SpeciesGiant day gecko
Giant day gecko
Phelsuma grandis
At up to 30 cm the largest day gecko in the trade and correspondingly powerful. It also eats smaller conspecifics. With this species, cohabitation is not a question of space but of risk.
- Group
- Gecko
- Level
- Intermediate
- Origin
- Madagascar
Where the species comes from
- World region
- Madagascar
- Countries
- Northern Madagascar
- Habitat
- Tree crowns and palms in humid lowlands
The app does not yet hold an origin entry for this species. The distribution given here comes from the specialist literature.
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- A tall, densely planted enclosure.
- Temperature
- Basking spot at 32–35 °C, ambient 26–28 °C, 20–22 °C at night.
- Humidity
- 70–80 %, mist morning and evening.
- Lighting
- Strong UV-B, twelve hours.
- Substrate
- Coco humus with leaf litter and moss.
- Furnishings
- Sturdy vertical cork tubes and bamboo, dense planting.
- Water
- Droplets on leaves, plus a dish.
- Feeding
- Sturdy insects twice a week, plus fruit puree. Offer calcium at all times.
- Behaviour
- Diurnal, territorial, very fast.
- Handling
- Do not handle. The bite is noticeable and the skin is delicate.
- Cohabitation
- A pair given enough space and visual cover. Smaller conspecifics are eaten.
- Health
- Calcium deficiency in laying females; watch for egg binding.
- Seasonal cycle
- No winter rest: Northern Madagascar. From May to September, a drier phase of eight to ten weeks with a night-time drop to 18–20 °C and shorter lighting. The same applies here: Without a break, the females lay continuously and deplete their calcium reserves.
- Safety
- No permit required. CITES-protected.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The species does not belong to any of the groups listed in Art. 89 of the Swiss Animal Welfare Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
Species protection applies
CITES Appendix II: Import and transfer only with papers. When buying, ask for proof of origin and captive breeding
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not prescribe centimetres but multiples of body length. For this species, item 32 (Diurnal geckos): floor area 6 × 6 body lengths, height 8 body lengths. The floor area applies to at most two animals; each further animal requires an additional 2 × 2 body lengths.
For this group, body length means the snout-vent length, without the tail. The largest animal in the enclosure is what counts. The enclosure may not be smaller even if fewer animals live in it than the table names.
| Snout-vent length | At least |
|---|---|
| 9 cm | 54 × 54 × 72 cm |
| 11 cm | 66 × 66 × 88 cm |
| 13 cm | 78 × 78 × 104 cm |
Animals may temporarily be kept in smaller enclosures: for quarantine, for the treatment of illness and injury, for acclimatisation, for breeding and rearing, and for winter or cold dormancy or aestivation (preliminary remark D on reptiles).
This is the legal lower limit, not a recommendation. An enclosure that meets exactly these dimensions is permitted, but not good for that reason. The details under “Husbandry at a glance” describe how the enclosure should be furnished, not how small it may be.
What the enclosure must provide
Provide species-appropriate heat and light zones, UV-B where needed, suitable substrate, retreats, climbing or digging options, water and natural rest periods.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
