Round Island day gecko

Guenther's gecko ( Phelsuma guentheri ) is a gecko species from the genus of day geckos. He came earlier before the Réunion and Mauritius, today its range is limited to the small island round Iceland in Mauritius. The specific epithet honors the German zoologist Albert Günther.

Features

Adult males can weigh total length of 300 mm. However, in general, they are smaller, with a head -body length in males of 133 mm and in females of 120 mm. The body is stocky. The basic color is gray-brown to gray-green. Each located at the sides of the head is a dark brown longitudinal stripes extending from the nostrils through the eye to the neck. In the neck region, the two longitudinal stripes flow into each other. Some specimens show dark spots on the back and pale yellow bands on the legs and toes. The belly is white or yellowish. During the day the pupil is placed vertically elliptical.

Habitat

Previously Guenther's gecko lived on bottle palms, fan palms ( Latania ) and pandanus trees. Due to the destruction of vegetation by cyclones, rabbits and goats its habitat is now limited to Lavafelsspalten.

Way of life

Guenther's day gecko feeds on insects, other invertebrates, as well as pollen, nectar and ripe fruit. It breeds throughout the year. The nests, of which there can be up to six per year, consisting of two eggs. Frequently the females build their nests in Community oviposition sites on the underside of rocks. The young hatch after 58-104 days. At birth they are about 75 mm long.

Status

The IUCN classifies Guenther's gecko " high risk " category ( endangered ). The vegetation destruction by goats, rabbits and cyclones has led to a decrease of the population to between 600 and 1,500 copies. Thanks to a goat and rabbit eradication program and a conservation breeding program of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the stocks slowly recover.