Yellow-throated day gecko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow-throated day gecko |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Phelsuma |
| Species: |
P. flavigularis
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| Binomial name | |
| Phelsuma flavigularis Mertens, 1962
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The yellow-throated day gecko (Phelsuma flavigularis) is a special type of gecko found only in eastern Madagascar. It is called a "day gecko" because it is active during the day, unlike many other geckos that come out at night. This gecko lives in warm, wet rainforests and spends its time in trees. Sadly, it is an endangered species, which means there are not many left in the wild. These geckos eat insects and sweet plant nectar.
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What Does the Yellow-Throated Day Gecko Look Like?
This gecko is a medium-sized day gecko. Male geckos can grow to be about 15 centimeters (6 inches) long, which is roughly the length of a pencil. Females are usually a bit smaller.
Its body is a beautiful dark green or bluish-green color. It has two red stripes across its nose. You might also see one to three rusty-colored stripes on its neck. On its back, there are small brownish or reddish spots. Its throat is bright yellow, which is how it got its name! Its belly is a light beige color. A cool feature of P. flavigularis is its bright blue rings around its eyes.
Where Do These Geckos Live?
The yellow-throated day gecko lives in a very small area. It is only found around a place called Andasibe on the east coast of Madagascar. This area is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar. Because they live in such a small space, it makes them more vulnerable to changes in their environment.
What is Their Home Like?
These geckos love to live on banana trees and palm trees. Their natural home is the rainforest, which is a very wet and warm place. The east coast of Madagascar has a climate that is perfect for them: it's humid and warm all year round.
What Do Yellow-Throated Day Geckos Eat?
Yellow-throated day geckos enjoy a varied diet. They mainly eat different kinds of insects and other small creatures without backbones, like spiders. They also love sweet treats! They will lick soft, ripe fruits, pollen from flowers, and sweet nectar.
How Do They Behave?
Like many other day geckos, yellow-throated day geckos can be quite feisty. Males do not like other males in their territory and will often fight them. If you keep them as pets, it's important to know that males can sometimes hurt females during mating if the female cannot get away. If this happens, the male and female need to be separated right away to keep the female safe.
Caring for Yellow-Throated Day Geckos as Pets
If you want to keep these geckos as pets, it's best to house them in pairs. They need a large terrarium (a special enclosure for reptiles) that has lots of plants. The temperature inside their home should be kept between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius (77 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit). It's also important to keep the air very humid, between 75% and 100%.
In captivity, you can feed these geckos various insects. They enjoy crickets, wax moths, fruit flies, mealworms, and houseflies.
Images for kids
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A yellow-throated day gecko on a branch.
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Map showing where the yellow-throated day gecko lives.
 | Delilah Pierce |
 | Gordon Parks |
 | Augusta Savage |
 | Charles Ethan Porter |
