Round Island day gecko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Round Island day gecko |
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| Conservation status | |
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Phelsuma
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| Species: |
guentheri
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The Round Island day gecko (Phelsuma guentheri), also known as Günther's gecko, is a type of lizard that is currently endangered. This special gecko belongs to the Gekkonidae family. It lives only on Round Island, which is a small islet near Mauritius. These geckos usually live on palm trees and eat insects and nectar.
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What's in a Name?
The scientific name for this gecko, guentheri, was chosen to honor a famous German-born British scientist named Albert Günther. He was an expert in reptiles and amphibians.
Meet the Round Island Day Gecko
The Round Island day gecko is one of the biggest day geckos alive today. Male geckos can grow to be about 30 cm (12 inches) long, including their tail. However, they are often much smaller. Female geckos are usually quite a bit smaller than the males.
These geckos are typically grayish or grayish-brown. They have a dark-brown stripe that runs from their nose to just above their ear. You might also see dark spots on their backs. Some geckos even have light-yellow stripes on their legs and toes! Their bellies are white or yellowish.
Where Do They Live?
Originally, the Round Island day gecko lived on the main island of Mauritius. But when rats and cats were brought to Mauritius, the geckos' numbers dropped. Now, you can only find them on Round Island. This small island is about 22 km (14 miles) north-northeast of Mauritius.
Their Island Home
You can often spot P. guentheri on certain types of palm trees, like bottle palms and fan palms. They also like to live on Pandanus plants. Sadly, many tropical cyclones have damaged the original plants they live on. Because of this, the geckos sometimes have to live in rocky cracks instead.
What Do They Eat?
The Round Island day gecko enjoys a varied diet. They mostly eat different kinds of insects and other small creatures without backbones. They also love to lick soft, sweet fruits, pollen, and the sweet liquid called nectar from flowers.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
Female Round Island day geckos can lay up to four pairs of eggs at a time. The baby geckos will hatch from these eggs after about 58 to 104 days. When they first hatch, the young geckos are about 75 mm (3 inches) long. While eggs are usually laid in June, they can be laid anytime from February to September.
Helping Them Survive
The Round Island day gecko is an endangered species. To help protect them, some geckos were kept and bred at the Durrell Wildlife Park by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. This program helped ensure the survival of this special gecko until 1999.
