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Several species of lizards and geckos originating from either Madagascar
or the African mainland landed on the shores of Mauritius in a
distant past, evolved there and eventually become endemic to the
island. Rats and mongooses have driven to extinction a number
of species and presently certain endemic lizards are very rare
on the mainland and can be seen in some numbers only on Round
Island. These are: They are of a bright a bright blue green colour with red stripes and red spots on their backs. The Phelsumen: Phelsuma cepediana has the largest spreading of all Phelsumen on Mauritius. One finds large Blauschwanz Taggecko to the attained full growth about 15 cm in all suitable biotopes, like Palmenhainen, in the vegetation along brooks, in the sugar tubing fields of the north just like in the nature reservations of the south. Less frequently this Phelsume apparent is in the dry western part of the island. Along the narrow coastal strip of Morne Brabant, the southwesternmost mountain of the island, to up to the bay of haven Louis was to be found Phelsuma cepediana only punctually. While this kind in the north is to be found frequently together with Phelsuma ornata, it divides in the mountain regions of the south also biotopes with Phelsuma guimbeaui rosagularis . Phelsuma cepediana is an expressed culture follower, who lives preferentially into and around human settlements. We found several animals e.g. at palms as well as a flag bar in the garden of our hotel. We did not find Phelsuma cepediana on banana plants, on which we could observe also no other Phelsumen. Since the animals in direct neighbourhood settle trees and palms to banana planting however, they seem to avoid this cultivated plant consciously. Was amazing, which frequently very many animals at a place were to be found together, in a case found we 15 animals on a only one large palm sheet. In the case of an accumulation of several animals however in each case a male is in splendour colouring, i.e. this dominant factor male shows up in a bright blue colouring of the body top side with an intensive red design on the head and the back. The remaining males were colored just like the females green. Phelsuma ornata has this kind on the small pre-aged islands on of Mauritius likewise a large circulation area, additionally comes, e.g. Gabriel Iceland, forwards. The ornamentation Taggecko prefers warm and dry biotopes and is frequently on trees and bushes to be found. We found individual animals in addition, on palms and even in agaves. It was remarkable that the animals always were in the lower regions of the bushes, palms or trees and even on the escape rather the root range, adjacent unterholz and visited other low Gestruepp. With a length of up to 12 cm Phelsuma is ornata the smallest kind of the Mauritius Phelsumen and at the same time one the most colourful. The head top side is cyan, the neck brown and the backs tuerkisgruen to bluish colored. On the lip top side is a bluish green mark, which is framed by a red design. Between the eyes begin three red longitudinal volumes, which disappear in the neck. The two outside longitudinal volumes continue at the back, while in the back center two lines dissolved into irregular marks are. Two white strips on the neck sides, of those are characteristic one underneath the eye, which begins others at the upper edge of eye. Phelsuma guimbeaui lives with two subspecies on Mauritius.Another lizard, the Phelsuma guentheri, can only be seen on Round island. It appears that certain lizards initially originated from the Australian continent such as the Leiolopisma telfairii, a skink now found exclusively on Round Island. On Agalega Island, 1200 Km north of the mainland, one can find Phelsuma borbonica agalegae vor, a subspecies of Phelsuma borbonica.found on Reunion Island. Phelsuma gigas und Phelsuma edwardnewtoni, endemic to Rodrigues, are considered to be extinct. In the Port Louis natural history museum one can see a stuffed Phelsuma edwardnewtoni, but due to it's age the colors have faded. Bibliography The information above was culled from a number of sources, including Mattison. The Phelsuma-specific books are as follows: Day Geckos, Eric M Rundquist, TFH 1995. Day Geckos, Sean McKeown, The Herpetocultural Library, 1993. Geckos, Bartlett & Bartlett, Barrons 1995. Geckos: Keeping and Breeding Them in Captivity, Walls and Walls, TFH 1999. Lizards of the World, Mattison Keeping and Breeding Lizards, Mattison Echsen [Lizards], Rogner, Ulmer 1992 Grzimek, Volume 6, Reptiles For an outstanding Phelsuma site that includes breeding details, please try Arne Bakker. Another excellent day gecko site is Greg & Leann's Leaping Day Geckos, which also includes pictures and care sheets. |
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Copyright ©2002-2005 Encyclopaedia Mauritiana
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