Mauritius ornate day gecko

Appearance

This Gecko is one of the smallest day geckos. It can reach a total length of about 12 cm. The back of the neck and head are greyish brown and bordered by white neck stripes. The body colour is quite variable. It can be bluish green, green with a blue area on the front back, or completely blue. The flanks are brown. The snout consists of an intricate pattern of cyan, white, red and dark blue. The back is covered with red coloured dots. The tail is turquoise with red transverse bars. The ventral side is off-white.

Distribution

This species is found on Mauritius, Round Island, Île aux Aigrettes and Coin de Mire. It is found in the coastal areas.

Behavior

This ''Phelsuma'' species can be quite shy in captivity. These day geckos are also surprisingly speedy.

Habitat

''Phelsuma ornata'' typically lives in the drier areas of Mauritius at low- and mid-elevation. It can be found on trees, other pantropic vegetation or on rocks where the original vegetation has been cleared.

Reproduction

At a temperature of 28 °C, the young will hatch after approximately 40 days. The juveniles measure around 35 mm.

In 2014, an experiment with five Mauritius ornate day geckos was launched to space in order to test the effect of microgravity on gecko reproduction. The geckos died from a combination of factors due to a loss of communication with the satellite, including a life support malfunction which deactivated the heating system.

Food

These day geckos feed on various insects and other invertebrates. They also like to lick soft, sweet fruit, pollen and nectar.