Yellow-headed Day Gecko – Tiny and Adorable
by Luke Tansley on in Geckos
Yellow-headed day geckos (Phelsuma klemmeri) are a relatively rare sight for us but we were lucky enough to get a few in towards the end of January. Also known as Klemmer’s day gecko, Cheerful day gecko or Neon day gecko these tiny lizards are adorable little speed demons. They are native to the northwestern region of Madagascar and we find they do brilliantly in humid live planted terrariums. The yellow-headed day gecko will reach a maximum length of 10cm. With a recommended enclosure of 45 x 45 x 60cm you might think that it is easy to lose sight of them in the setup but luckily they have a neon blue body and bright yellow head which, in addition to their habit of tearing around the enclosure, makes them quite easy to see. Here are some pictures from our Northampton Reptile and Fish Centre team to chronicle the feeding process.
Where is the food?
Puppy eyes
Big enough bowl?
Delicious!
Reward the human..
We would normally set these geckos up very similarly to the giant day geckos but we provide a lot more hiding spaces throughout the enclosure. We usually have them in live planted bioactive enclosures including plenty of moss, cork pieces and jungle plants. We are aiming for a hot spot of around 80f on one side of the enclosure, dropping down to room temperature on the other side. For the gecko and plant we provide full-spectrum lighting and a separate UVB lamp around 5%. A stronger 7% tube could be used but we would only have it over one side of the enclosure and make sure there are lots of ways the gecko can get away from the light when it doesn’t want to bask anymore.
If you have any questions about this species please call us on 01604753823 or email sales@reptilecentre.com . We’re also here to help if you have any questions about keeping reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates in general. Our online store should stock everything you need to keep exotic pets successfully in the UK.
