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| Seychelles Day Gecko, Phelsuma astraiata Tornier, 1901. Photograph of a captive raised animal. Known from the Seychelles including Astove atoll, the southernmost island of the Seychelles, and part of the Aladabra-group, in the Indian Ocean. They live in coastal areas with coconut palms, agaves, Pandanus sp. and banana plants. They also use areas around human habitations. |
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| Boettger's Day Gecko, Phelsuma dubia (Boettger, 1881). Photograph of a captive raised animal. Hatchling |
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| Giant Malagasy Day Gecko, Phelsuma madagascarensis grandis (Gray, 1870). Photograph of a captive raised hatchling. Inhabits northern coastal Madagascar. Occurs in tree plantations, and buildings. Exceptionally large adults may reach 300 mm in total length, usually less than 280 mm. |
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Comoro Island Day Gecko, Phelsuma laticauda (Boettger, 1880) Photographs of captive raised animals. Known from northern Madagascar, two of the Comoro Islands (Anjouan and Mayotte), on the Farquhar atoll in Seychelles. It has also been introduced in to the Hawaiian Islands. |
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| Ornate Day Gecko, Phelsuma ornata Gray, 1825. Photograph of a captive raised animal. Endemic to the Mascarene island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean. |
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| Rendahl's Day Gecko, Phelsuma sundbergi Rendahl, 1939. Photograph of a captive raised animal. Known from Praslin, Curieuse, Chauve Souris, Round, Denis, Platte, Desroches, Marie-Louise and Poivre Island, these are islands of the Seychelles Archipelago. It has apparently been introduced to the coral island of the Amirantes. |
| The Malagasy Day Geckos are spectacular for their color and adaptations for long distance over-water dispersal. Austin et al. (2004, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31:109-122) used mitochondrial and nuclear genes to demonstrate that Phelsuma has a sister relationship with the living southwest African Namib Day Geckos of the genus Rhoptropella. Phelsuma evolved first in Madagascar and dispersed multiple times into the islands of the Indian Ocean. The Mascarenes Islands were probably colonized 4 to 5 million years ago by this genus. Currently there are about 65 recognized species and subspecies. |