''Phelsuma laticauda angularis''

Mertens __NOTOC__ Mertens () is a surname of Flemish Origin, meaning "son of Merten" (Martin). It is the fifth most common name in Belgium with 18,518 people in 2008. Geographical distribution As of 2014, 43.4% of all known bearers of the surname ''Merte ...

, 1964 is a diurnal subspecies of

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 throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

s. It lives in northern

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

and typically inhabits different trees and houses. The Gold dust day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.

Description

This lizard is slightly smaller than the nominate form. It can reach a total length of about . The body colour is a bright green or yellowish green or rarely even blue. Typical for this day gecko are the yellow speckles on the neck and the upper back. There are three rust-coloured transverse bars on the snout and head. The upper eyelid is blue. In contrast to the nominate form, there is a wide, irregular, v-shaped marking which points to the head on the lower back. The tail is wider and flatter than in ''Phelsuma laticauda laticauda''. The ventral side is off-white.

Distribution

This day gecko inhabits northwest Madagascar. It is only known from the region around

Antsohihy Antsohihy is a city (commune urbaine) in northern Madagascar. It is the administrative capital of the Sofia Region. Geography Antsohihy is the capital of Sofia Region and of Antsohihy District. It is situated at the junction of Route nationale ...

Habitat

''P. laticauda angularis'' inhabits different trees, and other pantropic vegetation.

Diet

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

Behaviour

The males of this species are apparently not as aggressive as ''Phelsuma laticauda laticauda''.

Reproduction

The females lay up to 5 pairs of eggs. At a temperature of 28 °C, the young will hatch after approximately 40–45 days. The juveniles measure 55–60 mm. They should be kept separately since even the juveniles can be quite quarrelsome. Sexual maturity is reached after 10–12 months.

Care and maintenance in captivity

These animals can be housed in pairs or small groups with one male and several females. They need a large, well planted terrarium. The temperature should be about 28 °C during the day and drop to around 20 °C at night. The humidity should be maintained between 65 and 75%. In captivity, these animals can be fed with crickets, wax moth, fruits flies, mealworms and houseflies.

References

# Henkel, F.-W. and W. Schmidt (1995) ''Amphibien und Reptilien Madagaskars, der Maskarenen, Seychellen und Komoren''. Ulmer Stuttgart. # McKeown, Sean (1993) ''The general care and maintenance of day geckos''. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside CA. {{Taxonbar, from=Q7181286 Phelsuma Reptiles of Madagascar Taxa named by Robert Mertens Reptiles described in 1964