Gold Dust Gecko

Phelsuma laticauda

By: Paul Nagl

Distribution:
The gold dust day gecko is widely distributed. It is native to Madagascar as well as the Comoros Islands. It has been introduced onto the Hawaiian islands and onto Farquhar island in southern Seychelles.
Description:
Gold dust geckos are bright green to yellowish green. They have three elongated red teardrop markings midway down their back. The area around their eyes is light blue and, the tail is slightly flattened. They have vibrant gold speckles on their neck and upper back. The adult length is 3.9 to 5.1 inches.
Cage Size:
There should be a minimum of 20 gallons per breeding pair. Taller vivariums are better since these geckos are an arboreal species. Males need more space than females. More than one male in an enclosure is unwise due to their territorial nature (unless it is a big cage).
Cage Decorations/Substrate:
There should be a soil substrate with wood chips on top. The enclosure should have live plants. Geckos are territorial (especially males) and thus should have many perches - sticks and sturdy leafed plants. The following plants are recommended: bromeliad, orchid, split-leaf philodendron, dracaena, pothos, Chinese evergreen and other sturdy leafed plants. Visual barriers are important to minimize stress. (A stressed gecko tends to be a darker color than usual.) It is recommended that feces be removed weekly to maintain a healthy and attractive environment. Having adequate ventilation is important.
Temperature:
Inappropriate temperature levels can stress a gecko. Temperatures should be kept between 82 and 88 F with a 10 to 12 degree drop at night. Night time temperatures can be maintained though the use of a black light. Using heat lamps, be sure to have a thermal gradient established. Basking spots are necessary since day geckos are diurnal animals. Hot rocks are not needed nor are they recommended. During the winter cool down, the daytime temperature should be between 70 and 78 F.
Humidity:
Humidity levels should be between 50 and 85%. The high humidity can be accomplished through the use of a water dish and spraying (1 to 2 times daily). The terrarium should not be too wet such that the substrate is continuously wet.
Lighting:
In addition to full spectrum light there should also be a heat lamp for basking. Seasonal variation with respect to photoperiod is recommended.
Nutrition:
Gold dust geckos eat first stage crickets, wax moth larvae, flies and a baby food mixture. In the wild they eat insects and overripe fruit. Insects should be dusted with a vitamin supplement. It is important to feed the insects well before they are fed to the geckos because much of their nutritional value comes from what is in their gut. The baby food should be supplemented with vitamins and calcium. It is best to use papaya or apricot baby food. (At the end is a recipe for gecko baby food mixture.) It is also recommended to leave a small shallow dish of powdered calcium in the enclosure to be consumed as the need arises. This is especially valuable to breeding females for egg formation. Geckos should be fed most heavily during the summer, about 3 times a week and during the winter cool down 2 times a week. Since they prefer to drink by lapping water from plants or other recently wet surfaces, daily misting is necessary.
Breeding:
This species is known to breed well in captivity. Once they are approximately a year old geckos are mature enough to breed. Adult females are ready to breed immediately after they lay their egg(s). Breeding pairs should not be separated. Females usually lay two eggs in a protected location such as a plant leaf joint. With this species, if the eggs are not laid in a protected location they are almost always infertile, and may be eaten by the female. The eggs, as with other day gecko eggs, are hard shelled. While being incubated, the eggs should be kept at approximately 82 F with high humidity. Temperature is the sex determining factor for the incubating gecko. The higher the temperature, the greater the chance of males. Temperature Variations in either direction by more than 6 degrees F result in a high mortality rate. They take between 40 and 45 days to hatch and are about 1.6 inches in length upon hatching. The young can be raised singly or in pairs in a small planted vivarium. Babies should be kept separate because they have to compete for food with the adults. In rare cases, when housed with adults, neonates and young juveniles may actually become the food. Vestigial or wingless fruit flies and pinhead crickets are instrumental in feeding the neonates. Babies and breeding females need to have more calcium. Breeding females should be fed every 2 days. The prebreeding period is the winter cool down.
Baby food formula for day geckos: