The Top 10 Most Beautiful Gecko species in your opinion

[CheeseChameleon1945]

Inspired by the thread, The top 10 most beautiful Passerine birds in your opinion., Here you can list 10 (you don't have too, just the recommendation) Gecko species that you find particularly Charismatic and Enthralling looking, and the most beautiful. Geckos make up most of the Lizard species, and are some of the Most Interesting nocturnal reptiles, and the good thing is, we just keep finding more of them! See Newly discovered / described species 2020. and previous threads to get an Idea of how many species humankind keeps finding!
Anyway, I am excited to hear your favorite gecko species!

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

First my top 5 and then later will post the other 5.

1. The Wellington green gecko: An endemic and threatened species from New Zealand, is the most beautiful of all the geckos in my opinion. That striking green colouration, the seeming outsized character and that strange dinosaur look (all geckos look faintly velociraptor but these look most IMO).

Also have to say I love this enclosure at Wellington zoo, not my typical kind of display but this is brilliantly done.

2. Electric blue gecko: Another beautiful gecko species but this time African, gorgeous "electric blue" colours (name says it all). For some reason the name always reminds me of the lyrics of the David Bowie song "Sound and vision" :

"Blue, blue, electric blue
That's the color of my room
Where I will live
Blue, blue

Pale blinds drawn all day
Nothing to read, nothing to say
Blue, blue
I will sit right down
Waiting for the gift of sound and vision"

This is a critically endangered species too and I hope with the help ex-situ conservation zoos will pull through the anthropocene.

3. Malagasy yellow-headed day gecko: I love the day geckos in general but I have a soft spot for this one in particular because not only is it strikingly beautiful with its neon green and striped colouration but it is also heavily endangered and is emblematic of Malagasy biodiversity.

4. Giant day gecko : Ok so not endangered but a beautiful and charismatic Malagasy species nonetheless.

5. Round Island gecko: Not the most aesthetically beautiful gecko but I've read quite a bit about these little guys and root for conservation efforts trying to bring them back from the brink.

Photo credits to @Chlidonias, @ro6ca66 ,@Dormitator, @Bubalus ,@Zooish and @gentle lemur.

 

[CheeseChameleon1945]

First my top 5 and then later will post the other 5.

1. The Wellington green gecko: An endemic and threatened species from New Zealand, is the most beautiful of all the geckos in my opinion. That striking green colouration, the seeming outsized character and that strange dinosaur look (all geckos look faintly velociraptor but these look most IMO).

Also have to say I love this enclosure at Wellington zoo, not my typical kind of display but this is brilliantly done.

2. Electric blue gecko: Another beautiful gecko species but this time African, gorgeous "electric blue" colours (name says it all). This is a critically endangered species too and I hope with the help ex-situ conservation zoos will pull through the anthropocene.

3. Malagasy yellow-headed day gecko: I love the day geckos in general but I have a soft spot for this one in particular because not only is it strikingly beautiful with its neon green and striped colouration but it is also heavily endangered and is emblematic of Malagasy biodiversity.

4. Giant day gecko : Ok so not endangered but a beautiful and charismatic Malagasy species nonetheless.

5. Round Island gecko: Not the most aesthetically beautiful gecko but I've read quite a bit about these little guys and root for conservation efforts trying to bring them back from the brink.

Photo credits to @Chlidonias, @ro6ca66 ,@Dormitator, @Bubalus ,@Zooish and @gentle lemur.

Yes, I knew about all those gecko species. I love the wellington green gecko enclosure, very nice! The turqoise dwarf gecko (another name for it) is a hotspot for photographers I would imagine, they are going to be on my list as well! Lovely species. The Malagasy yellow-headed day gecko is surely a colorful species, I do enjoy the blend of tropical colors! Giant day gecko was a surprising one, I normally wouldn't think it as the "Most beautiful" but hey, your choice is yours!
And the Round Island gecko is definitely needed more attention. Something like the Electric blue gecko would be more attractive to try to conserve, but little forgotten guys like this Round Island gecko is needed to be saved as well. But regarding the appearance of the Round island day gecko I actually find them pretty aesthetically beautiful, look like the colors of rock surfaces just hit by an ocean wave. Good thing this species Is down to vulnerable though, it could be much worse, but no specimens are kept outside of Mauritius are they?

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

And the Round Island gecko is definitely needed more attention. Something like the Electric blue gecko would be more attractive to try to conserve, but little forgotten guys like this Round Island gecko is needed to be saved as well. But regarding the appearance of the Round island day gecko I actually find them pretty aesthetically beautiful, look like the colors of rock surfaces just hit by an ocean wave. Good thing this species Is down to vulnerable though, it could be much worse, but no specimens are kept outside of Mauritius are they?

About the Round island gecko, why don't you start reading the books of Gerald Durrell ?

When I was about your age I discovered them and first started reading them and they were part of the inspiration I took to become a conservationist / conservation biologist later in life.

 

[CheeseChameleon1945]

Alright, here's my first 5.

Tukutuku.

I'v mentioned this species on another thread, but I have to say the look of this gecko is absolutely stunning, especially the ornate patterns on the back, it really blends in with its surroundings on Stewart island, where it is endemic to.
Here's a picture from Wikipedia, no pictures on zoochat of this species as far as I'm aware of.

Viellard's Chameleon gecko, Photo credit @ralph

This species' scales is mainly why I like this gecko so much, looks like a crater surface.

Manuka gecko

This species is in the genus known as Green geckos, and this one might be the greenest of them all! I simply love this gecko's coloration, really like a work of art. Image credit to Wikipedia, Couldn't find any pictures on zoochat of them

Champion's leaf-tailed gecko

Only learned about this species recently, but It was only discovered in the year 2000. Found in Australia, it looks like thorny devil gecko to me, its a very interesting looking species.

Photo credit to, you guessed it, Wikipedia.

And the last of the First five is the Thick-tailed gecko. I really like the Coloration of this species, super awesome spots! I like the very Club-like tail as well, really makes this species look like a gladiator of sorts!

Photo credit to @vogelcommando

About the Round island gecko, why don't you start reading the books of Gerald Durrell ?

I mean, Were you implying that I hadn't?
Well yes, I haven't, but should I? If you say so.
I mean- I have a lot of inspiration to become a zoologist already, My animal book library is full of the 80s/90s animal encyclopedias that I Adore, And The "planet earth series already gave me plenty of inspiration. And watching birds, And going to the zoo, and finding animals in the pond, Reading other people's animal adventures, etc....

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I mean, Were you implying that I hadn't?
Well yes, I haven't, but should I? If you say so.

I was assuming that you hadn't and implying that you should as it will be one of the greatest literary discoveries you make, take it from me.

Durrell was an incredible natural history writer, one of the world's greatest conservationists and most importantly he was one of the tireless champions of the conservation of the little and neglected creatures (like the Round Island gecko for example) that most people don't give a f*** about (and that you seem to care about).

"The aye-aye and I" (my personal favourite) , "A zoo in my luggage", "The whispering land" and "My family and other animals" are all brilliant books to start with.

 

[CheeseChameleon1945]

I was assuming that you hadn't and implying that you should as it will be one of the greatest literary discoveries you make, take it from me.

Durrell was an incredible natural history writer, one of the world's greatest conservationists and most importantly he was one of the tireless champions of the conservation of the little and neglected creatures (like the Round Island gecko for example) that most people don't give a f*** about (and that you seem to care about).

Yes, I definitely will try to get them from my local library! Yes, well apparently a lot of animals people don't give a f*** about, I sure care about them! I just walk up to people and tell them about Calabar angwantibos, frosted hairy dwarf porcupines, Critically endangered ostracods (can't name species at the moment) Flatjaw minnows, greek lampreys, Sterrer's cave mysids...

 

[CheeseChameleon1945]

"The aye-aye and I" (my personal favourite) , "A zoo in my luggage", "The whispering land" and "My family and other animals" are all brilliant books to start with.

Will do! I'm going to pick up some books from the library In a couple days and I'll add those to the list. Listen, I really have to go now So I'll be back later, bu bye!

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Yes, I definitely will try to get them from my local library! Yes, well apparently a lot of animals people don't give a f*** about, I sure care about them! I just walk up to people and tell them about Calabar angwantibos, frosted hairy dwarf porcupines, Critically endangered ostracods (can't name species at the moment) Flatjaw minnows, greek lampreys, Sterrer's cave mysids...

Great so definitely go and check them out, get as many as your library card allows and just devour them one by one, you wont regret it.

Reading Durrell is pretty much a rite of passage for young conservationists and has been for the past 50 years.

As I said in that earlier comment it was reading through those books that got to me where I am today more than anything else.

 

[CheeseChameleon1945]

Electric Dwarf gecko

Photo credit to @Benosaurus
O.C. has already mentioned this species, and for a good reason. Its stunning blue coloration is simply fantastical, and the Fact that it's critically endangered makes people want to save it more.

Another member of this amazing genus, known as the dwarf geckos, is the Cameroon dwarf gecko.
Photo credit to the Inaturalist.org website, who in turn got it from flickr, taken from their species profile page, not someones observation. This species has a nice blend of colors, like a banana and a Kiwi mixed together.
Very wonderful!

This next species is also highly attractive, the Graceful Madagascar ground gecko.
I like the milky white skin with a hint of rose, and their terrific black striped forming down their back and past their eyes. Would love to see this one in a night hike through Madagascar someday.
Photo credit to Wikipedia, as far as I could find no zoochat pictures exist for this species as of yet.

The Jeypore indian gecko isn't necessarily the most pretty gecko species out there, but it needs more help than ever, its Critically endangered.
Found the image on wikipedia

And finally, I think the Blue-tailed day gecko is one of the prettiest gecko species out there, with its wonderful looking back and tail. Found this image on pintrest.

 

[Greenshank]

Not sure how much I can contribute to this discussion because as much as I love them I'm no expert on species of geckos. The ones which really stand out to me are the Madagascarn lead tailed geckos of the genus Uroplatus: perhaps not beautiful in the conventional sense but the camouflaging is just exquisite, I remember being absolutely gobsmacked when I first saw one in a zoo they are a true masterpiece of evolution. In terms of the most 'conventionally' beautiful then that is the genus Phelsuma, also from Madagascar and neighbouring islands, I see several species have been mentioned already (including my absolute favourite the giant day gecko) but thought I'd also mention P. quadriocellata, or the peacock day gecko and P. ornata. That Jeypore gecko is very beautiful as well, must admit I'd never heard of it before reading this though!

Also @CheeseChameleon2007, I have to agree with @Onychorhynchus coronatus on Gerald Durrell, I'd definitely recommend reading his books. I picked one up for the first time when I was at school and I'm still reading and enjoying them a decade later! (His sense of humour is second to none so they are always a fun read) . I particularly enjoyed the 3 he wrote about his expeditions to West Africa (overloaded ark, bafut beagles and a zoo in my luggage) as they feature a lot of very cool wildlife that we very rarely see or hear about, though I guess they may be slightly uncomfortable for some nowadays as they're very much written in the context of the time if that makes sense.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Not sure how much I can contribute to this discussion because as much as I love them I'm no expert on species of geckos. The ones which really stand out to me are the Madagascarn lead tailed geckos of the genus Uroplatus: perhaps not beautiful in the conventional sense but the camouflaging is just exquisite, I remember being absolutely gobsmacked when I first saw one in a zoo they are a true masterpiece of evolution. In terms of the most 'conventionally' beautiful then that is the genus Phelsuma, also from Madagascar and neighbouring islands, I see several species have been mentioned already (including my absolute favourite the giant day gecko) but thought I'd also mention P. quadriocellata, or the peacock day gecko and P. ornata. That Jeypore gecko is very beautiful as well, must admit I'd never heard of it before reading this though!

Also @CheeseChameleon2007, I have to agree with @Onychorhynchus coronatus on Gerald Durrell, I'd definitely recommend reading his books. I picked one up for the first time when I was at school and I'm still reading and enjoying them a decade later! (His sense of humour is second to none so they are always a fun read) . I particularly enjoyed the 3 he wrote about his expeditions to West Africa (overloaded ark, bafut beagles and a zoo in my luggage) as they feature a lot of very cool wildlife that we very rarely see or hear about, though I guess they may be slightly uncomfortable for some nowadays as they're very much written in the context of the time if that makes sense.

Glad to hear you enjoyed Durrell too . I think I read all three of those that you mention but as it was so long ago now the only one that I remember very clearly reading was "A zoo in my luggage" which was the second book of his that I read.

That is a really interesting point that you mention. I really don't know why the "woke" crew feel they have any reason or justification to express hate for Gerald Durrell.

I saw an old thread on this site by someone with that kind of wokey quasi-religious attitude who also as it happens was an "animal rights" activist and it was so cringeworthily badly argued that I actually laughed while reading it.

Durrell wasn't a racist, a colonialist or a neo-colonialist and in fact he took the p*** out of those kind of pompous and pretentious ****** who did hold those kinds of attitudes something rotten throughout his life.

He had a genuine affection for the people of the regions he traveled to and this has always come across very strongly to me from reading his books (if people read those kind of things into what he wrote then there is something severely wrong with their optics).

 

[CheeseChameleon1945]

Also @CheeseChameleon2007, I have to agree with @Onychorhynchus coronatus on Gerald Durrell, I'd definitely recommend reading his books. I picked one up for the first time when I was at school and I'm still reading and enjoying them a decade later! (His sense of humour is second to none so they are always a fun read) . I particularly enjoyed the 3 he wrote about his expeditions to West Africa (overloaded ark, bafut beagles and a zoo in my luggage) as they feature a lot of very cool wildlife that we very rarely see or hear about, though I guess they may be slightly uncomfortable for some nowadays as they're very much written in the context of the time if that makes sense.

Yes, I know. I will.

 

[Greenshank]

Glad to hear you enjoyed Durrell too . I think I read all three of those that you mention but as it was so long ago now the only one that I remember very clearly reading was "A zoo in my luggage" which was the second book of his that I read.

That is a really interesting point that you mention. I really don't know why the "woke" crew feel they have any reason or justification to express hate for Gerald Durrell.

I saw an old thread on this site by someone with that kind of wokey quasi-religious attitude who also as it happens was an "animal rights" activist and it was so cringeworthily badly argued that I actually laughed while reading it.

Durrell wasn't a racist, a colonialist or a neo-colonialist and in fact he took the p*** out of those kind of pompous and pretentious ****** who did hold those kinds of attitudes something rotten throughout his life.

He had a genuine affection for the people of the regions he traveled to and this has always come across very strongly to me from reading his books (if people read those kind of things into what he wrote then there is something severely wrong with their optics).

I completely agree with you on that, it's very surprising and makes me very sad to hear that there's any hate for him, especially on here of all places. Guess people these days are trying so hard to find something to get angry about, and probably a very vocal small minority, most people I know who've read Durrell have enjoyed it a lot. It was more that I recently re read The Overloaded Ark and realised that the language was very much 'of the time' so to speak, and a lot more so than most of his more recent books

Out of interest, which book has the round island day gecko, don't think I've read that?

 

[CheeseChameleon1945]

I completely agree with you on that, it's very surprising and makes me very sad to hear that there's any hate for him, especially on here of all places. Guess people these days are trying so hard to find something to get angry about, and probably a very vocal small minority, most people I know who've read Durrell have enjoyed it a lot. It was more that I recently re read The Overloaded Ark and realised that the language was very much 'of the time' so to speak, and a lot more so than most of his more recent books

Out of interest, which book has the round island day gecko, don't think I've read that?

Lol, Im really excited to read these books. Its fine to have a great discussion for this book, but don't spoil it please. I want the surprises with the species to be genuine.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I completely agree with you on that, it's very surprising and makes me very sad to hear that there's any hate for him, especially on here of all places. Guess people these days are trying so hard to find something to get angry about, and probably a very vocal small minority, most people I know who've read Durrell have enjoyed it a lot. It was more that I recently re read The Overloaded Ark and realised that the language was very much 'of the time' so to speak, and a lot more so than most of his more recent books

Out of interest, which book has the round island day gecko, don't think I've read that?

In this particular case I think it is just very mediocre people looking for a reason to be existentially fulfilled in this pale, inert and nihilistic age by looking to the new quasi-religion of "wokeness" and to summon up feelings of outrage in order to signal their moral and ethical superiority.

Durrell was not perfect (far from it judging by what I read in his biography as he had some serious issues with depression, emotional volatility and also some substance abuse issues) and we shouldn't view him as a god or saint-like figure as that is just as myopic as the other side and all their bulls***

However, he was an incredible man and very much ahead of his time and honestly we are still discovering just how genius his vision of conservation was even now which is remarkable.

Contrary to some of the cringeworthy bulls*** that I read in the thread (that I've mentioned) Durrell was not a racist or a colonialist, why would he have developed the DESMAN course and spoke with such evident affection about different cultures and indigenous peoples in his books if he was one ?

I think if the ardent woke "social revolutionaries" want to see a racist or colonialist in Durrell then they have optic problems bordering on blindness and must live their lives rather like woke olms that instead of searching for prey search for something banal to get ouraged about in their meaningless social media ecosystem.

They would be better placed to actually do some research on this man's life and then move on to direct their efforts elsewhere and towards the legacy of someone who was actually one of those things and deserves it (and if we're honest there were plenty of characters like that in 20th century conservation).

Honestly, I can't remember exactly which was the book that featured the round island day gecko but I think it may have been "Pink pigeons and golden bats" about Durrell's trip to Mauritius which was a pretty good book too.

 

[RatioTile]

I'd add psychedelic rock gecko and several of the Goniurosaurus spp. to this list.

 

[CheeseChameleon1945]

I'd add psychedelic rock gecko and several of the Goniurosaurus spp. to this list.

Psychedelic rock geckos are very pretty, I completely forgot about them.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I'd add psychedelic rock gecko and several of the Goniurosaurus spp. to this list.

I've never heard of that species before but I love the name.

I'm imagining a Pink Floyd / Jefferson airplane gecko.

 

[CheeseChameleon1945]

I've never heard of that species before but I love the name.

I'm imagining a Pink Floyd / Jefferson airplane gecko.