Phelsuma can change its basic color to blend in with background color. They have large, vividly colored eyes, but they don't have eyelids. Instead, thay have a clear, fixed, transparent plate protecting their eyes. Each foot has five digits, the first one being a short thumb with no toe pad, and the fourth one being much longer than the others. Young geckos grow rapidly and apparently almost all species breed before they are fully one year old.
Geckos are the only lizards that can produce more than a hiss or other simple sound.
The female gecko usually lays two eggs. Since the geckos have setae on the bottom of their toe pads, they are capable of climbing glass walls and walking upside down on a ceiling. Since reptiles cannot run very quickly, thay have a tail that can break off easily when captured by a predator. Also, when a day gecko feels threatened while up in a tree, it can let itself instantly fall down into the leaves surrounding it to hide, and they always land on their feet. One species, the P. abotti , is often found sitting on the carapace of the giant tortoise.