Kochs Giant Day Geckos
- Common Group: Day Geckos
- Common Name: Koch’s Day Geckos
- Scientific Name: Phelsuma madagascariensis kochi
- Distribution Area: Madagascar
Natural History:
A large, beautiful pale green gecko common to northern Madagascar. These understated geckos are a larger day gecko species native to Madagascar. They are related to Giant Day Geckos and share many of the same characteristics, the main difference being paler colors and smaller adult size. Koch’s day geckos tend to have a pale but still iridescent green color with pale mottling throughout their body. They lack the red patterns on their heads and backs that the Giant Day Geckos often have.
Size and Longevity
Koch’s Day Geckos reach lengths of 8” - 10”. 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
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. Because they make such exceptional display animals, even larger cages can and should be used to house these beautiful geckos. They are large enough to live comfortably in Vision cages, which will help maintain the high level of humidity that keeps their skin in good condition.
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. While the being one of the largest of the day geckos, they are still one of the smaller animals found in their environment, and as such they are often preyed upon. This means they need plenty of hiding places, especially horizontal and slanted basking sites. In order to avoid “floppy tail syndrome”, Koch’s Day Geckos do best with numerous hiding places that are both flat or slanted, so that they can hide comfortably without hanging upside down, which will lead to their tails developing a kink in them at the base.
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
In order to achieve and maintain the beautiful green colors found in these geckos, they require lots of bright, hot light as well as 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. This would be ideal for baby Giant Day Geckos, as the large adults will require a cage that can accommodate the hotter bulbs discussed below.
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, Koch’s 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!
Nutrition
In captivity, these geckos readily feed on most commonly available feeder insects. This includes (but isn’t limited to) medium to large crickets, roaches, mealworms, waxworms, silkworms, reptiworms, and hornworms. Every opportunity to provide variety to their diet should be taken, as this list of feeder insects is extremely short compared to the variety of insects they would consume in the wild. Because of this, supplementation with a high quality reptile multivitamin in combination with a high quality reptile calcium (containing D3) is highly recommended. Generally speaking, calcium should be offered about every feeding for egg-laying females, and every other feeding for non reproductive animals. Multivitamins can be offered weekly, or as often as is recommended on the label.
In addition to insects, Koch’s Day Geckos readily consume most commercially made gecko diets. This includes the ZooMed Day Gecko Diet or the Repashy Meal Replacement Powder. Either one of these powders can be combined with the ZooMed canned fruit Mixins, providing a rich, nutritious treat for your geckos.
Handling and Interaction
While very cute and pretty, these geckos are extremely sensitive and tend to stress easily, so handling is not recommended. In addition, their skin will also tear if handled too roughly, and their tails can drop. While their tails do regenerate, they will not look the same as the original, so care should be taken when handling is necessary to ensure they stay in one piece!
Some geckos eventually become habituated to their keeper’s presence, and will take food from their keeper’s hands. With patience, most become at least habituated enough to remain out and about while their keepers are in the room, making them enjoyable to watch and entertaining display animals.
