Madagascar Giant Day Gecko
The Madagascar giant day gecko (Phelsuma grandis) is a bright green gecko with red spots, active by day on the trees of northern Madagascar. It also lives in Florida, where it was introduced.
The Madagascar giant day gecko (Phelsuma grandis) is a bright green gecko with red spots, active by day on the trees of northern Madagascar. It also lives in Florida, where it was introduced.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Madagascar Giant Day Gecko in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
A Day-Active Gecko
Most geckos are nocturnal, but day geckos are active in the sun, with round pupils and brilliant colors. They lap up nectar, fruit and sap, and eat insects. They also may visit flowers and pollinate them.
Sticky Toes
Each toe has lamellae with millions of tiny hairs that adhere by van der Waals forces, enabling it to walk up smooth leaves and walls. See Tokay Gecko.
Madagascar Reptiles
Madagascar has dozens of day gecko species. Many are threatened by deforestation and the pet trade, and trade in day geckos is regulated by CITES. See Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko.
Madagascar Giant Day Gecko at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Phelsuma grandis |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Gekkonidae |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia (Reptiles) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Bright green daytime lizard with red markings, round pupils, and broad adhesive toe pads for climbing palms. |
| IUCN Red List status | Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011 |
| Genus | Phelsuma (day geckos) |
| Activity | Diurnal |
See Also
- Tokay Gecko — adhesive toes
- Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko — a nocturnal Madagascar gecko