Robert Mertens' day gecko (Phelsuma robertmertensi) is 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...

 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 Comoros

Comoros

The Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar...

 and typically inhabits banana trees. Robert Merten's day gecko feeds on insects and nectar. It is named after German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 herpetologist Robert 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....

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Description

This lizard species is one of the smallest of its genus. It can reach a total length of about 11 cm. The body colour can be dark green or bluish green. From the head to the tail extends an orange mid dorsal stripe. The sides of the neck as well as the flanks are greyish brown.

Habitat

Phelsuma robetmertensi is often found on banana trees and in abandoned vanilla orchid plantations.

Diet

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

Reproduction

At a temperature of 28°C, the young will hatch after approximately 49–53 days. The juveniles measure 19–22 mm.

Care and maintenance in captivity

These animals should be housed in pairs and need a well planted terrarium. The temperature should be between 25 and 28°C. The humidity should be maintained between 75 and 100%. In captivity, these animals can be fed with crickets, wax moth larvae, fruit flies, mealworms and houseflies.