Manapany day gecko

With a body length of approx. 12 cm, the Manapany day gecko is one of the smaller representatives of its genus. It can be recognized by the three brown-red stripes on its head, which extend to the neck and then merge into the dotted dorsal pattern. Their basic color is a strong green. In males, the tail and neck area can be colored blue. Depending on the amount of sunlight and the colonised substrate, the animals may have a darker colour.
The Manapany day gecko is only found in the small village of Manapany in the southwest of Reunion Island. There it inhabits plants in gardens, fences and walls. Due to its small distribution, it is assumed to have a stenoecious lifestyle, which means that the ornamental day gecko cannot tolerate large fluctuations in environmental conditions. In addition, the areas around Manapany are heavily influenced by agriculture, which makes its spread even more difficult. Due to its small habitat and the growing number of invasive species on the island, which are potential predators, this species is threatened with extinction.
Like most geckos, the ornamental day geckos also eat insects and other small invertebrates. However, they also feed on fruit, nectar and pollen. It is thought to be an important pollinator for many local plant species.

Distribution