The Gold Dust Day Gecko is a species of lizard that is native to Northern Madagascar. These geckos are diurnal, meaning that they are active during the day.
While this species of lizard is native to Madagascar and some surrounding islands, the have been introduced to a number of Pacific Islands. There is a large population of these lizards in Hawaii.
Taxonomy
The Gold Dust Day Gecko belongs to the Gekkonidae family of lizards under the Infraorder Gekkota. This essentially means that they are a Gecko. The Gekkonidae family is the largest family of Gecko consisting of almost 1000 different species. These lizards are referred to as the ‘True Geckos’.
Some of the other species in this family include the Madagascar Giant Day Gecko and the Tokay Gecko.
There are currently 64 recognised genera in the Gekkonidae family with the Gold Dust Day Gecko belonging to the Phelsuma genus. This is a large genus of geckos containing over 50 different species. All species in the Phelsuma genus are known as Day Geckos.
The scientific name for the Gold Dust Day Gecko is Phelsuma laticauda. There are currently two recognised subspecies, Phelsuma laticauda laticauda and Phelsuma laticauda angularis.
Description
These geckos are relatively small, growing to lengths of around 6-7 inches. Unlike their name suggests, these lizards are not golden in colour. They are actually bright green, with some specimens displaying a yellow or blue coloration.
They have horizontal red bands on the top of their head as well as vertical red bands towards the end of their back. Their eyes are covered in s vibrant blue outline.
The Gold Dust Day Gecko get its name from the small gold coloured spots that cover its neck and legs. These golden spots are also present towards the lower back and top of the tail.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Gold Dust Day Gecko is native to the humid regions of Northern Madagascar. They share much of their range with the Panther Chameleon. These lizards can also be found on nearby islands such as the Comoros Islands and Seychelles.
These lizards can be found in forested areas and even in gardens where they live in the trees. They can often be found in urban areas such as parks where there are plenty of trees.
A population of these lizards was introduced into Hawaii in the 1970’s and they have gone on to thrive there. They can be found on the Island of Hawaii, Oahu and Maui.
Feeding a Gold Dust Day Gecko
One of the easiest aspects of Gold Dust Day Gecko care is feeding. These small lizards will readily eat most commonly available feeder insects. They will also consume commercial gecko diet.
The size of the insect should be small enough to fit in the gecko’s mouth. A general rule of thumb is to feed insects that are smaller than the width of the lizard’s head.
Some of the insects that these lizards will eat include Crickets, Roaches, Mealworms, Waxworms and Silkworms. The key to a good insect diet is variety. Each type of insect will offer your lizard different levels of nutrients.
You should dust you insects with a calcium supplement on every second feed. This can be increased to every feed if you are breeding your lizards as egg production requires a lot of calcium.
A multivitamin can be offered once a week. It is also a good idea to offer the occasional serving of commercial gecko diet. This could be offered weekly with the multivitamin mixed in.
You can also offer your Gold Dust Day Gecko the occasional serving of mashed up fruit or even a serving of honey. This should only be offered occasionally though.
You should aim for a diet that consists of around 70% insects with the rest of their diet coming from commercial gecko diet and mashed fruit.
Gold Dust Day Gecko Enclosure
A juvenile Gold Dust Day Gecko can be housed in an enclosure measuring 12″ x 12″ x 12″. You can house two or three of these juveniles together in one of these enclosures, but they must be separated before they mature.
While these lizards are small, they still need a decent amount of space as they are quite active. When housing more than one lizard in an enclosure, space is also important to allow the lizards to get away from each other.
A pair of adults can be housed in an enclosure measuring 18″ x 18″ x 24″. You could also choose to house a trio consisting of one male and two females in the same enclosure. However, you should aim for a slightly bigger enclosure if housing another lizard.
As these lizards like to climb, you should include several live or artificial plants, bark and vines in the enclosure. This will increase the surface area of the enclosure, promote climbing behaviour and increase the amount of hiding places they have.
Light and Heat
You can heat your Gold Dust Day Gecko enclosure with an overhead heat bulb or ceramic bulb. This should be connected to a high-quality thermostat to prevent overheating.
When using overhead heat, the enclosure will be hottest at the top, closest to the source of the heat. As your lizard moves towards the ground, the temperature will get cooler. This will create a thermal gradient for your Gold Dust Day Gecko.
The temperature towards the top of the enclosure should be around 90F. The temperature at the floor of the enclosure can fall as low as around 72F.
These lizards should also be exposed to UBV lighting. Not only is this important for their health but it will also help maintain their vibrant coloration. When a Gold Dust Day Gecko is not exposed to adequate lighting, they tend to become very dull in coloration.
The type of UVB lighting you use should be dictated by the enclosure you have. If you have a relatively small enclosure in terms of length, then a UVB bulb might be the better option.
If you have a long enclosure, then a tube might be a better option. The amount of UV light should depend on the height of the enclosure. If you have a deep enclosure, you will need a stronger bulb to penetrate deep into the enclosure.
Gold Dust Day Gecko Humidity and Substrate
The Gold Dust Day Gecko is a species that lives in a humid environment and this needs to be replicated in captivity. These lizards come from the islands surrounding Madagascar where rainfall is plentiful.
You should aim for a humidity level of around 80%. This can be achieved by misting the enclosure in the morning and evening. It should be allowed to dry out a bit during the day.
A good choice of substrate will help increase the humidity in the enclosure. If you are using live plants Coco Fibre is a good option. This is a natural substrate that is resistant to mould.
Alternatively, you could use a substrate such as Cypress Mulch or Orchid Bark. These substrates will also help to retain humidity. You could also choose to add a top layer of Sphagnum Moss. This moss holds moisture really well.
Handling a Gold Dust Day Gecko
We recommend keeping your Gold Dust Day Gecko as a display animal as they are not a suitable species to handle regularly. If you are looking for a gecko to handle, you should stick to a Leopard Gecko or Crested Gecko.
The Gold Dust Day Gecko can get stressed easily. They also have the ability to drop their tail if they feel threatened. While this will grow back, a regenerated tail will not look the same as the original.
With time, these geckos can learn to tolerate your presence without getting scared. They will go about their business while you watch them which can be very entertaining. Some lizards may even accept food right out of your hand.
Gold Dust Day Gecko Breeding
The Gold Dust Day Gecko can be ready to breed when they reach around 9 months old. However, it is better to wait until the gecko is at least a year old before breeding. This is beneficial for the lizards health and will result in stronger babies.
The most common techniques used to breed these lizards is to house a pair together. Alternatively, you can also house a trio consisting of one male and two females.
Not all Gold Dust Day Geckos will get along, so it is important to monitor their behaviour and watch for signs of aggression. Aggressive geckos should be removed from the enclosure to prevent them inflicting injuries.
If all the environmental conditions in the enclosure are correct, there is little else you have to do to promote breeding. A healthy female can lay a pair of eggs every couple of weeks during the breeding season.
You should remove the male and drop the ambient temperature in the enclosure by a couple of degrees during the winter months. This will provide the female with a much-needed break from egg laying.
At this time, you should focus of replenishing her fat reserves and offering her much needed vitamin and calcium with every meal. This will ensure she is ready to go again for the next season.
When the eggs are laid, they should be removed and incubated outside of the enclosure. This is important because babies that hatch inside the enclosure could be eaten by the parents.
The gender of the babies is believed to be linked to the temperature that the eggs are incubated at. When incubated at 80F or below, the babies are usually female. If incubated above 82F, the majority are male.
The eggs should be incubated in a small container with a lid. You can use vermiculate or a similar product for the substrate and the humidity in the container should be around 60%.
The eggs will take around 45 days to hatch. The actual time is dependent on a number of factors, primarily incubation temperatures. If the eggs are incubated at higher temperatures, they will hatch sooner.
You can house the pair of hatchlings together for the first couple of months, but they will need to be removed before they mature. Pay close attention to their care requirements as juveniles are far more sensitive than adults.