Mauritius lowland forest day gecko (Phelsuma guimbeaui guimbeaui MERTENS 1963) is a diurnal subspecies of geckos. It lives on the western coast of Mauritius and typically inhabits large trees. The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.

Description:

This lizard belongs to the mid-sized Phelsuma species. Males can reach a total length of about 15.5 cm. Females are only 9-13 cm. The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko has a short, compact body form. The body colour is a brilliant green with a diffuse blue area on the neck region. There are irregular shaped orange-red bars and spots on the back and tail, the tip of which may be blue. The ventral side is whitish-yellow. One or two brown v-shaped bars are present on the chin. Juveniles are greyish-brown with little white spots. They start changing their colour after 6 months and after 12-15 the have the adult appearance.

Distribution:

This species inhabits the western side of Mauritius. It occurs at low and mid elevation. Populations can be found at the villages of Chamarel, Yemen, Tamarin and Grande Rivière Noire.

Habitat:

The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko prefers large trees such as palms and acacia species. This day gecko is only rarely seen near human dwellings. P. guimbeaui. guimbeaui lives in the drier and warmer part of Mauritius. Much of the lowland forest of Mauritius, which is the original habitat of P. guimbeaui. guimbeaui, has been cleared to make way for sugar cane plantations. This day gecko sometimes shares its habitat with Phelsuma cepediana and Phelsuma ornata ornata.

Diet:

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

Behaviour:

The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko' is rather shy because it is heavily predated by different bird species.

Reproduction:

The pairing season is between March and the first weeks of September. During this period, the females lay up to 6 pairs of eggs. The young will hatch after approximately 60-90 days. The juveniles measure 36-40 mm. The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko is an egg gluer and often a colony nester. Tree holes are often used to lay the eggs in. Juveniles reach pubescence after 18-20 months.

Care and maintenance in captivity:

These animals should be housed in pairs and need a large, well planted terrarium. The daytime temperature should be between 29 and 32°C. During the night, the temerature should drop to approximately 20°C. The humidity should be maintained between 60 and 70. In captivity, these animals can be fed with crickets, wax moth, fruits flies, mealworms and houseflies.

References

• Henkel, F.-W. and W. Schmidt (1995) Amphibien und Reptilien Madagaskars, der Maskarenen, Seychellen und Komoren. Ulmer Stuttgart. ISBN 3-8001-7323-9
• McKeown, Sean (1993) The general care and maintenance of day geckos. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside CA.