The Gold dust day gecko (Phelsuma laticauda) is a captivating, small lizard native to Madagascar, often found in homes and trees. Their vibrant colors and diurnal nature make them popular among reptile enthusiasts. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the Gold dust day gecko's dietary needs, both in the wild and in captivity, ensuring optimal health and well-being for these fascinating creatures.
Appearance and Natural Habitat
Gold dust day geckos are easily recognizable by their bright green to yellowish-green bodies, adorned with fine golden speckles across their neck and shoulders. Some exceptional animals may even have blue toes. Typical for this day gecko are the red speckles on the neck and the upper back. There are three rust-colored transverse bars on the snout and head; the upper part of the skin around the eye is blue. On the lower back, there are three tapering red bars. The tail is slightly flattened. The underside is off-white. They also exhibit a whitish belly and upper eyelids lined in blue. Two subspecies exist: Phelsuma l. laticauda, characterized by three elongated red teardrops along its back, and P. l. angularis, which displays pinker chevron- or arrow-shaped markings pointing toward the head. The angulated subspecies is smaller, reaching 4 inches in snout to vent length, while P. l. laticauda can grow up to 5 inches.
Originally from northern Madagascar and the island of Comoros, these diurnal creatures have also been introduced to Hawaii. They are social animals, often congregating in groups while feeding on plants. Male Gold dust day geckos can be aggressive and quarrelsome.
Dietary Needs in the Wild
In their natural habitat, Gold dust day geckos are omnivores, with a diet consisting of both insects and plant-based foods. They are carnivores (insectivores) and herbivores (frugivores, palynivores, nectarivores). They feed on various insects and other invertebrates and are also capable of eating other smaller lizards. Day geckos are true lovers of nectar and pollen. They regularly seek out nectar, sweet sap, and juices from over-ripe fruit, as well as pollen from flowers.
Replicating the Wild Diet in Captivity
In captivity, it is essential to replicate the diverse diet that Gold dust day geckos would consume in the wild. A captive diet should consist of around 70% live insects and 20-30% complete gecko diet (CGD).
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Live Insects
A variety of feeder insects should be offered to provide maximum nutrition and behavioral enrichment for this very active species. Suitable feeder insects include:
- Small crickets
- Small roaches (e.g., dubia roaches)
- Small mealworms
- Waxworms
- Small silkworms
- Reptiworms
- Hornworms
- Fruit flies (for hatchlings)
- Pinhead crickets (for hatchlings)
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.
Complete Gecko Diet (CGD)
In addition to insects, Gold Dust Day Geckos readily consume most commercially made gecko diets. This includes the ZooMed Day Gecko Food or the Repashy Meal Replacement Powder. Hatchlings eat fruit purée. CGD must be offered via a wall-mounted feeding ledge, not placed on the ground.
Supplementation
Because the list of feeder insects is limited compared to their natural diet, supplementation with a high-quality reptile multivitamin in combination with a high-quality reptile calcium (containing D3) is highly recommended. Calcium should be offered every feeding for egg-laying females and every other feeding for non-reproductive animals.
Instead of dusting food items, many keepers gut load their prey items. “Gut loading” means placing the feeder insects on an enriched diet for at least 24 hours prior to being offered to your gecko.
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Gut-Loading Recipe
One popular gut-loading recipe is the "pbw" formula, which stands for parts by weight. This formula is a table of ratios. For example:
- 24 parts whole wheat flour
- 8 parts calcium carbonate
- 4 parts brewer's yeast
For every unit of whole wheat flour, add 1/3 as much of the same unit of calcium powder and so forth.
Water
Water is a very important nutrient for your gecko. Tap water contains harmful chemicals, such as chlorine and chloramine, so water straight from a tap should be avoided. If tap water is the only option, leave a container of it on a countertop or other well-ventilated space without a lid for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate. Alternatively, use reptile hobby solutions like "Reptisafe" drops made by ZooMed to neutralize harmful chemicals immediately. Well water, spring water, or rainwater are also excellent options.
Gold Dust 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.
Feeding Schedule and Quantities
How often gold dust day geckos need to eat depends on age:
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- Juveniles (0-6 months): insects daily, CGD every other day
- Subadults and Adults (>6 months): insects 2x/week, CGD 1x/week
The quantity of insects fed should be appropriate for the gecko's size and appetite. A general guideline is to offer as many insects as the gecko will consume in a 10-15 minute period.
Common Feeding Problems and Solutions
Improper feeding and supplementation can lead to several health problems in Gold dust day geckos.
Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)
One of the most common problems for these and other captive reptiles is metabolic bone disease or ‘MBD’. Although this can occur from multiple causes, vitamin D3 deficiency is the most common culprit, preventing reptiles absorbing calcium from their food. This can cause muscle weakness and softening of the bones. The gecko will show signs of nutritional deficiency quite quickly, as a wave or dipping of the spine, followed by changes to the shape of the jaw.
Solution: Ensure adequate supplementation with calcium and vitamin D3. Provide UVB lighting to enable the gecko to synthesize vitamin D3 naturally.
Impaction
Day geckos can occasionally suffer from impaction, usually as a result of ingesting substrate such as small gravel and sand.
Solution: Avoid using sand or small gravel as substrate. Use appropriate substrates like cypress mulch, orchid bark, Ecoearth, or other forms of compressed coconut husk.
Dysecdysis (Improper Shedding)
Another common abnormality among day geckos is dysecdysis or improper shedding. This condition is almost always associated with an environment too low in humidity.
Solution: Maintain proper humidity levels in the enclosure (65-75%). Regular misting and/or soaking prior to and during shedding will help correct the problem.
Creating the Ideal Habitat for Optimal Health
In addition to a proper diet, providing an appropriate habitat is crucial for the health and well-being of Gold dust day geckos.
Enclosure Size and Setup
The small adult size of gold dust day geckos doesn't mean that they should be kept in a small cramped conditions. For a single adult the minimum recommended size is 12 x 12 x 18". If you keep a pair, especially if you intend to breed them, you should keep them in a terrarium minimum size 18x81x24". These are only the minimum requirements. Gold dust day geckos do excellently in larger sized cages. Larger sized cages are also recommended due the geckos large amount of daylight activity.
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.
Substrate
The best substrate for these geckos depends on how you wish to set up your terrarium. 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.
Hiding Places and Climbing Opportunities
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. 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.
Lighting and Temperature
In order to achieve and/or maintain the beautiful coloration these geckos naturally develop in the wild, the use of high quality lights is an absolute must. Without proper heat AND light, Gold Dust Day Geckos will eventually turn drab and dark.
Daytime temperatures should be between 80 and 89 degrees on the high end and under the basking light. The cool side should be between 70 and 80 degrees on the low end. Nighttime temperatures can drop to 68 degrees. Temperatures above 90 degrees and below 68 will be different than the northern Madagascar and island climate regime that they evolved in. To keep them happy, a daily regime of temperatures that range from an ambient level of 80 degrees F overall, up to 89 on the hot side and then overnight cooling to approximately 69 degrees, will best replicate their native environmental conditions.
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. 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. 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.
Humidity
The relative humidity should usually be 65-75%. Preferably, it should spike to 80-90% in the morning and evening, and dry out to 50-70% during the day.
As a tropical species, Gold Dust 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.