Florida's Nonnative Wildlife. Species detail.
First year: 1990s
Extirpated year:
Established status: Populations
are confirmed breeding and apparently self-sustaining for 10 or
more consecutive years.
Estimated Florida range: 1
county Less than 10 years, 3 counties Not reported
breeding
Statewide trend: Expanding
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Photograph by Kevin Enge © 2003
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Threats to natives: None
known.
Species Account: This beautiful
gecko is native to Madagascar and commonly seen in the pet trade.
Adults are bright green with an orange stripe between the eye and
nostril. Additional orange spots may be present on the head and
back. The scales on the back and sides are granular, and the belly
is whitish. The skin is very delicate and easily torn. Males may
exceed 28 cm (11 in) in length) and are aggressively territorial.
This diurnal species is highly arboreal and can be observed on the
walls of buildings and on tree trunks. They feed on insects,
pollen, sap, and exudate from overripe fruit (Bartlett and Bartlett
1999). The species has been released in several areas of Florida,
but the only population that appears to be established occurs in
the Florida Keys (Krysko et al. 2003a).
Habitats: Low density suburban
development, areas peripheral to core urban areas, and small towns,
Rockland Hammock
| County |
First Year |
Extirpated Year |
Breeding status |
Notes |
| BROWARD |
1990s |
|
Not reported breeding |
Hollywood (Bartlett and Bartlett 1999); apparently not an
established population (Krysko et al. 2003a) |
| DADE |
? |
|
Not reported breeding |
Bartlett and Bartlett 1999, Krysko et al. 2003a) |
| LEE |
? |
|
Not reported breeding |
(Bartlett and Bartlett 1999) |
| MONROE |
1990s |
|
Less than 10 years |
Restricted populations are established on Little Torch, Grassy,
Big Pine, and Plantation keys (Krysko et al. 2003a) |
References
Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999. A field
guide to Florida reptiles and amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company,
Houston, Texas. 278pp.
Krysko, K. L., A. N. Hooper, and C. M. Sheehy III.
2003. The Madagascar giant day gecko, Phelsuma madagascariensis
grandis Gray 1870 (Sauria: Gekkonidae): a new established species
in Florida. Florida Scientist 66:222-225.
Links to more information
Bowling State University Info
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Nonnative Reptiles
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