Species:
Phelsuma madagascariensis
Giant Madagascar Day Gecko
Some other names for this species:
Madagascar Day Gecko
Subspecies I've seen:
Subspecies:
Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis
Giant Madagascar Day Gecko
May 4, 2007
Ankarana Special Reserve, Antsiranana province, Madagascar
I knew Ankarana was going to work out well gecko-wise from the moment we arrived at the small entrance station. While our guide John went in to pay our fees and chat, we went to visit a small porta-potty-ish bathroom. On one side of the bathroom was a house gecko (either Hemidactylus mabouia or Hemidactylus frenatus, but I didn't get a great look). On the front of the bathroom was a nice Geckolepis maculata. And on a tree a few feet away was this, my first Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis.
Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this trip to Madagascar.
May 5, 2007
Chez Robert grounds, Antsiranana province, Madagascar
Chez Robert comprises a group of about ten bungalows, created more or less in the local style. These large geckos were patrolling the walls and roofs of most of them. The photo of the third gecko (who was known as "Bathy" for his hangout on the outside of the bathroom) was taken by my sister Mary.
May 6, 2007
Jardin Vanille grounds, Nosy Komba, Antsiranana province, Madagascar
The giant day geckos glowed bright green on the walls, on the roofs, and even on the large pieces of gecko artwork of the
Jardin Vanille, where we stayed for about a day.
Subspecies:
Phelsuma madagascariensis kochi
Giant Madagascar Day Gecko
May 7, 2007
Anjajavy, Mahajanga province, Madagascar
According to the range map in Glaw and Vences, Anjajavy is in an intergrade zone between Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis and Phelsuma madagascariensis kochi, though it's much closer to the range of pure P. m. kochi.
P. m. kochi is generally less bright green than P. m. grandis, and tends to have a broken pattern rather than a solid color. The ones we saw at Anjajavy varied a considerable amount, though this one shows a more broken, reticulated pattern than the P. m. grandis we had seen elsewhere.
Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this trip to Madagascar.
May 8, 2007
Anjajavy, Mahajanga province, Madagascar
This very large individual was deep in the forest. It has a considerably more solid color then the one I photographed on the previous day, making it more closely resemble P. m. grandis.
May 10, 2007
Anjajavy, Mahajanga province, Madagascar
A tiny baby in the forest, and a huge faded adult on our room's veranda, were two of our last geckos from this trip to Madagascar. I hope someday I will be able to go back and see more of these stunningly beautiful animals.
Subspecies:
Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis
Giant Madagascar Day Gecko
October 22, 1996
Hotel Coco Beach, Maroantsetra, Toamasina province, Madagascar
This charming fellow kept the bug count low on the front porch of our room. Or perhaps I should say "lower". I had originally classified it as Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis, but Henkel and Shmidt's book convinced me otherwise.
May 1, 2007
Chez Arol grounds, Masoala National Park, Toamasina province, Madagascar
Among the various geckos hanging out on the grounds of this small rainforest lodge were a few impressively large specimens of Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis. This one was keeping us entertained while we ate lunch.
Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this trip to Madagascar.
