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Tokay
Gecko
(Gekko
gecko)
Tokay Geckos, which are native to
southeastern Asia, are considered the most
common and popular of all geckos (except, of
course, for the famous Geico Gecko).
Their color varies from pale gray with
bluish spots when they've been in the dark,
to dark gray with reddish spots when they've
been in the light. Many also have blue
or green tints, with gray spots. They
can reach up to 12" long, and are voracious
insectivores.
These fascinating lizards are reputed to
have sticky pads on their feet which allow
them to scale even sheer glass walls.
In actual fact, their toe pads are composed
of tiny, microscopic filaments which find
equally tiny imperfections in any
surface--even glass.
Despite their popularity (no doubt because
of their colorful appearance) they are the
least lovable of all geckos, possessing a
nasty temperament that has earned them the
hilarious but well-earned nickname of "The
F_ck You Lizard." They will cheerfully
bite the hand that cleans their tank or
feeds them, for no better reason than it's
close enough for then to nip. And
while their bite is generally not that
painful, they will hang on until it suits
them to let go. Bites that become
infected can stay irritated for several
days.
While tokays can often become accustomed to
human handling, they will probably always
take a token bite of the offending hand,
even if they settle down immediately
afterwards. Be patient with your
tokay. Remember--to it, you are a
slathering monster with an equally voracious
appetite. If it feels the need to
bite, often it's only in perceived
self-defense.
Tokays are oviparous (egg laying), and will
attach 2 or 3 sticky eggs to rocky crevices,
eaves of a house, or any other available
surface several times a year. The
young incubate for 2 - 6 months, depending
on the ambient climate, and are 2 - 3" long
at hatching.
Vocalization
Tokays are so-named because of their
distinctive, rather booming "TO-kay! Tokay!"
bark. They also emit a raspy trilling sound.
If they are hungry, they may emit a sound
somewhere between the trill and the bark.
It is believed that the bark signals mating
interest, while the trilling is an angry
sound, but this has not been scientifically
confirmed to my knowledge.
Captive Environment
Tokays are nocturnal, and tend to hide in
any available foliage during the day.
Like a rude child, they are more often heard
than seen. A woodland setting (orchid
bark from a nursery makes an excellent
substrate), planted with small potted plants
or leafy silk branches, provides ample
hiding places and helps keep up the
humidity. A proper tank should be at
least 20 gallons, or (for the popular new
hanging web cages) at least 3' high and 1'
wide to allow enough room for the gecko to
grow.
Tokays require a temperature range of 75 -
90º during the day, and 70 - 80º at night.
Being nocturnal, they do not require a UVB-producing
lamp. Only non-white (red, blue,
nocturnal, or ceramic) heat sources should
be used.
Captive Diet
Tokays eat
primarily insects. In fact, in the
wild, they deliberately live near human
habitation to take advantage of increased
insect populations. Many Asian
communities encourage the proliferation of
these hungry lizards--and live in distinctly
bug-free homes. Tokays should be fed a
variety of gut-loaded crickets and
mealworms, moths, roaches, and Zoophobas.
Larger tokays may accept pinkie mice.
Water
Like many lizards, tokays generally will
not drink
out of a bowl of water. If you don't
have the time to spray their tank with water
every evening, set up a series of vines and
an overhead dripper. They will drink
moisture off the leaves as it drips down the
tank.
Sources
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Animal Diversity Web (University
of Michigan; includes photo). Good
site for more information on natural
history, reproduction, and more.
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Breen, J.
F. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and
Amphibians. Neptune City, NJ: TFH
Publications. 1974
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EMBL
Reptile Database:
Gekkoninae
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Obst, F.
J., et al. The Completely
Illustrated Atlas of Reptiles and
Amphibians for the Terrarium.
Neptune City, NJ: TFH Publications.
1988
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Wynne, R.
H. Lizards in Captivity. Neptune
City, NJ: TFH Publications. 1981
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