Phelsuma laticauda
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The gold dust day gecko (Phelsuma laticauda) is a diurnal species of gecko. It lives in northern Madagascar, the Comoro Islands, and the Mascarene Islands; it has also been introduced to Hawaii and other Pacific islands. It is primarily an arboreal species which can be found in tropical forests and may also associate with human dwellings. The gold dust day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.
One subspecies is recognized (in addition to the nominate one): Phelsuma laticauda angularis. This lizard can reach a total length of 3.9–5.1″ (10–13cm). The body colour is a bright green or yellowish green or rarely blue. Typical for this day gecko are the gold speckles on the neck and the upper back. There are three rust-coloured transverse bars on the snout and head; the upper part of the skin around the eye is blue. On the lower back there are three tapering red bars. The tail is slightly flattened. The under side is off-white. Juveniles lack the red colourations and the tail and limbs appear off-white.
These day geckos feed on various insects and other invertebrates, and are capable of eating other smaller lizards. They also eat soft, sweet fruit and pollen and...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Haleakala National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Kélonia | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Wrocław Zoological Garden | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 4 | Wilhelma | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Paphos Zoo | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | |
| 6 | Mandraka Reptile Farm | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 7 | Africarium | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 8 | Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 9 | terrarium ogrodu zoologicznego we Wrocławiu | 🇵🇱 Poland |
No species of the same family or order lives in Haleakala National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Gold Dust Day Gecko sighting in Haleakala National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Gold Dust Day Gecko in Haleakala National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, May, July and October, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Gold Dust Day Gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Gold Dust Day Gecko sightings, Haleakala National Park ranks 3rd at about 30%. The best odds are in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 60%) and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (United States, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gold Dust Day Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Haleakala National Park (13 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
