Phelsuma comorensis Boettger

Oskar Boettger

Oskar Boettger was a German zoologist who was a native of Frankfurt am Main. He was an uncle of the noted malacologist Caesar Rudolf Boettger ....

, 1913 is a species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 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 on the island Grande Comore

Grande Comore

Grande Comore is an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is the largest island in the Comoros nation. Most of its population is of the Comorian ethnic group. Its population as of 2006 is about 316,600. The island's capital is Moroni, which is also the national capital...

 and typically dwells on trees. It feeds on insect

Insect

Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...

s and nectar.

Description

This lizard belongs to the smallest day geckos. It can reach a maximum length of about 12 cm. The body colour is olive green or pale green. A rost-coloured stripe extends from the nostril to the eye. A black lateral stripe extends from the eye to the hind leg. On the lower back there are brownish or red-brick coloured dots. The legs have dark spots.

Distribution

This species is only known from the island Grande Comore. It is found in higher areas (600 meters and upwards).

Diet

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

Reproduction

The females are very productive and lay up to 8 pairs of eggs per year. Juveniles reach sexual maturity after only 4–5 months.

Care and maintenance in captivity

These animals should be housed in pairs and need an enclosure with live plants and vertical bamboo shoots. The temperature should be between 28 and 30°C during they day with a 6-7°C drop during the night. A good air flow is important. In captivity, these animals can be fed with cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

s, wax moth, fruit flies

Tephritidae

Tephritidae is one of two fly families referred to as "fruit flies", the other family being Drosophilidae. Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus Drosophila , which is often called the "common fruit fly". There are nearly 5,000 described species of tephritid...

, mealworm

Mealworm

Mealworms are the larval form of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling beetle. Like all holometabolic insects, they go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult...

s and houseflies

Housefly

The housefly , Musca domestica, is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha...

.