The Mauritius ornate day gecko (Phelsuma ornata) is a diurnal species in the common gecko family, Gekkonidae. It occurs on the island of Mauritius, up to an elevation of , and most of the surrounding islands.
Description
This gecko has a typical length of . The geckos died from a combination of factors due to a loss of communication with the satellite, including a life support malfunction which deactivated the heating system.
Care and maintenance in captivity
These animals should be housed in pairs in a well planted enclosure. The temperature should be between during the day and dropped to around at night. The humidity should be maintained at 50–60% during the day and 80–90% at night. In captivity, these animals can be fed with crickets, wax moth larvae, fruit flies, mealworms and houseflies.
Notes
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.