Phelsuma mutabilis
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Thick Tail Gecko
Also known as:
Thicktail Day Gecko
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We found this gecko and a couple of others on a wooden shelter in the National Park.
Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this 2023 trip to Madagascar.
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It rained most of this day, but when the sun came out for a little while so did the day geckos, high up on Pandanus plants.
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Hmm, what could be hiding behind that thin leaf? Aha!
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I was pleased to discover that most of the trees on the grounds of our lodge included at least one resident gecko.
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The tails on this species range from brown to grey to green to turquoise, with or without white spots. I am curious about why, but have no clues.
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On the morning of our last day in the field, I took one more opportunity to wander the grounds of our lodge and look for geckos on the trees.
Online references:
- Phelsuma mutabilis account on The Reptile Database
- Phelsuma mutabilis account on iNaturalist
- Angelica Crottini, Philip-Sebastian Gehring, Frank Glaw, D. James Harris, Alexandra Lima & Miguel Vences, 2010. Deciphering the cryptic species diversity of dull-coloured day geckos Phelsuma (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Madagascar, with description of a new species
Printed references:
- Glaw, F., Vences, M. 2007. A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, Third Edition