Giant bronze gecko  (Ailuronyx trachygaster)

Only limited information is available on the ecology of the giant bronze gecko, but comparison with its two close relatives, the bronze gecko (A. seychellensis) and the dwarf bronze gecko (A. trachyscopaeus), provides some further insight (2).

A pattern of vertical stratification is believed to exist, in which the giant bronze gecko, the largest of the three species, dominates the canopy, forcing the smaller sized animals into lower vegetation and tree trunks. This pattern has been observed in other gecko species (Phelsuma day geckos), and correlates with the pattern of distribution found between these three bronze gecko species. Although the bronze gecko may occur in the canopy, it will tend to be forced out where the giant bronze gecko is present. By dominating the canopy, the giant bronze gecko feeds on the most nutritional food sources that, at least on Praslin, comprise the flowers of the coco-de-mer palm. During the day, this species feeds exclusively on the nectar and pollen of the male flowers, biting them to stimulate nectar flow and sometimes consuming the flower. Insects, which supplement the diet of the bronze gecko, may also be eaten by the giant bronze gecko at night, but there is no direct evidence of this (2).

This species’ reproductive biology is unknown (1).