Green Day Gecko

• Common Group: Day Geckos
• Common Name: Green Day Gecko, Olive Day Gecko
• Scientific Name: Phelsuma dubia
• Distribution Area: Madagascar, East Africa

Natural History:

These moderately sized geckos have an extremely wide distribution, and are found throughout Madagascar, on the surrounding islands, and along the East African coast. They prefer tropical to subtropical habitats, and can often be found throughout human habitation. Like other day geckos, they are commonly preyed upon by predators in the area and because of this can be shy in the terrarium.

Size and Longevity

Green Day Geckos reach lengths of 5” - 6”, depending on gender. Males often reach larger lengths than females. With good diet and proper lighting, these geckos can easily live 10 years or more in captivity.

Housing

Relatively small adult size does not necessarily mean these geckos should be placed in cramped quarters. A minimum size for an enclosure for one adult should be at least the size of the ZooMed Medium Naturalistic Terrarium, although if space allows, they do excellent in larger size terrariums. They can also be housed in traditional glass aquariums, but it may prove more difficult to conduct day to day maintenance without a front opening cage. Due to their high level of daily activity, larger cage sizes are highly recommended. For a pair of animals, especially if you intend to breed them, at least an 18 x 18 x 24” cage should be used.

Substrate

Substrate for these geckos depends on how you are setting up their cage. A planted, naturalistic vivarium is not only looks the best, but will also meet your geckos needs admirably as well. In a naturalistic vivarium, expect to use a combination of hydroton balls for drainage, polyfoam as a divider between your drainage and planting layers, and Ecoearth and Moss Growing Substrate to provide a nutritious soil mix for your live plants.

In a cage with artificial plants, a substrate that holds humidity and is easy to clean is ideal. This includes cypress mulch, orchid bark, Ecoearth, or other forms of compressed coconut husk. It doesn’t hurt to experiment with several types of bedding before deciding on a type you prefer.

Decor and Cage Furnishings

When designing the cage for your gecko(s), keep in mind their natural behavior. As relatively small, bite sized geckos, they are naturally shy and prefer numerous hiding places and foliage in their cage. They love to climb, and every opportunity should be taken to provide them with plenty of vertical hiding places. Use of ZooMed Cork Rounds and Bamboo Hollows is highly recommended, as they provide similar hiding opportunities as the round tree branches they would hug in the wild. When they feel threatened, these geckos will immediately retreat to the opposite side of whatever surface they are on, and offering several cylindrical objects for them to hide on in their cage will help them follow their natural instincts. Cylindrical basking perches are especially favored. Not every surface in the cage needs to be a cylinder, however, and use of Cork Flats, Grapevines, Magnetic Ledges, and other wood products will add visual interest to your cage as well as offer hiding options for your geckos to choose from.

In addition to wood products, serious consideration should be given to providing Live Plants or other foliage options for your geckos to hide on. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, live plants also increase relative humidity in the cage, providing a beneficial microclimate for your geckos within their leaves. Since these geckos won’t eat the leaves, you can use just about any plant you desire within your cage. However, it’s probably best to use plants that can take tropical temperatures and moisture levels. Tropical Vines, magnetically attached Jungle Vines, and naturalistic fake plants can all be included as well.

Heating and Lighting

While not the most brilliantly colored species of day geckos available, Green Day Geckos still have a subtle beauty that is best displayed with good lighting. In order to maintain their natural coloration, the require suitable basking temperatures and available UVB. Without adequate heat and light, even the most beautiful day gecko will eventually become drab and dark. With this in mind, there are a few different ways to light and heat the cage, depending on your budget and preference.
The first and most traditional method is with fluorescent strip lighting, such as a ZooMed Reptisun bulb, used in combination with a basking light, such as a ZooMed Basking bulb or Halogen Light. In smaller cage setups, this is usually the best way to go, as you can use lower wattage basking bulbs in order to ensure you do not overheat the cage. Basking spot temperatures can and should reach into the low 90s, while the coolest side of the cage can drop down into the low 70s.
An alternate method that can be used if you are housing your geckos in larger terrariums is the use of a mercury vapor bulb, such as a ZooMed Powersun bulb or a T-Rex Active UV Heat Floodlight. Mercury vapor bulbs produce lots of UVB light and lots of heat, so care should be taken to ensure that your cage does not heat up too much when this bulb is on. Because of the large amounts of UVB and heat emitted from these bulbs, you may find your geckos develop their best color under these lights.
For the hardcore gecko keeper housing their animals in the largest possible cages, it is worth looking into more advanced (and expensive) lighting systems. Use of lights designed for growing plants indoors, such as Sodium Halide or Metal Halide bulbs, can develop the absolute best color in your geckos. However, these lights are very large, very hot, and typically very expensive, so research should be done prior to attempting to use these on your animals at home.

Water and Humidity

As a tropical species, Green Day Geckos should be provided with a lush, tropical environment in captivity.  This means they typically need to be misted with water at least twice a day to increase the humidity within their cage, as well as provide water droplets on leaves for them to drink.  While they may not often take advantage of it, a water bowl with clean, fresh water should be provided for them at all times.  

In addition to misting with a hand spray bottle, use of a Terrarium Fogger is also highly recommended. While being aesthetically pleasing, these foggers will also increase humidity in a natural way, by providing a fine fog that will make condensation on leaves for your geckos to drink. Used on a naturalistic vivarium, it can be so effective at maintaining humidity that you find you no longer need to hand spray your cage again!