Electric Blue Day Gecko

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Adult male electric blue day geckos glow a brilliant turquoise blue across the whole back. Few lizards in the pet trade can match that color. That beauty is exactly why this tiny Tanzanian gecko is now critically endangered.

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Also called the electric blue gecko or the turquoise dwarf gecko, it was described by Arthur Loveridge in 1952. It was first treated as a subspecies of Lygodactylus picturatus. Researchers later gave it full species status.

Only males show the famous electric blue coloring. A black streak runs from the nostril through the eye to the neck. The throat carries four dark bands over blue skin, and the belly is pale orange.

Females and juveniles stay a duller bronze or olive green. New keepers are often surprised their female never turns blue.

This species belongs to the wider world of day geckos, active in daylight rather than at night. It sits within the broader family of pet geckos as one of the smallest members anyone keeps.

Electric Blue Day Gecko Care Overview

Despite its small size, this is not a beginner reptile. Keeping the electric blue day gecko well means holding humidity, ventilation, and UVB exposure in a fairly narrow band, all at once. Get any of those wrong for long and the gecko shows it fast. Our full care guide covers those details in more depth.

Signs of trouble include dulled color, hiding, and a drop in appetite. This species is best treated as a display animal rather than a handling pet. It is quick and easily stressed by grabbing, and a fall can cause real injury.

Most keepers do well with one male and two or more females sharing a tall, planted terrarium. Adult males fight other males on sight.

A reptile veterinarian experienced with small geckos is worth locating before you need one. Our lizard health guide covers the general checklist.

Enclosure Setup

This species is highly arboreal, so height matters more than floor space. A minimum enclosure for one adult is about 12 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 18 inches tall. Most keepers go larger whenever they can.

A well planted vertical terrarium works best. Live plants and a bioactive substrate give the gecko cover, climbing routes, and humidity buffering all at once. Branches, cork bark, and dense foliage should fill the upper two thirds of the space.

Good ventilation is not optional here. This species needs high humidity, but stagnant air invites mold and respiratory trouble.

Cross ventilation through mesh panels matters as much as the misting schedule. Our guide to lizard enclosures covers both in more depth.

In the wild, this gecko depends almost entirely on one plant, a screw pine called Pandanus rabaiensis, for shelter and breeding sites. Captive setups cannot copy that exact plant everywhere. Keepers commonly use dense foliage such as pothos or bromeliads to mimic that tight cover instead.

Heating and Lighting

A basking branch should reach 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Check it with a digital probe thermometer rather than a stick on dial. A low wattage halogen puck light or a small incandescent bulb usually gives enough heat.

General ambient temperature should sit around 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. A drop to about 65 degrees overnight is both normal and healthy. Avoid anything that keeps the whole enclosure hot around the clock.

UVB lighting is essential, not optional, since this is a day active species that basks in direct sun. A T8 fluorescent tube around 10.0 strength, placed roughly 4 inches above the basking branch, works well. Run it for about 12 hours a day and replace the bulb roughly every six months, since UVB output fades before the light looks dim.

Humidity should stay high, generally in the range of 60 to 80 percent, though keeper recommendations vary a little within that band. Mist the enclosure once or twice daily depending on how fast it dries out. This both raises humidity and gives the gecko water droplets to drink.

What Electric Blue Day Geckos Eat

This species eats a mix of small insects and a commercial fruit based gecko diet. Both matter for long term health. Hatchlings and juveniles do best with insects offered daily plus a daily serving of crested gecko style diet.

Adults can be fed insects two to three times a week. Offer the fruit based diet about once a week on a separate day. Every feeder insect needs to be tiny, roughly a quarter inch or smaller, since this gecko has a small mouth.

Good choices include dubia roach nymphs, small crickets, fruit flies, and springtails. Dust insects with a calcium powder, such as Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3, that skips added vitamin D3 when the enclosure already has proper UVB, since the gecko makes its own vitamin D3 from that light.

Our overview of what lizards eat covers how this fits alongside other species.

Health and Common Problems

Metabolic bone disease is the biggest long term risk for any small, fast growing gecko. It almost always traces back to weak UVB or too little calcium. Watch for a jaw that looks soft or slightly swollen, or limbs that seem to bow.

Treat either sign as a reason to see a reptile veterinarian promptly. This species needs both high humidity and strong airflow at once, and that mix makes respiratory infections a real risk in a poorly vented tank.

Open mouth breathing, mucus around the nostrils, and unusual lethargy are all worth acting on quickly.

Color and behavior offer useful early warning signs. A male that suddenly looks dull, hides constantly, or stops eating is very likely stressed or unwell. Keepers commonly report that correcting temperature, humidity, and airflow together resolves most of these episodes.

Behavior and Temperament

The electric blue day gecko is active and alert through daylight hours. Unlike the nocturnal geckos many keepers know, it spends its time climbing, basking, and darting after insects. It rarely sits still for long, which makes it fun to simply watch.

Males are territorial and will fight other males, sometimes seriously. A trio of one male with two or three females in a spacious, planted enclosure works far better than pairing two males. Give each animal enough visual cover to break line of sight.

This is not a gecko that tolerates handling well. It is small, fast, and prone to stress, and a fall from even a modest height can be dangerous. Most keepers simply watch this species and avoid picking it up except for health checks or maintenance.

Breeding

Females lay small clutches of two eggs at a time. Clutches arrive roughly every three to four weeks during the breeding season when conditions are warm and animals are well fed. Unlike many geckos, this species glues its eggs to a branch or leaf rather than leaving them loose.

Because the eggs are cemented in place, keepers cannot simply move them to an incubator. Many breeders provide bamboo tubes or cork bark specifically so a female glues eggs somewhere removable. That surface can then be detached and incubated without disturbing the eggs.

Given how endangered this species is in the wild, captive breeding carries real conservation value. Choosing captive bred stock over any wild sourced animal directly reduces pressure on the last wild populations. If you are weighing this gecko against others, our guide to choosing a pet lizard compares care demands across species.

Lifespan and Size

Adults typically reach about 2.5 to 3.5 inches in total length. That makes this one of the smallest geckos commonly kept as a pet. The tiny size, paired with the male’s coloring, drives much of the species’ appeal.

It is also a big reason this gecko needs such precise husbandry. Captive lifespan is commonly cited around 8 to 10 years with consistent care. That figure comes from keeper and retailer experience rather than a long term, rigorously documented study.

As with many small geckos, animals kept in stable, well vented, properly lit enclosures tend to live longer than those kept in inconsistent conditions.

Cost of Keeping an Electric Blue Day Gecko

Captive bred electric blue day geckos commonly sell for around 200 to 250 dollars each. That is a high price for such a small animal. It reflects how hard this species is to breed and how limited legitimate captive bred supply actually is.

Because wild populations are critically endangered, this matters more here than with almost any other pet gecko. Buy only captive bred animals from a reputable breeder. Ongoing costs stay modest once set up.

Expect to budget for feeder insects, a fruit based gecko diet, calcium supplements, and misting supplies. Add UVB bulb replacement roughly twice a year.

Set up costs are dominated by the terrarium, live or artificial plants, a basking heat source, and a quality UVB fixture. Our reptile supplies roundup is a good place to compare that equipment.

Keepers drawn to small, colorful geckos often also look at the gold dust day gecko and the giant day gecko. Both are close relatives with easier care needs. For a very different small gecko, the crested gecko is a common comparison point for new keepers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the electric blue day gecko endangered?

Its entire wild range covers less than 8 square kilometers of forest in Tanzania. Heavy illegal collection for the pet trade, combined with habitat destruction, pushed the species to critically endangered status. Collectors have reportedly cut down the plants the geckos depend on just to catch them.

Is Lygodactylus williamsi legal to own?

Captive bred electric blue day geckos are legal to keep in most places. The species has never been legally exported from the wild in Tanzania, though. Buyers should confirm an animal is captive bred, never wild caught, before purchasing.

Why are female electric blue day geckos not blue?

Only adult males develop the bright turquoise coloring. Females and juveniles stay a duller bronze or olive green for life. This surprises many first time keepers who expect every gecko to turn blue.

Can electric blue day geckos be handled?

They generally tolerate handling poorly and are best treated as a look, don’t touch species. They are fast, small, and easily stressed. A fall can cause serious injury given their size.

How big of a tank does an electric blue day gecko need?

The minimum for a single adult is about 12 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 18 inches tall. Taller, more heavily planted setups work better. Height matters more than floor space since this species is highly arboreal.

What do electric blue day geckos eat?

They eat tiny insects such as dubia roach nymphs, small crickets, fruit flies, and springtails. They also need a commercial fruit based gecko diet. Adults need insects a few times a week and the fruit diet about once weekly, all dusted with calcium.