Boehme's giant day gecko (''Phelsuma madagascariensis boehmei'') is a diurnal

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates. They range from . Geckos are unique among lizards ...

, a lizard in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Gekkonidae Gekkonidae (the common geckos) is the largest family of geckos, containing over 950 described species in 62 genera. The Gekkonidae contain many of the most widespread gecko species, including house geckos (''Hemidactylus''), the tokay gecko (''Ge ...

. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to eastern

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

and typically inhabits rainforests and dwells on trees. Boehme's giant day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.

Etymology

Both the

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''boehmei'', and the common name, Boehme's giant day gecko, are in honor of German herpetologist

Wolfgang Böhme Wolfgang Böhme (born 17 December 1949) is an East Germany, East German former Team handball, handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics. He was born in Wolfen, Germany, Wolfen. He was the husband of Ute Rührold, but they are now d ...

. Meier, Harald (1982). "''Ergebnisse zur Taxonomie und Ökologie einiger Arten und Unterarten der Gattung ''Phelsuma'' auf Madagaskar, gesammelt in den Jahren 1972 bis 1981, mit Beschreibung einer neuen Form'' ". ''Salamandra'' 18 (3/4): 168-190. (''Phelsuma madagascariensis boehmei'', new subspecies, pp. 183-186). (in German).

Description

''P. m. boehmei'' is among the largest living day geckos. It can reach a total length of about . The body colour is bright green. The skin between the scales has a black colour. A dark red-coloured stripe extends from the nostril to behind the eye. On the head and back there are irregularly shaped brownish or red-brick-coloured dots.

Geographic range

Boehme's giant day gecko only inhabits the region around Andasibe and Ranomafana in eastern Madagascar.

Habitat

''P. m. boehmei'' is a rainforest species and is often found on trees high in the canopy. The east coast of Madagascar has a humid and warm climate. However, from June–August, the night temperature can be as low as and around during the day.

Diet

Boehme's giant day gecko feeds on various insects and other invertebrates. It also likes to lick soft, sweet fruit, pollen and nectar.

Behaviour

''P. m. boehmei'' is apparently not as quarrelsome as other members of the genus ''Phelsuma''.

Reproduction

The pairing season of Boehme's giant day gecko is between November and January. During this period, the females lay up to 6 pairs of eggs. At a temperature of , the young will hatch after approximately 48–55 days. The hatchlings measure .

Care and maintenance in captivity

''P. m. boehmei'' should be housed in pairs, and needs a large, well planted terrarium. The humidity should be maintained between 75 and 100%. It is often suggested (McKeown, 1993; Henkel & Schmidt, 1995) that the daytime temperature should be between between November and January. These authors also suggest that between July and August, the daytime temperature should be while dropping it to at night. This way one simulates the rainforest environment. However, the period between July and August corresponds with the warmest months on the northern hemisphere so active cooling might be necessary. For some breeders it therefore may be more adequate to shift this essential drop in temperature to the colder months (November–January) and the higher temperature to the months April–August. In captivity, ''P. m. boehmei'' can be fed with crickets, wax moths, fruit flies, mealworms, and houseflies.