The critically endangered electric blue day gecko (Lygodactylus willoamsi) from Tanzania. This species is being bred in captivity — wild populations are suffering from habitat destruction and over-collection for the pet trade.
Day geckos are the jewels of the gecko family.
Unlike most geckos which are nocturnal and often cryptic in coloration, day geckos are brightly colored and generally active during the day.
There are more than 40 species of day geckos found on the East Coast of Africa and on various Indian Ocean islands. The highest diversity is found on Madagascar, where day geckos inhabit a wide range of tropical and sub-tropical habitats.
Day geckos have also been introduced in other parts of the world, including the Hawaiian islands and Florida, either intentionally for pest control or accidentally via the pet trade, where they are commonly kept.
Day geckos are voracious predators of small insects. Some species are also known to eat nectar, pollen, and soft fruit.
Below is a collection of day geckos photographed mostly in the field by mongabay.com’s Rhett Butler.
There are over 100 more day gecko pictures on WildMadagascar.org and Mongabay.com.
