Lined day gecko · Phelsuma lineata
Meet the lined day gecko.
A dark brushstroke along each side gives the lined day gecko its name, set against leaf-green skin, tiny red markings.
This Madagascar tree runner is quick, curious, and active in full daylight.
See what they needBefore you decide
Could a lined day gecko thrive in your home?
Picture the full-grown animal, the permanent enclosure, and the ordinary care you would still be happy to give years from now.
The honest fit
Would their everyday rhythm suit you?
Think about an ordinary week, including the days when you are tired, busy, or away from home.
Life together may suit you if…
- You want a small active daytime gecko
- You enjoy a lush vertical display
- You can measure UVB and temperature at the perch
- You are happy to observe without handling
Pause if…
- You want a gecko to carry around
- Your enclosure offers only bare glass
- Heat lamps sit directly on climbable mesh
- You cannot secure a fast escape artist
A comfortable home
Build the home around their choices.
Fill a tall secure enclosure with broad vertical stems, cork, leaves, feeding ledges, and shade at every height. Add cross-ventilation, drainage, guarded overhead heat, measured UVB, and doors that can be serviced without a chase.
Measure where the animal actually rests
A real retreat from the warm side
Use a digital hygrometer and watch ventilation
Build light and shade as a gradient
The rhythm
What an ordinary week asks of you.
Open the green lanes
Check basking, shade, UVB, humidity trend, eyes, toes, skin, tail, drainage, and door seals.
Serve a bright little hunter
Offer a measured meal at a leafy ledge and let the gecko choose between nectar diet and moving prey.
Keep the canopy open
Remove old diet, rinse leaves in sections, trim blocked routes, flush drains, and test stems.
Care with tenderness
Learn what is normal for your lined day gecko.
Skin is not a handle
Never grab or peel a day gecko from glass. Guide it into a secure cup or cork tube.
Measure the top perch
Small arboreal homes can overheat quickly, especially near mesh and glass.
Give wet leaves time to dry
Humidity should rise and fall; constant stale wetness is not a rainforest cycle.
Call for warning signs
Sunken eyes, weak grip, skin damage, swollen jaw, burns, weight loss, or appetite change need a reptile veterinarian.
Good to know
Common questions, answered.
Open any question for a short, practical answer.
Life together
Could a lined day gecko suit a first-time keeper?
Maybe. Picture the full-grown animal and the care that fills an ordinary week. Would you still enjoy that life years from now?
How large do lined day geckos get?
Usually 10–15 cm (4–6 in)
How long do lined day geckos live?
Up to about 15 years. Individual lifespan varies, so plan around the longer end.
When are lined day geckos active?
A fast daytime climber, basker, nectar feeder, and insect hunter
Do lined day geckos enjoy handling?
Delicate display gecko; use a container for transfers. Watch the animal's posture and movement, support the whole body, and stop before calm turns into endurance.
Can two lined day geckos live together?
House alone
What do lined day geckos eat?
Complete day-gecko diet plus varied small live invertebrates
How large should a lined day gecko's enclosure be?
Start with at least 45 × 45 × 60 cm for one adult. More usable room is valuable when it creates better gradients, cover, and movement choices.
Home and health
What temperatures does a lined day gecko need?
Provide a perch around 29–32°C (84–90°F), with dense lower foliage around 22–27°C (72–81°F). Measure both where the animal actually spends time and control every heater appropriately.
Does a lined day gecko need UVB?
The reviewed plan calls for measured moderate UVB over upper perches, with complete shade. Fixture, reflector, mesh, distance, lamp age, and shade all change what reaches the animal.
What humidity does a lined day gecko need?
About 60–80%, with a nightly rise, airflow, and daytime drying. Check it with a digital hygrometer. Keep fresh air moving through the enclosure, and let the animal choose between damp shelter and dry ground.
What should be inside the enclosure?
Fill a tall secure enclosure with broad vertical stems, cork, leaves, feeding ledges, and shade at every height. Add cross-ventilation, drainage, guarded overhead heat, measured UVB, and doors that can be serviced without a chase.
What substrate works for a lined day gecko?
Drained tropical soil and leaf litter beneath living plants
What does ordinary cleaning involve?
Remove waste, old food, dead prey, and shed promptly; inspect eyes, toes, skin, tail, weight, perches, drains, and doors.
What should I arrange before bringing a lined day gecko home?
Build and test the complete adult habitat, verify the readings over several days, identify a reptile veterinarian, check local and rental rules, and choose a responsible captive source or rescue.
Can a healthy-looking lined day gecko carry Salmonella?
Yes. Reptiles can carry Salmonella without looking ill, so handwashing and keeping habitat water, food, and cleaning equipment away from kitchens are part of ordinary care.
Still thinking about lined day geckos?
Put this animal beside the others on your shortlist. Then build and test the complete adult habitat before anyone comes home.
Compare reptilesSources and care boundaries
Exact targets depend on the measured location, equipment, animal, and veterinary context. This profile keeps source disagreements visible instead of blending them into one number.