DESCRIPTION:
This lizard is one of the smallest day geckos. They can reach a total length of about 3.5 to 4 inches. They are slender and long-snouted with a turquoise blue upper and mid-back and a turquoise tail. The lower back is light brown. Distinguishing characteristics are the yellow head and flattened body shape. A dark black spot is present behind the eye, followed by a black stripe which extends to the rear extremities. The legs and toes are brown speckled. The ventral side is grayish white. The sexes can easily be distinguished by the orange color around the femoral pores of the males.

GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
This species inhabits northwest Madagascar, along the coast.

DIET:
Insects and other invertebrates; will also lick soft fruit, pollen and nectar.

LIFE CYCLE/SOCIAL STRUCTURE:
Diurnal. These geckos usually live in small groups in bamboo forest. They can often be seen basking in the sunshine but will immediately return to their hiding place if disturbed. They are active in the early mornings, and in late afternoons, avoiding the hotter parts of the day. The females lay a pair of eggs and hide them in bamboo canes. At a temperature of 27°C, the young will hatch after approximately 39-52 days at juveniles measure just 2 cm in length.

SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS:
They usually retreat to a small crack in the older or dead bamboo, which they can access with their flattened bodies. Most geckos have the ability to climb almost any surface. They accomplish this with folds of skin on their feet that are covered with tiny hair like structures called setae. Each hair like structure ends with 1,000 tinier pads, called spatulae. This is where the gecko sticks to a surface by using a combination of electric and magnetic forces!

INTERPRETIVE INFORMATION:
Yellow headed day gecko. They were discovered in 1990. These geckos can make a range of squeaks, clicks and croaks, which sound more like a frog than a lizard.

OUR ANIMALS:
One male

STATUS IN WILD:
Not listed as endangered

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Yellow-headed_day_gecko
2. http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/yellowheaded-days-gecko
3. http://www.fact-index.com/y/ye/yellow_headed_day_gecko.html
4. http://machinedesign.com/article/sticky-lizard-toes-may-be-the-key-to-a-self-cleaning-adhesive-0217