Harmless · Native to Madagascar · Kept as a pet

Standing’s day gecko

Phelsuma standingi Methuen & Hewitt, 1913

Day gecko of southwestern Madagascar
Data updated October 2026

Standing’s day gecko seen from above on cork bark, green with a dense dark maze-like pattern
Fig. 1 — Adult on bark. The fine, maze-like pattern helps it blend in.
Close view of a Standing’s day gecko’s head, pale green with a net pattern, licking food from a small cup
Fig. 2 — Head detail. The tongue is out as it licks food from a small cup.

At a glance

One of the largest day geckos, with a mottled blue-green body that blends with tree bark. It lives in the dry forests and thorn scrub of a small part of Madagascar and is listed as Vulnerable.

01

Identification

Adults are mottled pale blue or blue-green, broken up by a dense, darker net or maze pattern and reddish-brown bands. It is a heavy-bodied day gecko with special scales under the toes for clinging.

  1. 01Large size. Much bigger and heavier than most day geckos.
  2. 02Maze pattern. Fine dark lines form a net or maze over a blue-green to gray-green base.
  3. 03Bark camouflage. Its muted colors match tree bark rather than bright leaves.

02

Size

01 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft Large adult · about 12 in (30 cm)

Adults measure about 8 to 12 inches (20–30 cm) in total length, depending on the source. Weights of about 1½ to 3 ounces (40–80 g) are reported.

03

Range & habitat

Green patterned day gecko on cork bark
Fig. 3 — On bark, the gecko’s pattern breaks up its outline.

Standing’s day gecko is found only in Madagascar, where it is restricted to small, dry regions of the southwest.

It lives in dry deciduous forest and thorn forest. It is a tree climber, and zoo sources describe it as especially suited to life on baobab trees.

04

Diet & predators

The wild diet is not fully known. It is thought to eat invertebrates, nectar, pollen and fruit, and it can also take small vertebrates.

Feeds on

  • Insects and other invertebrates
  • Nectar and pollen
  • Fruit
  • Small vertebrates
House cricket on a plain surface
Prey — insects.
Day gecko licking food from a cup
Licking a soft food from a cup.

05

Behavior & seasons

This gecko is active by day and lives in trees. It sometimes makes clicks, squeaks and croaks. Like many lizards, it can drop its tail when grabbed and grow a new one.

06

Reproduction

Breeding runs from about November to March. Females lay one or two eggs every 4 to 6 weeks during the season, and the eggs hatch after about 70 days. The parents give no care to the young.

07

Conservation

The species is listed as Vulnerable, with a decreasing population. Its small dry-forest range is being lost and broken up, and animals are taken illegally for the pet trade.

08

In captivity

Standing’s day geckos are kept in zoos and by hobbyists. Because of their size they need a tall, roomy enclosure with sturdy branches or bark to climb, warm daytime temperatures and lighting suited to a day-active lizard. Insects form the main diet, with a fruit- or nectar-based food as a supplement.

Zoo sources give a lifespan of about 12 years in care, and up to about 20 years. See our pet care guides for general topics.

Keep reading

Sources

Data updated October 2026 · How we build these pages