Andaman day gecko
The Andaman day gecko (Phelsuma andamanensis ), also known as the Andaman Islands day gecko, is a species of gecko in the genus Phelsuma. It is endemic to the Andaman Islands of India, and has recently been introduced to the Nicobar islands. It is a small, slender lizard, has a bright green colour and feeds on insects. Its range is nearly 5000 km away from the centre of the distribution area of the genus Phelsuma, in Mauritius and Madagascar.
An insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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starts withThe body of this day gecko is bright green with red dots and stripes on the back. Males have a bluish or turquoise coloured tail. On both sides of the snout, a reddish-brown stripe is extending from the nostrils to the ear. The undersurface of the body is bright yellow or off-white.
The Andaman day gecko is found throughout the Andaman Islands of India, with the 'North' clade being found on North Andaman, Middle Andaman, Interview, Baratang, Shaheed Dweep, and Long Islands, while the 'South' clade is found on Swaraj Dweep, South Andaman, and Little Andaman Islands. While the species reached the Andaman Islands through natural means, parts of its range within the islands may be a consequence of human-mediated dispersal due to its generalist lifestyle. It has also recently been sighted on the Nicobar Islands for the first time, which is likely also a consequence of human introduction.
Phelsuma andamanensis inhabits lowlands where is typically found in domestic gardens on coconut palms, screw pines, banana trees and on sisal plants. It also sometimes lives on local huts. This generalist lifestyle has allowed it to have a major population expansion with the growth of cash crops on the Andamans, making it a rare example of an island-endemic reptile that has actually massively benefited from anthropogenic disturbance. However, this new, dense population may make them more susceptible to stressors such as parasites and diseases.
These shy day geckos are extremely aggressive toward other members of its species.
Phelsuma andamanensis normally lays two eggs in a protected and elevated location. The females can be extraordinarily fertile. It has been observed that during a period of 18 months, 14 pairs of eggs were laid.
