Phelsuma

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Subordo: Gekkota
Infraordo: Gekkomorpha
Superfamilia: Gekkonoidea

Familia: Gekkonidae
Genus: Phelsuma
Species (42): P. abbotti – P. andamanense – P. antanosy – P. astriata – P. barbouri – P. berghofi – P. borai – P. borbonica – P. breviceps – P. cepediana – P. comorensis – P. dorsivittata – P. dubia – P. edwardnewtoni – P. flavigularis – P. gigas – P. gouldi – P. grandis – P. guentheri – P. guimbeaui – P. guttata – P. hielscheri – P. hoeschi – P. inexpectata – P. kely – P. klemmeri – P. kochi – P. laticauda – P. lineata – P. madagascariensis – P. malamakibo – P. masohoala – P. modesta – P. mutabilis – P. nigristriata – P. ornata – P. parkeri – P. parva – P. pasteuri – P. pronki – P. pusilla – P. quadriocellata – P. ravenala – P. robertmertensi – P. roesleri – P. rosagularis – P. seippi – P. serraticauda – P. standingi – P. sundbergi – P. vanheygeni – P. v-nigra

Name

Phelsuma Gray, 1825: 199

Type species: Phelsuma crepidianus [sic] Gray, 1825, by subsequent designation by Smith (1935: 120).

References
Primary references

Gray, J.E. 1825. A synopsis of the genera of reptiles and Amphibia, with a description of some new species. Annals of Philosophy 10: 193–217. BHL Reference page.

Additional references

Raxworthy, C.J., Ingram, C.M., Rabibisoa, N. & Pearson, R.G. 2007. Applications of Ecological Niche Modeling for Species Delimitation: A Review and Empirical Evaluation Using Day Geckos (Phelsuma) from Madagascar. Systematic Biology 56(6): 907–923. DOI: 10.1080/10635150701775111 Open access Reference page.
Glaw, F., Köhler, J. & Vences, M. 2009. A new species of cryptically coloured day gecko (Phelsuma) from the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park in western Madagascar. Zootaxa 2195: 61–68. Abstract & excerpt. Reference page.
Glaw, F., Gehring, P.-S., Köhler, J., Franzen, M. & Vences, M. 2010. A new dwarf species of day gecko, genus Phelsuma, from the Ankarana pinnacle karst in northern Madagascar. Salamandra 46(2): 83–92. Full article (PDF) Reference page.
Rocha, S. et al. 2010. Phylogenetic systematics of day geckos, genus Phelsuma, based on molecular and morphological data (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Zootaxa 2429: 1–28. Preview
Crottini, A. et al. 2011. Deciphering the cryptic species diversity of dull-coloured day geckos Phelsuma (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Madagascar, with description of a new species. Zootaxa 2982: 40–48. Preview
Gehring, P.-S., Crottini, A., Glaw, F., Hauswaldt, S. & Ratsoavina, F.M. 2010. Notes on the natural history, distribution and malformations of day geckos (Phelsuma) from Madagascar. Herpetology Notes 3: 321–327. (PDF).
Glaw, F. & Rösler, H. 2015. Taxonomic checklist of the day geckos of the genera Phelsuma Gray, 1825 and Rhoptropella Hewitt, 1937 (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Vertebrate Zoology 65(2): 247–283. Full article (PDF) Reference page.

Links

Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2023. Phelsuma . The Reptile Database. Accessed on 17 January 2020.
Phelsuma – Taxon details on Interim Register of Marine and Non-marine Genera (IRMNG).
Phelsuma – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Taggeckos
English: Day Geckos
日本語: ヒルヤモリ属
polski: Felsuma

Phelsuma is a large genus of geckos in the family Gekkonidae. Species in the genus Phelsuma are commonly referred to as day geckos.

Some day geckos are seriously endangered and some are common, but all Phelsuma species are CITES Appendix II listed. Little is known about trade in day geckos,[1] but the IUCN considers it a threat to some species. Some species are captive-bred.[2]
Taxonomy

The genus itself is thought to have originated anywhere between the Late Cretaceous to the mid-Eocene (43 to 75 mya), as that is when its lineage is known to have diverged from the one containing the Namaqua day gecko (Rhoptropella), although it is unknown how closely related both genera are. The crown group containing all recent species is thought to have originated in the early Oligocene, about 30 million years ago, with the most basal of them being the isolated Andaman day gecko (P. andamanensis), which diverged from all other species shortly after the crown group originated.[3] Most of the other divergence among species in areas of the Western Indian Ocean such as the Seychelles is thought to have occurred in the Neogene.[4]
Description

In contrast to most other gecko species, day geckos of the genus Phelsuma are active mainly during the day. Other diurnal geckos include species of the genera Lygodactylus and Gonatodes. Like most other geckos, day geckos lack eyelids, instead having rounded pupils and a clear, fixed plate covering their eyes which they clean with their tongues. Many species have bright green, red, and blue colors which make them popular terrarium or vivarium pets. These brilliant colors play a role in intraspecies recognition and also serve as camouflage.

The total length (including tail) of the different Phelsuma species varies between about 6.5 and 30 centimetres (2.6 and 11.8 in), but the extinct Rodrigues giant day gecko was even larger. Day geckos have toe pads consisting of tiny lamellae which allow them to walk on plain vertical and inverted surfaces like bamboo or glass. The inner toe on each foot is vestigial. Males have well-developed femoral pores on the undersurface of their rear limbs. These pores are less developed or absent in females. Females often have well-developed endolymphatic chalk sacs on the sides of their necks. These sacs store calcium, which is needed for egg production. Those eggs can often be seen through the ventral surface of the female's body shortly before they are laid. The hatchlings reach sexual maturity between six and 12 months old. Smaller species may live up to 10 years, whereas the larger species have been reported to live more than 20 years in captivity.
Distribution and habitat

Day geckos inhabit the islands of the south-west part of the Indian Ocean. The exceptions are Phelsuma andamanense, which is endemic to the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, and Phelsuma dubia, which is also found on the East Coast of mainland Africa, although it possibly was introduced there. Most Phelsumas species are found in Mauritius and Madagascar. Some species are found on neighboring island groups, including the Mascarenes, Seychelles, and Comoros. Due to human introduction, they are also often found on some of the Hawaiian Islands, including the Big Island, Maui and Kauai, and the state of Florida, where they were introduced as a form of pest control. The different Phelsuma species can be found from sea level up to 2,300 meters. Most day geckos are arboreal. They inhabit, amongst others, coconut palms and banana trees, but can also be found near human settlements, in gardens, on fences, houses, and huts. An exception, Phelsuma barbouri, is a terrestrial species.
Diet

Day geckos feed on various insects and other invertebrates in the wild. They also eat nectar, pollen, and occasionally soft, ripe and sweet fruits such as bananas.

In captivity, such a diet is simulated. Insects which may be used include: (wingless) fruit flies, various flies, wax moths, crickets, small super worms, small butter worms and mealworms. Fruit, which is required a few times a week, may be small pieces of papaya, banana, or other sweet fruit and also commercial gecko nectars.

In 2008 a BBC film crew took footage of a day gecko successfully begging a planthopper for honeydew.[5]
Classification
Mauritius ornate day gecko
(P. ornata), Mauritius
Blue-tailed day gecko
(P. cepediana), Mauritius

The genus Phelsuma was first described in 1825 by the British zoologist John Edward Gray, who named it after the Dutch physician Murk van Phelsum.[6] The genus consists of about 70 known species and subspecies.

Two Phelsuma species (Phelsuma gigas and Phelsuma edwardnewtoni), both of which were endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues, are now considered to be extinct, probably due to the destruction of their environments by human settlers and their domestic animals. Many day gecko species are endangered today for similar reasons: an increasing percentage of their natural habitat, especially tropical forest, is being destroyed by human activity.

Phelsuma abbotti Stejneger, 1893
Phelsuma abbotti abbotti Stejneger, 1893 – Aldabra Island day gecko
Phelsuma abbotti chekei Börner & Minuth, 1984 – Cheke's day gecko
Phelsuma abbotti sumptio Cheke, 1982 – Assumption Island day gecko
Phelsuma andamanensis Blyth, 1861 – Andaman Islands day gecko
Phelsuma antanosy Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1993
Phelsuma astriata Tornier, 1901 – Seychelles day gecko
Phelsuma astriata astovei V. FitzSimons, 1948
Phelsuma astriata astriata Tornier, 1901 – Seychelles small day gecko
Phelsuma astriata semicarinata Cheke, 1982
Phelsuma barbouri Loveridge, 1942 – Barbour's day gecko
Phelsuma berghofi Krüger, 1996
Phelsuma borai Glaw, J. Köhler & Vences, 2009
Phelsuma borbonica Mertens, 1966
Phelsuma borbonica agalegae Cheke, 1975 – Agalega day gecko
Phelsuma borbonica borbonica Mertens, 1966 – Reunion Island day gecko
Phelsuma borbonica mater Meier, 1995
Phelsuma breviceps Boettger, 1894
Phelsuma cepediana (Milbert, 1812) – blue-tailed day gecko
Phelsuma comorensis Boettger, 1913
Phelsuma dorsivittata Mertens, 1964
Phelsuma dubia (Boettger, 1881) – dull day gecko, Zanzibar day gecko
daggerPhelsuma edwardnewtoni J. Vinson & J.-M. Vinson, 1969 – Rodrigues day gecko (extinct, last seen 1917)
Phelsuma flavigularis Mertens, 1962 – yellow-throated day gecko
daggerPhelsuma gigas Liénard, 1842 – Rodrigues giant day gecko (extinct, last seen 1842)
Phelsuma gouldi Crottini et al., 2011
Phelsuma grandis Gray, 1870 – Madagascar giant day gecko
Phelsuma guentheri Boulenger, 1885 – Round Island day gecko
Phelsuma guimbeaui Mertens, 1963 – orange-spotted day gecko, Mauritius lowland forest day gecko
Phelsuma guttata Kaudern, 1922 – speckled day gecko
Phelsuma hielscheri Rösler, Obst & Seipp, 2001
Phelsuma hoeschi Berghof & Trautmann, 2009
Phelsuma inexpectata Mertens, 1966 – Reunion Island ornate day gecko
Phelsuma kely Schönecker, Bach & Glaw, 2004
Phelsuma klemmeri Seipp, 1991 – yellow-headed day gecko
Phelsuma kochi Mertens, 1954
Phelsuma laticauda (Boettger, 1880) – broad-tailed day gecko
Phelsuma laticauda angularis Mertens, 1964
Phelsuma laticauda laticauda (Boettger, 1880) – gold dust day gecko
Phelsuma lineata Gray, 1842
Phelsuma lineata bombetokensis Mertens, 1964
Phelsuma lineata elanthana Krüger, 1996
Phelsuma lineata lineata Gray, 1842
Phelsuma madagascariensis Gray, 1831
Phelsuma madagascariensis boehmei Meier, 1982 – Boehme's giant day gecko
Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis Gray, 1831 – Madagascar day gecko
Phelsuma malamakibo Nussbaum et al., 2000 [7]
Phelsuma masohoala Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1994 [8]
Phelsuma modesta Mertens, 1970 – modest day gecko [9]
Phelsuma modesta leiogaster Mertens, 1963
Phelsuma modesta modesta Mertens, 1970[citation needed]
Phelsuma mutabilis (Grandidier, 1869) – thicktail day gecko
Phelsuma nigristriata Meier, 1984 – island day gecko
Phelsuma ornata Gray, 1825 – Mauritius ornate day gecko
Phelsuma parkeri Loveridge, 1941 – Pemba Island day gecko
Phelsuma parva Meier, 1983
Phelsuma pasteuri Meier, 1984 – Pasteur's day gecko
Phelsuma pronki Seipp, 1994
Phelsuma punctulata Mertens, 1970 – striped day gecko
Phelsuma pusilla Mertens, 1964
Phelsuma pusilla hallmanni Meier, 1989 – Hallmann's day gecko
Phelsuma pusilla pusilla Mertens, 1964
Phelsuma quadriocellata W. Peters, 1883 – peacock day gecko
Phelsuma quadriocellata quadriocellata W. Peters, 1883 – four-spotted day gecko
Phelsuma quadriocellata bimaculata Kaudern, 1922
Phelsuma quadriocellata lepida Krüger, 1993
Phelsuma ravenala Raxworthy et al., 2007
Phelsuma robertmertensi Meier, 1980 – Robert Mertens's day gecko
Phelsuma roesleri Glaw et al., 2010
Phelsuma rosagularis J. Vinson & J.-M. Vinson, 1969 – Mauritius upland forest day gecko
Phelsuma seippi Meier, 1987 – Seipp's day gecko
Phelsuma serraticauda Mertens, 1963 – flat-tailed day gecko
Phelsuma standingi Methuen & Hewitt, 1913 – Standing's day gecko
Phelsuma sundbergi Rendahl, 1939 – Praslin Island day gecko
Phelsuma sundbergi ladiguensis Böhme & Meier, 1981 – La Digue day gecko
Phelsuma sundbergi longinsulae Rendahl, 1939 – Mahé day gecko
Phelsuma sundbergi sundbergi Rendahl, 1939 – Seychelles giant day gecko
Phelsuma vanheygeni Lerner, 2000
Phelsuma v-nigra Boettger, 1913 – Indian day gecko
Phelsuma v-nigra anjouanensis Meier, 1986 – Anjouan Island day gecko
Phelsuma v-nigra comoraegrandensis Meier, 1986 – Grand Comoro day gecko
Phelsuma v-nigra v-nigra Boettger, 1913

Nota bene: A binomial authority or trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Phelsuma.

References

"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
Breeding Endangered Geckos, editor's interview with Matt Schaefer, July 23, 2013
Mohan, Ashwini V.; Orozco-terWengel, Pablo; Shanker, Kartik; Vences, Miguel (2020-07-16). "The Andaman day gecko paradox: an ancient endemic without pronounced phylogeographic structure". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): 11745. Bibcode:2020NatSR..1011745M. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-68402-7. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 7367275. PMID 32678130.
Rocha, Sara; Posada, David; Harris, D. James (2013-01-05). "Phylogeography and diversification history of the day-gecko genus Phelsuma in the Seychelles islands". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 13 (1): 3. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-13-3. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 3598968. PMID 23289814.
"Gecko 'begs' insect for honeydew". BBC News. 16 February 2008.
Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Phelsuma, p. 206).
"Catalogue of Life : Phelsuma malamakibo Nussbaum, Raxworthy, Raselimanana & Ramanamanjato, 2000". www.catalogueoflife.org. Retrieved 2020-05-29.
"Phelsuma masohoala". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2020-05-29.

"Phelsuma modesta". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2020-05-29.

External links

Phelsumania.com
Gekkota.com
Phelsuma.nl
Phelsuma at the Reptile Database