Seychelles small day gecko (Phelsuma atriata astriata TORNIER 1901) is a subspecies of geckos. It is a small, slender lizard with bright green colour and it feeds on insects. It is found on different islands of the Seychelles, where it often lives near human dwellings.
The body of this day gecko is lime green with rost-coloured dots and bars on the back. Those redish dots sometimes form a mid-dorsdal stripe, which can be very faint. Males often have a bluish or turquoise coloured tail and lower back. On both sides of the snout, a redish-brown stripe is extending from the nostrils to the eye. The undersurface of the body is off-white. These lizards reach a total length of about 14 cm.
Distribution:
This gecko is found on the following Seychelles islands: Astove, Mahé, Praslin, Curieuse, La Digue, Frégate.
Habitat:
This species is typically found on coconut palms and banana trees. It often lives near human settlements.
Reproduction:
Phelsuma astriata astriata normally lays two 10 mm large eggs. The eggs are glued to leaves, trunks or at human dwellings in a protected and elevated location. Often, many females use the same location to lay their eggs.
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.
Geckos are typically found in a milder climate with an average temperature of 65 degrees F, and with a 50 - 85% humidity level.
Since the geckos have setae on the bottom of their toe pads, they are capable of climbing glass walls and walking upside down on a ceiling.
Geckos wiggle back and forth when they walk because of the fact that in order to lift their foot from the wall surface, it must curl each toe upward from the front to "unhook" its villosities.
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