.

Enclosure

Housing a day gecko is simple, being a small animal there is no requirement for huge vivariums as with some lizards, at grange reptiles we recommend using tall glass vivariums with the 12 x 12 x 18 inch (L x D x H) being ideal for hatchlings moving up to a minimum of 18 x 18 x 24 inch for single adults or pairs. In order for your gecko to thrive there are six basic components that need to be included in this setup; heat, substrate, shelter, water, minerals and food.

Heat and Light

As day geckos come from a warmer climate than ours additional heating is required, the ideal temperature to maintain day geckos during the day is 85-89oF at the top of the vivarium with a drop to the high 70’s at the base; a night time drop in temperature is essential, with temperatures between 75 and 80oF being optimum. The ideal way to provide the day time heat within the enclosure is with a spot bulb; this should be positioned at the top of the vivarium and used in combination with a dimming thermostat. Night heating is not always essential if ambient room temperature does not fall below 75oF, if the room in which the vivarium is situated does regularly fall below this then a heat mat located under the vivarium is usually enough to raise the temperature sufficiently. Being a rainforest animal and active during the day, a 5% UVB bulb should be included and switched on 10-12 hours per day.

Substrate

As these animals do require relatively high levels of humidity a suitable substrate that can withstand this has to be used, either orchid bark or coco fibres are recommended; if planting the vivarium with live plants potting compost can also be used, all substrates should be spot cleaned as soon as possible and completely changed monthly.

Shelter

Being an arboreal species decoration within the vivarium must be arranged in such as way as to allow the geckos to move vertically within the enclosure. A combination of grape vines, cork branches and cork bark are recommended with a few plastic or silk plants added to create a dense rainforest environment, this layout will give your gecko an array of hides to retreat to and sleep in during the night as well as providing a suitable surface for water droplets to settle on when sprayed.

Water, Humidity and Minerals

Calcium and vitamins are essential to proper bone growth and general health in all reptiles, this along with a fresh supply of water should be provided at all times for your geckos. Crickets should be dusted with a mix of calcium dust and vitamin powder and a commercial day gecko diet should also be used. day geckos require a humidity of 70-90%, this should be achieved by heavily spraying the foliage within the vivarium once or twice per day, when properly sprayed it should take about 8 hours to fully dry.

Food

Being omnivorous a day geckos diet consists mainly of fruit and small insects, and in captivity should be made up of a mixture of crickets, commercial day gecko diet and blended fruits. Here at Grange Reptiles all our geckos are fed a mix of komodo day gecko diet and appropriately sized crickets on a daily basis with blended soft fruits added to the mix on alternate days. It is also recommended that all crickets are gut loaded before being fed to the gecko to increase the nutritional value; this should be done using a combination of commercial gut loading products, fish food and leafy green vegetables.

Shedding

A day gecko will shed its skin about once a month for its whole life, in the few days before this shed takes place the gecko will appear dull in colour, although humidity is important at all times, it is particularly so now as it will greatly assist in the shedding process. Once the shed is complete check that there is no retained shed on the tail or toes, if there is any visible increase the frequency of spraying, and spray the animal directly to assist them in removing retained shed.

Handling

Day Geckos can run very fast on all surfaces including walls and ceilings, and are not at all tolerant of being handled, so it is recommended not to do so unless completely necessary.

We hope that this care sheet has been of assistance and if you have any further enquiries do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail. Info@superpetsdirect.com