Koch's giant day gecko

Koch's giant day gecko, Phelsuma madagascariensis kochi, is a diurnal subspecies of gecko in the family Gekkonidae, also called Koch's day gecko, the Madagascar day gecko and the Maevatanana day gecko. It is native to northwestern and western Madagascar, on the coast and inland, and was first found around Maevatanana, where the holotype was collected. It is among the largest living day geckos, reaching 30.5 cm including the tail, with a dull dark green body, a faint red stripe from nostril to eye, a light grey neck and flanks and an off-white belly. It usually lives on trees such as banana trees, avoids human dwellings and tolerates a very dry climate with temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius. It feeds on insects and other invertebrates and licks soft fruit, pollen and nectar. Pairing runs from November to May and young hatch after about 63 to 68 days. It is often treated as a species of its own, Phelsuma kochi.