Madagascar felzuma is a reptile from the gecko family, the Felzum clan. It is gaining increasing popularity as a pet due to its exotic appearance and relative unpretentiousness in content. In addition, the day gecko, as it is also called, has compact dimensions and does not require too much terrarium. This means that you can keep it in small apartments. The article will talk about the features of the green felzuma Madagascar, the content of this exotic animal at home.
Appearance
Madagascar felzuma has a very elegant color - juicy green or light green (on the abdomen - a little lighter). A characteristic feature of the species is red or red-brown spots and stripes on the body. Red stripes stretch to the eyes from the nostrils. On the inside, the eyes are also edged with red stripes. Between the eyes there may also be a few spots - small or larger. On the body they merge into transverse stripes. As you can see, the daytime gecko, the photo of which is presented below, is a rather bright and beautiful animal.
The dimensions of Madagascar felzuma are 28-30.5 centimeters in length. Males of this species are larger.
Distribution in nature, habitat
The distribution area of the reptile, as its name implies, is the island of Madagascar, namely its eastern part. Daytime gecko lives on nearby smaller islands. Inhabits humid forests or shrubs. In the choice of place of residence, these reptiles are permanent: having mastered the territory, they prefer not to leave it. The hollows, the spaces under the roots of trees and the cleft between the stones live in. Almost all the time they spend on trees. They rarely go down to earth.
Unlike most geckos, leading a nocturnal lifestyle, daytime, as its name implies, is active in the daytime.
Content Features
They contain Madagascar felzuma at home, like other types of reptiles, in terrariums. Better if it is vertical. Geckos have a special structure of fingers, thanks to which they perfectly climb walls, including smooth ones. Therefore, the terrarium must be covered from above.
For this animal (or pair) a terrarium with dimensions of 120 x 45 x 120 centimeters will be enough. The terrarium should have a fairly thick layer of soil and a significant number of plants near the back wall, preferably with hard leaves (sanseviera, aroid, various ferns, etc.).
It should be noted that in no case should two males be kept in a terrarium. Sooner or later it will end with the death of one of them. Geckos are territorial animals and aggressively guard their living space. It is also not necessary to plant two females to one male, and young growth should be kept separately from adult individuals.
Seat selection
A place for a terrarium should be chosen light (but not under direct sunlight) and protected from drafts. Otherwise, there are no special wishes.
Lighting
This factor is extremely important for Madagascar felzuma. Bright diffused light guarantees not only the activity of geckos, but also the good growth of plants in the terrarium. The duration of daylight hours in the natural habitat of these reptiles is at least 10-11 hours, and it must be ensured throughout the year using fluorescent lamps. The gecko also needs the ultraviolet light that the UV lamp provides. With a lack of ultraviolet rays, your pet will grow worse. His shedding and digestion processes will be disturbed, and rickets will develop over time.
Temperature mode
The temperature in the terrarium is of great importance, since it determines the activity of reptiles, how actively they feed and reproduce. In daylight, it should be no lower than 27-29 degrees Celsius, and in the dark (after turning off the lighting devices) - 22-24 degrees.
A good solution would be a combination of heat sources and lighting. In this case, a certain part of the terrarium will be purposefully warmed up. In these places you need to arrange branches and pieces of wood so that geckos can climb on them and warm themselves.
The terrarium should have both cold zones and shaded so that the reptile can cool. Heaters must be installed carefully and carefully. They must be protected so that the day gecko cannot get burned.
Humidity
In nature, Madagascar dumplings live in moist forests. Therefore, the humidity level in the terrarium is very important for them, because inappropriate indicators can also cause health problems. It should be at least 50-60%. Provide it by spraying 1-2 times a day. It retains moisture primarily the soil layer at the bottom. In the terrarium, it should be at least 5-7 centimeters. For it, you can use sphagnum moss, peat, coconut crumbs. In addition, in the terrarium, as mentioned above, there should be many plants. They will also help retain moisture, and douglas will be able to lick droplets from their leaves. That is how they get it in vivo.
Nutrition
The diet of geckos should be as close to natural as possible. The ratio of animal to vegetable feed should be approximately as follows: 30-40% of plant food and 60-70% of animal. The first type is provided by fruits: bananas, peaches, apples, pears, mangoes, apricots. Citrus fruits are undesirable. Fruits must be fresh, with no signs of rot. Before feeding, they are cut into small pieces. You can enter in the diet baby formula, cereal (sugar free), yoghurts, juices.
The animal feed in the diet of geckos in nature is represented by small vertebrates and insects. At home, fit banana and house crickets, cockroaches, flies, flour worms, butterflies. Specialists should also receive special mineral supplements, which should be purchased at pet stores. You can roll pieces of food in them before offering them to your pets. If it is not possible to purchase additives, you can take crushed shells.
As for the frequency of feeding and the amount of food, it must be understood that at home, day geckos move much less than in nature, therefore, excessive feeding is very harmful for them, as it can cause obesity. Growing young animals are fed daily, and adult geckos - two to three times a week, alternating vegetable and animal feeds. If after a few hours some part of the food remains uneaten, it must be discarded.
Breeding
The reproductive age in Madagascar felsum begins at the age of 10-12 months. They usually mate in winter. It takes 4-6 weeks to lay eggs. More often there are two, sometimes one. Experts recommend removing eggs from the terrarium and transfer to a cage. In it put a box with a substrate in which eggs are placed. On top of the box is covered with a damp cloth, and then with a lid. The temperature in the charge should be 25-30 degrees Celsius, humidity - 70-90%. At a temperature of 28 degrees and above, young geckos will be born in 60-65 days, about 25 degrees in 79 days. Sometimes, having pecked, they are in no hurry to leave the shell and remain in it for up to a day.
Young animals are transferred to a separate aquarium, where they maintain the appropriate temperature and humidity level. They are fed with small crickets and fruit flies, fruit, not forgetting about mineral additives.
With good care, the life expectancy of Madagascar green felsum in captivity is about ten years.