Réunion Island ornate day gecko, Reunion island ornate day gecko, Manapany day gecko
Reunion Island ornate day gecko or Manapany day gecko (Phelsuma inexpectata ) is a critically endangered diurnal species of gecko. It occurs only on the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, typically inhabits trees, and feeds on insects and nectar.
Diurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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...
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 withThis lizard is one of the smallest day geckos. It can reach a total length of about 12 cm at most. The body colour is dark green. Three red stripes extend from the snout to the neck. From behind the eye, a thick brown stripe and a thin green-white extend to above the front leg. The snout is partly dark blue. The back is covered with reddish-coloured dots, which are greatly reduced in females. The ventral side is off-white.
This species is endemic to Réunion. It is found in the coastal areas in the region of Manapany-Les-Bains and St.-Joseph. This coastal ecosystem is among the most threatened on the island, and the gecko's habitat is severely fragmented by urbanization and agriculture. It typically lives on trees such as papaya, banana, pandanus and other pantropic vegetation. The geckos also inhabit human dwellings and have been spotted on postboxes and fences. This biotope is relatively dry and hot.
They feed on various insects and other invertebrates. They also like to lick soft sweet fruit, pollen and nectar.
At a temperature of 28 °C, the young will hatch after approximately 50–52 days. The juveniles measure around 48 mm.
