Apartment-dwellers and others with limited space who desire a pet may like to try a Yellow-throated Day Gecko. As an added bonus, these lovely and entertaining lizards are also very beautiful!

Yellow-throated Day Geckos are diurnal, which makes them highly viewable in captivity. It also means they will need a UVB light for about 12 hours a day, varying seasonally. In the wild, Yellow-throated Day Geckos feed on insects, fruits, and nectars.

Growing from four and three quarters to five and a quarter inches in length, Yellow-throated Day Geckos are lovely. As the name would imply, they have bright coloration and the underside of the throat is yellow. Yellow-throated Day Geckos have lamellated feet, which allow them to be excellent climbers. Their skins are quite sensitive and too much handling can damage them. Male Yellow-throated Day Geckos have large pre-femoral pores.

Native to the more humid areas of Madagascar and the surrounding islands, Yellow-throated Day Geckos are at risk in the wild. It is illegal to take them from the wild and you should never buy a wild-caught Yellow-throated Day Gecko; captive bred Day Geckos are less likely to have disease and make better pets.

In captivity, you can feed your Yellow-throated Day Geckos crickets, meal or wax worms, and fruity babyfood dusted with calcium and vitamin powder. Adult Yellow-throated Day Geckos should be fed about three times a week and juveniles should eat daily. A ten-gallon tank should house a single Yellow-throated Day Gecko nicely, but larger terrariums should be used for multiple geckos; and they should have plenty of plants and branches to provide visual barriers in the terrarium and allow each Gecko his or her own space. They are territorial and often even male-female pairs may fight. Since Yellow-throated Day Geckos are arboreal, you should provide them with lots of sturdy, vertical plants and branches on which they may climb. Bamboo seems to be a favorite of Yellow-throated Day Geckos. They need a temperature of about 85 degrees Fahrenheit with a basking spot of about 95 degrees, and the temperature should drop by about ten degrees at night. Yellow-throated Day Geckos live in the rainforest in the wild and so 80 percent humidity should be maintained in their enclosures, along with a bowl of fresh water for drinking or bathing. Misting the tank once a day, also helps. One option for substrate is peat moss layered over pebbles to provide drainage with a top layer of rough, nontoxic bark such as orchid bark.

Yellow-throated Day Geckos should not be handled anymore than needed because their skin is delicate and easily abraded; but they are attractive display lizards and fun to watch.

Yellow-throated Day Geckos are encouraged to breed by varying light and temperature patterns. Usually a simulated spring will provide the best breeding time. Make sure the female has plenty of places to hide in case the male is overly aggressive towards her. She should also be provided with additional calcium and mineral supplements. The female will compress her hind legs over eggs she lays until they solidify and harden. Generally, Yellow-throated Day Geckos lay two eggs, which they "glue" or attach to a surface. If you attempt to move the eggs they will break, so they should be incubated in place at about 78 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit. This may be difficult, as Yellow-throated Day Geckos usually glue their eggs in a protected spot. The eggs will hatch in about 43 days, and the young Yellow-throated Day Geckos should be removed immediately to prevent territorial fighting. Feed your young Day Geckos daily.