Phelsuma

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.{{Cite journal|last1=Mohan|first1=Ashwini V.|last2=Orozco-terWengel|first2=Pablo|author2-link=species:Pablo Orozco-terWengel|last3=Shanker|first3=Kartik|last4=Vences|first4=Miguel|author4-link=Miguel Vences|date=2020-07-16|title=The Andaman day gecko paradox: an ancient endemic without pronounced phylogeographic structure|journal=Scientific Reports|language=en|volume=10|issue=1|pages=11745|doi=10.1038/s41598-020-68402-7|pmid=32678130|pmc=7367275|bibcode=2020NatSR..1011745M|issn=2045-2322|doi-access=free}} 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.{{Cite journal|last1=Rocha|first1=Sara|author1-link=species:Sara Rocha|last2=Posada|first2=David|last3=Harris|first3=D. James|author3-link=species:David James Harris|date=2013-01-05|title=Phylogeography and diversification history of the day-gecko genus Phelsuma in the Seychelles islands|url= |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology|volume=13|issue=1|pages=3|doi=10.1186/1471-2148-13-3|issn=1471-2148|pmc=3598968|pmid=23289814 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2013BMCEE..13....3R }}

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 {{convert|6.5|and|30|cm|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.

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.

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.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7247472.stm|title=Gecko 'begs' insect for honeydew | work=BBC News | date=16 February 2008}}

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.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).

File:Phelsuma abbotti chekei 188291768 (cropped).jpg)]]

File:Phelsuma astriata astriata 2015 (cropped).JPG)]]File:Phelsuma borbonica mater 129462954 (cropped) (cropped).jpg)]]File:Phelsuma breviceps (cropped 2).JPG)]]File:Phelsuma cepediana Mauritius 040128 (cropped).jpg)]]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.

• File:Phelsuma dorsivittata 184633674 (cropped).jpg)]]File:P-flavigularis (cropped).jpg)]]File:Phelsuma gouldi 108484637 (cropped).jpg)]]File:Madagascar giant day gecko (Phelsuma grandis) Nosy Komba (cropped).jpg)]]File:Gecko Phelsuma klemmeri (cropped).jpg)]]File:Phelsuma lineata 184622407 (cropped).jpg)]]File:Ornate Day Gecko in Bras d'Eau NP - Phelsuma ornata (cropped).jpg)]]File:Phelsuma quadriocellata quadriocellata 3890357 (cropped).jpg)]]File:Phelsuma standingi 50296046 (cropped).jpg)]]Phelsuma abbotti {{small|Stejneger, 1893}}
• Phelsuma abbotti abbotti {{small|Stejneger, 1893}} – Aldabra Island day gecko
• Phelsuma abbotti chekei {{small|Börner & Minuth, 1984}} – Cheke's day gecko
• Phelsuma abbotti sumptio {{small|Cheke, 1982}} – Assumption Island day gecko
• Phelsuma andamanensis {{small|Blyth, 1861}} – Andaman Islands day gecko
• Phelsuma antanosy {{small|Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1993}}
• Phelsuma astriata {{small|Tornier, 1901}} – Seychelles day gecko
• Phelsuma astriata astovei {{small|V. FitzSimons, 1948}}
• Phelsuma astriata astriata {{small|Tornier, 1901}} – Seychelles small day gecko
• Phelsuma astriata semicarinata {{small|Cheke, 1982}}
• Phelsuma barbouri {{small|Loveridge, 1942}} – Barbour's day gecko
• Phelsuma berghofi {{small|Krüger, 1996}}
• Phelsuma borai {{small|Glaw, J. Köhler & Vences, 2009}}
• Phelsuma borbonica {{small|Mertens, 1966}}
• Phelsuma borbonica agalegae {{small|Cheke, 1975}} – Agalega day gecko
• Phelsuma borbonica borbonica {{small|Mertens, 1966}} – Reunion Island day gecko
• Phelsuma borbonica mater {{small|Meier, 1995}}
• Phelsuma breviceps {{small|Boettger, 1894}}
• File:Phelsuma sundbergi longinsulae 62955290 (cropped).jpg)]]Phelsuma cepediana {{small|(Milbert, 1812)}} – blue-tailed day gecko
• Phelsuma comorensis {{small|Boettger, 1913}}
• Phelsuma dorsivittata {{small|Mertens, 1964}}
• Phelsuma dubia {{small|(Boettger, 1881)}} – dull day gecko, Zanzibar day gecko
• {{Dagger}}Phelsuma edwardnewtoni {{small|J. Vinson & J.-M. Vinson, 1969}} – Rodrigues day gecko (extinct, last seen 1917)
• Phelsuma flavigularis {{small|Mertens, 1962}} – yellow-throated day gecko
• {{Dagger}}Phelsuma gigas {{small|Liénard, 1842}} – Rodrigues giant day gecko (extinct, last seen 1842)
• Phelsuma gouldi {{small|Crottini et al., 2011}}
• Phelsuma grandis {{small|Gray, 1870}} – Madagascar giant day gecko
• Phelsuma guentheri {{small|Boulenger, 1885}} – Round Island day gecko
• Phelsuma guimbeaui {{small|Mertens, 1963}} – orange-spotted day gecko, Mauritius lowland forest day gecko
• Phelsuma guttata {{small|Kaudern, 1922}} – speckled day gecko
• Phelsuma hielscheri {{small|Rösler, Obst & Seipp, 2001}}
• Phelsuma hoeschi {{small|Berghof & Trautmann, 2009}}
• Phelsuma inexpectata {{small|Mertens, 1966}} – Reunion Island ornate day gecko
• Phelsuma kely {{small|Schönecker, Bach & Glaw, 2004}}
• Phelsuma klemmeri {{small|Seipp, 1991}} – yellow-headed day gecko
• Phelsuma kochi {{small|Mertens, 1954}} – Koch's day gecko, Koch's giant day gecko, Madagascar day gecko, Maevatanana day gecko
• Phelsuma laticauda {{small|(Boettger, 1880)}} – broad-tailed day gecko
• Phelsuma laticauda angularis {{small|Mertens, 1964}}
• Phelsuma laticauda laticauda {{small|(Boettger, 1880)}} – gold dust day gecko
• Phelsuma lineata {{small|Gray, 1842}}
• Phelsuma lineata bombetokensis {{small|Mertens, 1964}}
• Phelsuma lineata elanthana {{small|Krüger, 1996}}
• Phelsuma lineata lineata {{small|Gray, 1842}}
• Phelsuma madagascariensis {{small|Gray, 1831}}
• Phelsuma madagascariensis boehmei {{small|Meier, 1982}} – Boehme's giant day gecko
• Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis {{small|Gray, 1831}} – Madagascar day gecko
• Phelsuma malamakibo {{small|Nussbaum et al., 2000}} {{Cite web|title=Catalogue of Life: Phelsuma malamakibo Nussbaum, Raxworthy, Raselimanana & Ramanamanjato, 2000|url=http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/4f476e9d91646bce8ba269006542ae85|website=www.catalogueoflife.org|access-date=2020-05-29}}
• Phelsuma masohoala {{small|Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1994}} {{Cite web|title=Phelsuma masohoala|url=http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species.php?genus=Phelsuma&species=masohoala|website=The Reptile Database|access-date=2020-05-29}}
• Phelsuma modesta {{small|Mertens, 1970}} – modest day gecko {{Cite web|title=Phelsuma modesta|url=http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species.php?genus=Phelsuma&species=modesta|website=The Reptile Database|access-date=2020-05-29}}
• Phelsuma modesta leiogaster {{small|Mertens, 1963}}
• Phelsuma modesta modesta {{small|Mertens, 1970}} {{citation needed|date=November 2012}}
• Phelsuma mutabilis {{small|(Grandidier, 1869)}} – thicktail day gecko
• Phelsuma nigristriata {{small|Meier, 1984}} – island day gecko
• Phelsuma ornata {{small|Gray, 1825}} – Mauritius ornate day gecko
• Phelsuma parkeri {{small|Loveridge, 1941}} – Pemba Island day gecko
• Phelsuma parva {{small|Meier, 1983}}
• Phelsuma pasteuri {{small|Meier, 1984}} – Pasteur's day gecko
• Phelsuma pronki {{small|Seipp, 1994}}
• Phelsuma punctulata {{small|Mertens, 1970}} – striped day gecko
• Phelsuma pusilla {{small|Mertens, 1964}}
• Phelsuma pusilla hallmanni {{small|Meier, 1989}} – Hallmann's day gecko
• Phelsuma pusilla pusilla {{small|Mertens, 1964}}
• Phelsuma quadriocellata {{small|W. Peters, 1883}} – peacock day gecko
• Phelsuma quadriocellata quadriocellata {{small|W. Peters, 1883}} – four-spotted day gecko
• Phelsuma quadriocellata bimaculata {{small|Kaudern, 1922}}
• Phelsuma quadriocellata lepida {{small|Krüger, 1993}}
• Phelsuma ravenala {{small|Raxworthy et al., 2007}}
• Phelsuma robertmertensi {{small|Meier, 1980}} – Robert Mertens's day gecko
• Phelsuma roesleri {{small|Glaw et al., 2010}}
• Phelsuma rosagularis {{small|J. Vinson & J.-M. Vinson, 1969}} – Mauritius upland forest day gecko
• Phelsuma seippi {{small|Meier, 1987}} – Seipp's day gecko
• Phelsuma serraticauda {{small|Mertens, 1963}} – flat-tailed day gecko
• Phelsuma standingi {{small|Methuen & Hewitt, 1913}} – Standing's day gecko
• Phelsuma sundbergi {{small|Rendahl, 1939}} – Praslin Island day gecko
• Phelsuma sundbergi ladiguensis {{small|Böhme & Meier, 1981}} – La Digue day gecko
• Phelsuma sundbergi longinsulae {{small|Rendahl, 1939}} – Mahé day gecko
• Phelsuma sundbergi sundbergi {{small|Rendahl, 1939}} – Seychelles giant day gecko

• Phelsuma vanheygeni {{small|Lerner, 2000}}
• Phelsuma v-nigra {{small|Boettger, 1913}} – Indian day gecko
• Phelsuma v-nigra anjouanensis {{small|Meier, 1986}} – Anjouan Island day gecko
• Phelsuma v-nigra comoraegrandensis {{small|Meier, 1986}} – Grand Comoro day gecko
• Phelsuma v-nigra v-nigra {{small|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.

{{Reflist}}

• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20040217204159/http://www.phelsumania.com/public/introduction.html Phelsumania.com]}}
• [http://www.gekkota.com/html/phelsuma.html Gekkota.com]
• [http://www.phelsuma.nl/ Phelsuma.nl]
• [http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/advanced_search?genus=phelsuma&submit=Search Phelsuma at the Reptile Database]

• Berghof H-P (2016). Taggeckos der Gattung Phelsuma: Lebensweise – Haltung – Nachzucht. Münster, Germany: Natur und Tier Verlag. 192 pp. {{ISBN|978-3-86659-336-7}}. (in German).
• {{cite book|title=Day Geckos In Captivity|author1=Christenson, Leann |author2=Christenson, Greg |year=2003|publisher=Living Art Publishing|location=Ada, Oklahoma|isbn=0-9638130-2-1}}
• Gehring P-S, Crottini A, Glaw F, Hauswaldt S, Ratsoavina FM (2010). "Notes on the natural history, distribution and malformations of day geckos (Phelsuma) from Madagascar". Herpetology Notes 3: 321-327.
• 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.
• Gray JE (1825). "A Synopsis of the Genera of Reptiles and Amphibia, with a Description of some new Species". Annals of Philosophy. New Series [Series 2] 10: 193-217. (Phelsuma, new genus, p. 199).
• Rocha S, Rösler H, Gehring P-S, Glaw F, Posada D, Harris DJ, Vences M (2010). "Phylogenetic systematics of day geckos, genus Phelsuma, based on molecular and morphological data (Squamata: Gekkonidae)". Zootaxa 2429: 1–28.

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Category:Fauna of the Mascarene Islands

Category:Reptiles of Mauritius

Category:Reptiles of Seychelles

Category:Reptiles of Madagascar

Category:Lizard genera

Category:Taxa named by John Edward Gray