Giant Day Gecko

This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.

The big green Phelsuma

Giant day geckos are Phelsuma grandis from northern Madagascar. Adults reach about 9 to 12 inches. They commonly reach 10 to 20 years, and care is intermediate. They are a display animal. They are also skittish, and the skin is fragile. That is the care instruction: build the tank, then leave the lizard in it.

Start with a cage of 24 by 18 by 36 inches, vertical. Taller, with bamboo and plants, is better. Give them 80 to 88°F, a warmer basking spot, and humidity that moves between about 50 and 80 percent. UVB is required. The diet is insects plus fruit or a commercial gecko diet. Dust calcium. One male per enclosure. Females may fight too if the tank is bare.

Captive-bred color, intact skin

Move them by coaxing into a container. A grip that seems gentle still strips skin. Captive-bred animals are available and are the ones to buy. Imported adults often arrive thin and remain wild. A tight lid matters. These geckos are fast, and a living-room rescue ends in an injured animal behind a bookshelf.

Metabolic bone disease shows up as a wavy spine or a gecko that cannot climb. That is late. Prevention is the lamp and the calcium. Treatment is a reptile vet from ARAV.

Giant day gecko questions

How big do giant day geckos get?

About 9 to 12 inches, tail included. Buy the adult cage first: at least 24 by 18 by 36 inches, and vertical.

Why can't I handle them?

The skin tears. They are a skittish display animal with fragile skin. Enjoy the color through the glass.

What do they eat?

Insects and fruit or a prepared nectar diet. Calcium and UVB go with every week of that menu.