Harmless · Native to Tanzania · Kept as a pet

Electric blue gecko

Lygodactylus williamsi Loveridge, 1952

Also called turquoise dwarf gecko, William’s dwarf gecko
Data updated October 2026

Bright blue male electric blue gecko clinging upright to a green plant stem
Fig. 1 — Adult male. Males are a vivid turquoise blue.
Head-on view of a blue male electric blue gecko on wood chips, with dark markings on the chin
Fig. 2 — A male seen head on, showing dark markings under the chin.

At a glance

A tiny day-active gecko found only in two small forests in eastern Tanzania, where it lives on screw pine trees. Males are bright blue; females are greenish bronze. Habitat loss and collecting for the pet trade have made it Critically Endangered.

01

Identification

Adult males are hard to mistake: the body is a bright turquoise blue. Females are a duller greenish bronze. This is a very small, slim gecko that is active by day and lives on the leaves of screw pine trees.

  1. 01Blue males. Males are vivid turquoise blue above.
  2. 02Bronze-green females. Females lack the blue and are greenish bronze.
  3. 03Tiny size. Adults are only a few inches long, tail included.

02

Size

01 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft Large male · about 3¼ in (8.4 cm)

Adults measure about 2 to 3¼ inches (5–8.4 cm) in total length. Males are the larger sex; females are somewhat smaller.

03

Range & habitat

Small gecko with a blue head and yellow flanks resting on a leaf among dense plants
Fig. 3 — A dwarf gecko resting on a leaf in dense, humid planting.

This gecko is known only from the Kimboza and Ruvu forest reserves in eastern Tanzania, at about 560 to 1,570 feet (170–480 m) above sea level. Its total range covers only about 3 square miles (8 km²).

It lives only on screw pines (Pandanus rabaiensis), a tree of swampy and limestone areas inside the forest. Most animals live in the leaf crown, and they use only large trees with leaves more than about 3 feet (1 m) long.

04

Diet & predators

Electric blue geckos eat small insects. They also take nectar and pollen and drink water from leaves.

Feeds on

  • Small insects
  • Nectar and pollen
  • Water drops on leaves
House cricket on a plain surface
Prey — small insects.
Blue male electric blue gecko facing the camera
A male on the ground among wood chips.

05

Behavior & seasons

This is a day-active, tree-dwelling gecko. Males are territorial and do not tolerate other males. A single screw pine crown usually holds one gecko, or a breeding pair with young.

06

Reproduction

Females usually lay two eggs at a time, about every four weeks, pressing them onto plants. The eggs hatch after about 50 to 80 days. Young geckos become mature at about 10 to 12 months of age.

07

Conservation

The species is assessed as Critically Endangered. Its tiny forest range is being lost and broken up by logging and farming, and it has been heavily collected for the international pet trade, where it is sold as the “electric blue gecko.”

Researchers estimated that at least 15 percent of the population was collected for the pet trade between 2005 and 2009. The species is now listed on CITES Appendix I, and collecting it from the wild is illegal inside the protected forests.

08

In captivity

Some zoos and hobbyists keep and breed this gecko. Because wild collecting has harmed the species, only captive-bred animals should be considered. Keepers use a tall, planted enclosure with upright plants and stems, warm daytime temperatures and a light source suited to a day-active lizard.

Food is small live insects plus a nectar-type food. Zoo sources give a lifespan of up to about 10 years in care. See our pet care guides for general reptile-keeping topics.

Keep reading

Sources

Data updated October 2026 · How we build these pages