Phelsuma kely
Encyclopedia
Phelsuma kely is a species of 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...

 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....

 which lives on the central east coast of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

, south of Tamatave. It typically inhabits dragon trees. The gecko 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 probably nectar.

It is the smallest known day gecko, reaching a total length of about 7.1 cm. Its body colour is variable and dependent on the mood of the animal. During activity, the basic body colour is white-gray with a black pattern on the back. However, the body colour can turn dark also. A black lateral stripe extends from the eye to the tail. The ventral side is grayish-white.

Distribution

This species inhabits the central east coast of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

, south of Tamatave. It is only known from the area around Lac Ampitabe.

Habitat

P. kely is found on dragon trees. They share their habitat with Phelsuma seippi, Phelsuma guttata,Phelsuma lineata lineata, Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis,Phelsuma quadriocellata parva
Phelsuma quadriocellata parva
Phelsuma quadriocellata parva Krüger, 1993 is a diurnal subspecies of gecko. It lives in north-eastern Madagascar and typically inhabits different trees and houses. This day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.- Description :...

, Phelsuma abbotti chekei, Phelsuma dubia, Phelsuma laticauda laticauda and Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis. All these species live sympatrically and partly syntopically. In March, the daytime temperature is around 27°C and drops to around 23°C at nighttime. The relative humidity is between 80 and 90 %.

Diet

These day geckos feed on various insects and other invertebrates. Like many members of the genus Phelsuma, this species might also feed on pollen and nectar.

Reproduction

In captivity, the females lay a pair of eggs which measure about 7 x 6 mm. At a temperature of 28°C during the day and 22°C at night, the young will hatch after approximately 60 days. The juveniles have a total length of about 25-28 mm.

Care and maintenance in captivity

These animals should be housed in pairs in a well planted terrarium. The temperature should be between about 28°C during the day and around 20°C at nighttime. The relative humidity should be maintained between 80 and 90%. 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 moths, fruit flies
Drosophila
Drosophila is a genus of small flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "fruit flies" or more appropriately pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species to linger around overripe or rotting fruit...

, 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.
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