The yellow-headed day gecko (Phelsuma klemmeri), also commonly called the cheerful day gecko, Klemmer's day gecko,
Description
P. klemmeri <!-- belongs to the smallest subfamily of day geckos (?? Doesn't it belong to the large subfamily Gekkoninae? Or are any subfamilies of the family Gekkonidae still recognized? --> is small, reaching a total length (including tail) of . The body colour of this slender and long-snouted gecko is turquoise blue at the upper and mid-back. The lower back is light brown. Most of the tail is turquoise blue. Remarkable is the laterally flattened body. Another typical characteristic is the yellow head. A dark black spot is present behind the eye, followed by a black stripe which extends to the rear extremities. The legs and toes are brown speckled. The ventral side is grayish white. The sexes can easily be distinguished by the orange color around the femoral pores of the males.
Geographic range
P. klemmeri inhabits northwest Madagascar, along the coast. It is only known from the Ampasindava Peninsula (at Antsatsaka) and near Mandrozo Lake. The female lays a pair of eggs and hides them in bamboo canes. At a temperature of 27 °C (80.6 °F), the young will hatch after approximately 39–52 days. Each juvenile measures .
Captivity
The species P. klemmeri is bred extensively in captivity, and the IUCN thinks it unlikely that it is still wild-caught.