Gold Dust Gecko
Scientific name: Phelsuma laticauda
Common names: Gold Dust Day Gecko, Gold Dust Gecko
Adult size: Around 10–13 cm
Lifespan: 8–15+ years
📏 Size
- Small, colourful arboreal day gecko.
- Adults usually reach around 10–13 cm, including the tail.
🏡 Housing
- Tall, secure vivarium with excellent ventilation.
- Minimum around 45 × 45 × 60 cm for an adult.
- Provide plenty of vertical branches, vines and broad-leaved plants.
- Dense foliage provides climbing opportunities and security.
- Keep securely closed — they are extremely quick.
🌡️ Temperature
- Basking area: 28–32°C
- Warm area: 25–28°C
- Cool end: 21–24°C
- Night: 18–22°C
- Use thermostatically controlled heating.
💡 Lighting
- Requires UVB around 5–7%.
- Provide bright full-spectrum lighting for 10–12 hours daily.
- Include shaded areas so the gecko can move away from the light.
💧 Humidity
- Around 60–80%.
- Mist regularly, particularly in the evening.
- Allow some drying between misting while maintaining good humidity.
- Good ventilation is essential.
🍌 Food
- Omnivorous diet of live insects and fruit-based gecko food.
- Offer small crickets, fruit flies, roaches and other appropriately sized insects.
- Provide a quality prepared Day Gecko/fruit-eating gecko diet.
- Dust insects with calcium and suitable vitamins.
💧 Water
- Provide fresh water and regular misting.
- Gold Dust Geckos often drink droplets from leaves and enclosure surfaces.
🐍 Shedding
- Usually sheds without assistance when humidity is appropriate.
- Provide rough surfaces such as cork and branches.
- Never pull retained shed from the toes or body.
🤲 Handling
- Not recommended for regular handling.
- Their skin is delicate and can tear easily.
- They are extremely fast and can drop their tail when stressed.
- Best kept as a display animal.
❤️ Health
- Monitor appetite, weight, activity and shedding.
- Watch for calcium deficiency, metabolic bone disease, parasites and retained shed.
- Correct UVB, calcium, humidity and temperatures are essential.
🧽 Cleaning
- Remove faeces and uneaten food regularly.
- Clean feeding and water dishes frequently.
- Wipe dirty surfaces and replace contaminated substrate as required.
🏠 Before You Bring Your Gecko Home
- Fully set up and temperature-test the vivarium beforehand.
- Have UVB, heating, foliage, climbing branches and suitable food ready.
- Ensure the enclosure is completely escape-proof.
⚠️ Important Bits
- Gold Dust Geckos are arboreal, fast and delicate.
- Provide plenty of vertical space, foliage and climbing surfaces.
- Strong UVB and appropriate calcium supplementation are important.
- Never grab the tail or squeeze the body.
- Males can be territorial; avoid housing males together.
