''Phelsuma astriata astriata'' is a
subspecies of
Seychelles small day gecko
''Phelsuma astriata'', the Seychelles (small) day gecko or stripeless day gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae endemic to the Seychelles.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moi ...
. It is a small, slender
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia al ...
with bright green colour that feeds primarily on insects. It is found on several islands of the
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...
.
Description
Its body is lime green with coloured dots and bars on the back. Those reddish dots sometimes form a mid-dorsal stripe, which can be very faint. Males often have a bluish or turquoise-coloured tail and lower back. On both sides of the snout, a reddish-brown stripe extends from the nostrils to the eyes. The undersurface of the body is off-white. These lizards reach a total length of about 14 cm.
Distribution
This gecko is found on the Seychelles islands of
Astove
Astove Atoll is a large atoll, part of the Aldabra Group, lying in the Outer Islands of Seychelles, with a distance of southwest of the capital, Victoria, on Mahé Island. Alphonse Fishing Company and Blue Safari Seychelles operate from the at ...
,
Mahé,
Praslin
Praslin () is the second largest island (38.5 km2) of the Inner Seychelles, lying northeast of Mahé in the Somali Sea. Praslin has a population of around 7,533 people and comprises two administrative districts: Baie Sainte Anne and Gra ...
,
Curieuse,
La Digue
La Digue is the third most populated island of the Seychelles, and fourth largest by land area, lying east of Praslin and west of Felicite Island. In size, it is the fourth-largest granitic island of Seychelles after Mahé, Praslin and Silhouette ...
, and Frégate.
Habitat
This species is typically found on
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or ...
palms and
banana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry (botany), berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa (genus), Musa''. In some countries, Cooking banana, bananas used for ...
trees. It often lives near human settlements.
Reproduction
''Phelsuma astriata astriata'' normally lays two 10 mm eggs. Seychelles small day geckos are not gluers; they do not stick their eggs to the sides/underside of items, but instead place them in safe, well-hidden areas. Incubation is generally 65 – 70 days at 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
[Day Geckos in Captivity, Leann and Greg Christenson, Page 113 (2002)]
Bibliography
*Henkel, F. W. and Schmidt, W. (1995) ''Amphibien und Reptilien Madagaskars, der Maskarenen, Seychellen und Komoren''. Ulmer Stuttgart.
*McKeown, Sean (1993) ''Day Geckos (General Care, Maintenance and Breeding Series)''. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside CA.
*
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7181284
Reptiles of Seychelles
Phelsuma