Phelsuma grandis
Giant day gecko
A bright, tall enclosure with vertical bark and a basking perch near the UVB.
Legal status
- CITES II
Phelsuma grandis is recorded as CITES Appendix II under Phelsuma spp. in Appendix II. No EU annex letter was verified for this exact species in this record, so the annex field is empty. Confirm Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/966 before you import, sell, or rely on an annex. Not marked as an EU invasive alien species. Not marked venomous. Not named in 50 CFR 16.15. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 25–30°C
- Basking
- 30–33°C
- UVB
- Ferguson zone 3. About 1.0–2.6 at the basking perch
- Humidity
- 60–80%
- Minimum enclosure
- About 45 × 45 × 90 cm for one adult
- Adult size
- About 23–28 cm.
- Lifespan
- Often 6–15 years.
- Difficulty
- intermediate
Diet and feeding
A prepared day-gecko diet plus insects. Diet available most days. Insects several times a week.
Substrate
None required if the animal lives on the glass and plants. Soil works in a planted cage.
Health
Metabolic bone disease, egg-binding in females, and stress from constant handling.
Handling
They shed tail skin and they are fast. Look at them. Do not treat them as a handheld pet.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.