Phelsuma astriata Tornier, 1901

Species Nomenclature and Classification

Phelsuma astriata, commonly called the Seychelles small day gecko or stripeless day gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae that is endemic to the Seychelles.

Habitat Types

Its natural habitats include subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove forest, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, plantations, rural gardens, and urban areas.

Threat Status and Habitat Climate

This species is threatened by habitat loss, and it lives in tropical areas.

Diet

It eats almost any kind of vegetable matter.

Colour Change Ability

These geckos have a notable ability to dramatically change their body colour intensity based on whether light is present around them.

Light Environment Colouration

When in light, the gecko appears bright green. If kept in a dark place even for a short period, its colour darkens to an extremely dark green that can easily be mistaken for black when viewed in light.

Light Re-exposure Colour Transition

When light is shone back on the gecko, the colour change begins separately in each scale-like protuberance, and the entire gecko gradually shifts back to bright green in less than 3 minutes.

Tail Colour Change Rate

The tail changes colour slightly slower than the rest of the body.

Transition Period Appearance

During the transition period, the gecko shows a mix of mottled bright green and dark green at the same time.

Image Collection Location

The included images of this species were taken in Praslin, Seychelles.