Koch's giant day gecko (Phelsuma madagascariensis kochi Mertens

Robert Mertens

Robert Mertens was a German herpetologist. The Robert Mertens' day gecko is a species named after him, and he also postulated Mertensian mimicry....

, 1954) is a diurnal

Diurnal animal

Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...

 subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

 of gecko

Gecko

Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....

s. It lives in northwest and western Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

 and typically inhabits trees. The Koch's giant day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.

Description

This lizard belongs to the largest living day geckos. It can reach a total length of 30.5 centimetres (12 in). The body colour is a dark, dull green. A faint red stripe extends from the nostril to the eye. On the back there may be little reddish dots present. The neck and flanks often are light grey. The ventral side is off-white

Distribution

This species is widely distributed in northwest and west Madagascar on the coast and in the inland. it was first discovered in the region around Maevatanana.

Habitat

Phelsuma magascariensis kochi is often found on different trees such as banana trees where it can be seen basking. They avoid human dwellings. The climate is very dry throughout the year and the temperature can be as high as 40°C

Diet

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

Behaviour

This Phelsuma madagascariensis subspecies is not quite as quarrelsome and aggressive as Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis and Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis.

Reproduction

The pairing season is between November and the first weeks of May. During this period, the females lay up to 6 pairs of eggs. At a temperature of 28°C, the young will hatch after approximately 63–68 days. The juveniles measure 65 mm and reach sexual maturity after one year.

Care and maintenance in captivity

These animals should be housed in pairs although successful group breeding with one male and several females has been reported. They need a large, well planted terrarium. The temperature should be about 28°C during the day. The humidity should be maintained around 65%. In captivity, these animals can be fed with crickets, wax moths, fruit flies, mealworms and houseflies.