Rodrigues day gecko


The Rodrigues day gecko is an extinct species of day gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species lived on the island of Rodrigues, where it typically inhabited forests and dwelt in trees. The Rodrigues day gecko fed on insects and nectar.

Etymology

The specific name, edwardnewtoni, is in honor of British colonial administrator and ornithologist Edward Newton.

Taxonomy

The Rodrigues day gecko is now extinct. It was originally described as Phelsuma newtoni by Boulenger in 1884, also spelt Phelsuma newtonii by Boulenger in 1885. However, because this scientific name was also used as a synonym for Phelsuma gigas, Vinson & Vinson changed the specific name to edwardnewtoni in 1969.

Description

P. edwardnewtoni was one of the largest day geckos. It reached a total length of about. Earlier investigators describe the animal as being quite common. However, this species has not been sighted since 1917, in spite of thorough searches in the 1960s and 1970s on Rodrigues and all offshore islets. Today, only five preserved specimens remain, three of which are in The Natural History Museum in London, the two others being in the Paris Natural History Museum. These specimens have been preserved in alcohol and show a thick-bodied, robust Phelsuma. The body colour has been described as bright green with bright blue spots on the back. The underside of the tail was whitish-yellow. The chin had a deep yellow colour.

Behaviour and ecology

The species Phelsuma edwardnewtoni inhabited Rodrigues Island and its surrounding islets. P. edwardnewtoni was observed on coconut trees and other palms. Its habitat has been largely destroyed by humans and introduced animals such as cats and rats, which may have been the main cause of its extinction.
These day geckos fed on various insects and other invertebrates. They also liked to lick soft, sweet fruit, pollen and nectar.
P. edwardnewtoni was documented as being unafraid of humans. It was quite tame and would even eat fruit from one's hand. Leguat described the behaviour as follows:
It can also be noted that the behavior of this species was most likely very similar to other island dwelling day geckos such as the Madagascar Giant Day Gecko and Standing's Day Gecko which share a very similar niche as this species.