Tokay Gecko

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Tokay Gecko

Tokay Gecko Gecko gecko

Natural History

The tokay gecko is a medium sized, tropical lizard inhabiting much of Southeast Asia, Indonesia,

the Philippines, and all adjacent islands. These feisty geckos do not seem to be intimidated by

human presence and are commonly found near and within human habitations.

Tokay geckos prefer the hot, humid conditions of lush rainforest, but area highly adaptable,making them able to thrive in a variety of conditions, and furthermore making them an extremely

hardy animal in the terrarium.

The natural beauty of this species has played a large role in this geckos popularity in the

terrarium. Many keepers see past their irritable nature as a result of the magnificent colors andpatterns they possess. Typically bluish-purple with orange spots, tokays are certainly an eye

catching addition to any collection.

Size and Longevity

Tokay geckos are fairly large in the gecko family, attaining an adult size of 12 to 14 inches total

length. Males are almost always larger than females, both in length and overall mass.

There is little known about the life span of tokay geckos in the wild, but in captivity they have

proven to be a long lived species. Depending on the age of the animal when acquired, specimens

in captivity can be expected to live between 15 and 20 years under optimal care.

Housing

Tokay geckos can be easily housed in a variety of different types of enclosures. If you live in a

tropical or temperate zone where ambient temperature and humidity levels are acceptable, thesegeckos may be housed in screen enclosures much like those used to maintain chameleons.

However, all glass terrariums with secure screen lids are by far the most common choice, andprobably the best one for the average gecko hobbyist.

Baby tokays can easily be kept in an enclosure with dimensions similar to those of a standard 10gallon terrarium. As the animal grows it should be provided with proportionally larger living

quarters. A single adult or male-female pair will thrive in a standard 20 gallon "tall" terrarium,

but more space will be utilized by these active foragers, and is completely necessary ifmaintaining more than two adult animals.

Heating and Lighting


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As a tropical species, tokay geckos require high daytime temperatures and slightly cooler

evenings. Day time highs within the enclosure should fall between 85 and 90 degrees. This canbe achieved with the use of a standard heat lamp, infrared bulb, or ceramic heat emitter placed

strategically over one end of the terrarium. This will ensure that the side of the enclosure furthest

from the heat source remains cooler, allowing the geckos to thermoregulate throughout the day

as needed.

If your home remains above 70 degrees at night, little or no supplemental nocturnal heatingshould be required. However, in the winter, or if your home regularly drops into the 60's at night,

a nocturnal heat source should be provided. Red heat bulbs, ceramic heat emitters, and under

tank heating pads are all acceptable options for night time warmth.

It is unclear whether or not this species requires exposure to full spectrum lighting in captivity.

In general, it is understood that nocturnal species typically do not bask under the sun, and

therefore do not require full spectrum, lighting in captivity. However, the use of this type oflighting in the form of a fluorescent UV bulb cannot hurt, and may prove quite beneficial if you

plan on incorporating live plants into your set-up.

Substrate and Furnishings

The bedding used in the tokay gecko enclosure should be one that promotes high levels of

humidity without becoming rotten or stagnant. Reptile (orchid) bark or cypress mulch are ideal.Patches of sphagnum moss or live moss may be added to further increase humidity levels whilealso adding to the naturalistic appearance of the terrarium.

Tokay geckos like to hide during the day. Therefore ample hiding spots should be provided forthem. They tend to prefer elevated or vertical areas to seek shelter in such as slabs of cork bark,

cork bark tubes, or dense elevated foliage.

In addition to hiding spots, various climbing structures should be incorporated into the terrarium

design. Sticks, tree limbs, rocks, and both live and artificial plants can all be used to create a

natural yet functional habitat for these animals.

Water and Humidity

A large, sturdy water dish should always be present, and kept filled with clean water. While

these geckos will seldom drink from a source of standing water, the evaporation from the bowl

will increase the ambient cage humidity.

Tokay geckos prefer moderate to high levels of humidity. This is easily achieved by simply

misting the entire enclosure contents twice a day with a hand held spray bottle of water. Thelizards will drink the droplets that form, and the runoff will further aid in raising humidity levels.

Nutrition


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Tokay geckos will thrive on a varied diet of insect prey. Appropriately sized (no longer than the

lizards head is wide) crickets, mealworms, waxworms, superworms, and roaches should bestaples in their diet. Adult tokays can be offered the occasional baby (pink) mouse as a source of

additional protein and dietary variety.

These geckos have big appetites and fast metabolisms. They should be offered food no less thanevery other day. A feeding should consist of as many prey items as will be consumed in a 30

minute period. All food items should be lightly dusted with a quality calcium/vitamin D3supplement. There are many different formulas available, so carefully read the manufacturers

directions for the product you select.

Babies and immature geckos may receive supplementation at every feeding, but this can be

reduced to twice a week for adult geckos.

In addition to living prey, captive tokay geckos often relish fruit baby foods. Offer a few

teaspoons on a small dish after dark. Banana, papaya, and other tropical fruit flavors are most

favored by this species.

Handling

Despite their popularity as terrarium subjects, tokay geckos are typically aggressive and do not

take kindly to being restrained or carried around. These animals will bark, squirm, drop their

tails, and bite in an effort to escape.

It should then go without saying that tokay geckos should not be viewed as a hands on pet, but

more as a display animal. Handle only when absolutely necessary, and even then do so withextreme caution so as not to cause harm to the gecko or to yourself.

LLLReptile & Supply, Inc 2007

They will routinely biting at anything in close proximity. I would have to say this is one of thoselizards that people keep just because they are neat to observe. You can handle them, but I don't

recommend it!

Just like most all pets, these lizards, originating from the forested regions of South East Asia, are

a real responsibility. They can reach upwards of 12 inches in length, and live on average 10 years

when properly cared for.

It is recommended that you find a local breeder, or question your pet shop as to where and howthey acquired their Tokay geckos. Many of them are wild caught and have the potential to be

loaded with parasites. All in all, this species of reptile does quite well in captivity.

Tokay Gecko Care : Housing

This species does not have to housed individually, but special care should be taken to ensure that males

are not kept in the same enclosure. They will more than likely fight and injure one another. One gecko


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can be comfortably housed in a 10 gallon tank; however, I recommend a 20 gallon tank if you wish to

house two together.

You are going to need a few additional items other than the tank

An Appropriate Substrate (Newspaper is Great!)

A Water Dish of Shallow Depth

A Heating Pad (Goes Under the Tank)

A Least One, if not Two Hiding Spots

Climbing Branches (Arboreal Species Like to Climb)

Thermometer and Humidity Gauge

It would be wise to place a hiding spot on both sides of the enclosure. This is to reduce stress andensure that your gecko will feel comfortable moving all around his new home and not feel

vulnerable and exposed.

The under the tank heating pad should be placed under one end of the enclosure. Be sure that it

covers approximately 1/3rd of the total surface area of the tank. This side of the vivarium will be

called the "hot" side. You will want to place the water dish on the cool side.

I recommend newspaper because I am lazy and it is very cheap. You will not only save money

this way, but it is safer especially if you are feeding your tokay gecko inside of the enclosure.Other substrates (sand in particular among others) can accidentally be swallowed. This blocks

the digestive tract and causes what is known as impaction. Many reptile owners tragically lose

their pets this way every year. The newspaper should be changed at least once weekly.

You may opt to use aspen shavings, coconut fiber, or some other type of pet store available

moss. These are all acceptable substrates as they are not dusty, easily swallowed on accident, andretain humidity nicely, and are not smell strongly.

Here are some characteristics of substrates you should avoid

Dusty

Too Fine or Small In Grain (Sand)

Strong Odor (Can Cause Respiratory Distress)

Sharp Edged (This Seems Obvious, but no Rocky Substrate)


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Lastly, you will need to fully clean out the whole enclosure every few months. A 25+ parts waterand bleach solution seems to do the trick. Just make sure to rinse well with water afterwards!

Tokay Gecko Care : Heating, Lighting, and Humidity

Tokay geckos are primarily nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. They will not require

special lighting of any kind such as full spectrum UVA / UVB lights. It probably wouldn't hurt to have it

during the daytime, but there is little evidence suggesting it would help. For our purposes an under the

tank heating pad covering 1/3rd of the total floor surface area will be more than sufficient.

Please stay away from heat rocks as they have a terrible reputation for concentrating heat when they

malfunction. I have personally had a lizard badly injured because of this.

Ideally the temperature should range from around 75-87 degrees Fahrenheit during the day,dropping to approximately 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit at night. These temperatures should easilybe attainable using only an under the tank heater. If you are having trouble maintaining a high

enough temperature a ceramic heater may help.

You should try to keep the humidity fairly high. It is recommended that you give the enclosure a

good misting in the morning and evening. This typically is enough to get the job done, but if

your gecko is experiencing bad sheds you may want to create a humidity hide.

A humidity hide is simply a hiding spot that has a bedding of vermiculite or some other store

bought moss. Mist the humidity hide daily and it should provide enough moisture to facilitatehealthy tokay gecko shedding.

Tokay Gecko Care : Feeding

Your tokay geckos should thrive on on a diet of wax worms, meal worms, and crickets. Wax worms tend

to be a little too fatty, so use them sparingly as a treat. You will want to dust the food items with a

reptile multivitamin powder. The vitamins will lessen the chance of Metabolic Bone Disease, which is


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fairly common. Every respectable pet store carries multivitamins so it should be a readily available

commodity.

To make sure all the food goes in and out without any type intestinal blockage it is a great idea toonly offer food that is no larger than the width of your gecko's head. Also make sure to feed the

crickets a nutritious cricket feed 24 hours or so prior to offering them to your tokays. I know itscliche, but you are what you eat! Lizards are no expection. :)

Hatchlings will need to be fed 1-2 times daily, and juveniles should be offered food once a day.

You will only need to feed adults around 5 times a week. Some people like to offer their adults apinkie mouse monthly as a special treat, but I personally don't do this. It doesn't bother me to

feed mice. I just don't see how it could benefit their health.

Proper tokay gecko care requires that you remove any crickets that have not been eaten after 10minutes or so. They can stress your lizard out if he is not hungry by crawling all over him. A lot

of people don't know that crickets bite. They will try to nibble little chunks out of your reptiles!

Tokay Gecko Care : Sexing

Adult tokay geckos are fairly easy to sex. You should see a prominent V-shaped row of pre-anal pores

just above the cloaca (you know, where the poop comes out of). You will also see what is called a

hemipenal buldge. It is just how it sounds. There will be a bulge just above the cloaca as well.

You may notice that females also have the V-shaped pre-anal pores, but they are much lessdefined. I guess I should have said that sexing is easy once you have positively identified both a

male and a female for the first time. After that it's really simple.

Thank you for reading my tokay gecko care article! Goodluck! :)


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The Tokay (Gekko Gecko) is a lizard from the family geckos (Gekkonidae) .

The Tokay gets it's name for it's loud, recognizable "To-kay!" calling sound. In it's native habitat

this sound can be heard from great distances and is mainly produced by males trying to attract

females or as a warning to other male tokays that they are within another's established territory.Female Tokays are also capable of making the same calling sound but are generally quieter and

less likely to call as often as the males. Tokays can also produce a range of clicks, barks and

squeaking sounds and are widely recognized as the most vocal of all the geckos. They also have

a distinctive "gaping" characteristic in which they open their mouths wide and puff themselvesup in a defensive display if they feel threatened. Their life span around 6-10 years in the wild but

can be anything up to 20+ years in captivity. Males are around 30-40cm in length, females are

20-28cm. A healthy weight can range between 150-300g dependent on age and sex. The Tokaywas the first gecko to be scientifically named by Linnaeus in 1758. Their closest relative is the

Palm gecko (Gekko Vittatus).


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Habitat

Tokay geckos are an arboreal species (tree-dwelling and cliff-dwelling) found mainly in

rainforests, but in many parts of their natural range they are common in houses and urban areas.The Tokay originates from southeast Asia and is commonly found in Thailand, Indonesia,Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Japan. In recent years it has been found that there are established

wild populations in various other locations across the world including the US and Hawaii. This is

due to the fact that they frequently travel with imported plants or in luggage and also due tocaptive animals escaping or being released by their owners. In their native regions Tokays are

often considered welcome house guests as they eat pest insects and act as good vermin control.

They are also seen as harbingers of good luck in many Asian cultures and to have a Tokay inyour house is a sign of a happy home, They can often be found on walls and ceilings and

commonly around lamps and other sources of light that attract insects at night.

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Appearance

Tokays are a robust, colorful gecko with grey/blue body and red/orange and white spots. Their

red tongue and black throat is displayed during their aggressive/defensive gape display. Maleshave noticeable rows of pre-anal pores that exude yellowish waxy substance. The ears appear as

small holes on both sides of the head. It is possible to see straight through the head of thesegeckoes through their ears. Tokay Geckos have a hearing range from about 300 Hertz to 10,000

Hertz. The Tokay is the second largest living gecko with only the New Caledonian Giant Gecko

(Rhacodactylus Leachianus) being bigger. The average male Tokay can grow to around 30-40cmin length from tip of the snout to tip of the tail, however larger specimens are not unheard of.

Females are generally smaller than the males in both length and weight. They have long, thick

tails that they use as a fat reserve. Tokays have the ability to drop their tails (autonomy) if

grabbed or trapped or if they are overly frightened or threatened. This then acts as a distractionwhile the gecko makes it's escape. Tokays do have the ability to re-grow their tails but they

generally never look quite as natural as the original. They have soft, granular skin that feelsvelvety to the touch. The coloration of a Tokay Gecko is very important to its lifestyle. Indaylight hours the skin is usually gray with several brownish-red to bright red spots and flecks

but it has the ability to lighten or darken the coloring of its skin in order to blend in or to be less

noticeable to other animals. Tokays, as with most nocturnal geckos, tend to become more vibrant

in color at night and most will lighten to a powder blue color with their spots becoming morenoticeable. They have large feet with full, round toes. The bottoms of their toes are covered in

lamellae (a series of minuscule hairs) that enable them to grip or "stick" to most surfaces,

including glass. The gecko is able to remove its toes from surfaces by lifting them though an

angle of thirty degrees. By lifting it's toes in this way it is still able to move across surfacesnormally. They have large round eyes, usually yellow/orange/golden in color with vertical slit-

like pupils, which provides them with excellent night vision. Tokays, like a variety of othergeckos, do not have eyelids (some of the more primitive geckos like the Leopard Gecko do) andkeep their eyes clean and healthy by licking them. Their head is large with powerful, muscular

jaws and they are capable of delivering a powerful bite if threatened. They have been known to

lock on when biting and not let go for several minutes or even hours. They have folds of skin thatprevent the animal from casting a shadow while resting on a tree. They open up the skin foldcompletely and this allows them to blend in with the tree bark.

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BehaviorTokays are not considered the easiest terrarium lizard to keep due to their naturally defensive

nature and may not be suitable for everyone, especially young children or people who wish to

have a reptile that they can handle regularly. Their well-known reputation as one of the most
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aggressive/defensive lizards is well founded and they can bite if not treated with proper respect.

They are generally not easy geckos to handle. Hand tame Tokays are not an impossibility but itwill take time, patience and dedication to achieve and if you wish to buy young hand tame

Tokays then expect to pay a higher price. If you find a breeder who can supply hand-tame

Tokays take into account that it has taken, and will continue to take, a lot of attention and time to

keep them this way and if handling is not kept regular they are likely to fall back into theirnatural defensive habits. If a Tokay bites they can and will latch on and wont want to let go

quickly. If you wish to tame them it is best to train them while they are a juvenile as adults will

be well set in their ways and harder to tame down, it will take time and patience so be prepared.If you really want a gecko that is tame and docile then you should probably look for another

type. However Tokays are an amazing display gecko and one of the most stunning to look at. If

you are happy with a stunning gecko that you wish to enjoy without handling then you cant getmuch better than a Tokay gecko! They are nocturnal and will generally hide away behind bark or

foliage during the day and venture out around dusk to begin hunting. However it is not

uncommon to see them out basking in a warm spot during the day. They are skittish by nature

and very fast movers when they need to be, they are also capable of jumping short distances.

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MorphsJust like so many reptiles today the Tokay is increasingly becoming available in several different

morphs. For example albino, leucistic (yellow with white) and even with just white spots. A lot

of breeders are now trying to selectively breed new morphs. New and rarer Tokay morphs cancommand some very high prices (sometimes running into thousands of pounds/dollars/euros!)

Photographs featured below are from websitewww.crystalpalacereptiles.com.

blackspot blue head green brons calico calico leucistic
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melanistic orange penguin yellow yellowspot anery

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Buying a Tokay

If you are thinking of buying a Tokay gecko there are a few things to consider. Tokays are oftensold as either wild caught (WC) or captive born/bred (CB). Wild caught animals are exactly that,

caught straight from the wild, and imported. They are quite often underweight, stressed and

riddled with parasites but are generally very cheap to buy. Wild caught animals will need fecal

tests for parasites and can have difficulty adjusting to living in captivity, sometimes refusing tofeed. Although cheap to buy initially you should be prepared to pay for fecal tests and any

treatments they may require as a result, some wild caught animals simply do not adjust to

captivity and dont survive, however many wild caught Tokays do make great improvement andcan make excellent pets when given the proper care. The signs a gecko might be wild caught are

underweight and skinny animals, dark skin color, noticeable ticks or mites on the skin and

sunken eyes. These animals can make a recovery and become happy and healthy geckos but will

take time and proper care to do so. The alternative is to buy a captive born/bred animal from abreeder. This will rule out nearly all the problems of a WC animal but you will likely have to pay

a higher price. Buying from a good breeder also gives you a valuable source of information and

advice and does not encourage the capture of further wild animals for the pet trade, unfortunatelyCB Tokays are not as readily available as WC animals but are becoming more and more

common. Once you have bought your Tokay you should give them at least 24 hours alone in

their new home without disturbance so that they can adjust to their new surroundings. Provide

fresh water either by spraying or with a water dish. Many people say that geckos dont drinkfrom bowls but some have been known to venture down and drink from them.

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Housing
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When selecting housing for your Tokay there a few things to consider. Tokays are tree and wall

dwellers (arboreal) and therefore need different conditions to ground dwelling (terrestrial)geckos such as Leopard geckos. Tokays require an enclosure that is higher than it is wide as they

spend nearly all their time climbing and resting up off the ground. A minimum dimension for

two Tokays is 50x50x100cm (WxDxH). These are large, active geckos and need as much space

as you are able to provide, too much space is always better than not enough! Be careful to selecta proper reptile terrarium rather than an all-glass aquarium, as these dont provide adequate

ventilation without being modified. Tokays are escape artists and have been know to pop lids and

doors off enclosures if they arent secured correctly so be aware to close all doors and lidsproperly. Generally the best type of enclosure is a vertically orientated glass terrarium with

opening or sliding front doors that provide good access but, again, always be sure they arent

able to nudge or slide the doors open, keep them secure. Avoid using Flexariums or full meshenclosures as these can damage the geckos feet and dont hold enough heat and humidity for thistype of gecko.

Substrate

Now you have yourself a good enclosure you will need to provide a good substrate. The best

type of substrate to use is one that holds moisture well and can provide the necessary levels ofhumidity that Tokays require. Eco-earth, cypress mulch, untreated peat/earth or coco fiber would

be good examples and you can buy these from most good reptile stores. If you wish to provide an

alternative for easy cleaning or monitoring of the geckos feeding/excretion then tissue paper or

newspaper can be used but it doesnt hold moisture as well as the other options and generallydoesnt look as naturally attractive. If you wish to have a naturalistic setup then the live plants

will need a good soil substrate to grow and survive but if you would prefer a cleaner, lowermaintenance setup then you can use tissue or paper as an alternative and fake vines and plants

instead. Avoid using sand, gravel, straw or stones as these do not hold moisture well enough and

if ingested by your gecko can cause impaction (blocking of the digestive system) which can be

potentially fatal if untreated.

Furnishing & DecorationYou can setup your tank in a variety of ways for your Tokay, either a simple and clean setup or a

more natural, ornate look. Either is fine for a Tokay as long as it fulfills its basic needs andrequirements. You should provide plenty of hiding and climbing materials such as grape wood,

driftwood, bamboo or treated branches and vines. A selection of fake plants and vines are readily

available from reptile dealers and can provide a natural look as well as being easy to remove and

clean. These will all provide suitable hiding and climbing spots and Tokays will love hidingbehind a sheet of bark or in a bamboo tube during the day. A naturalistic tank will require a little

more maintenance but will provide a great display piece as well as a natural home for your

Tokay. Terrarium backgrounds are not essential but can provide more climbing material and a

more natural look. Many modern specialized reptile terrariums come with these fitted as standardbut can be removed if you wish .You can use a ready-made background of cork or stone that are

readily available from reptile shops or alternatively you could design and build you own. If

designing a natural terrarium take into account that Tokays are a very large and active gecko andsmall, delicate plants will likely be damaged, Tokays will require strong, sturdy and hardy plants

on which to hide, climb and sit.


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Water, Humidity and HeatingThe Tokay is a nocturnal animal and for this reason is not dependent on UV (Ultraviolet) light.UVA or UVB lamps are therefore not essential in a Tokay terrarium, however if you decide on a

natural terrarium with live plants these will need some levels of UV in order to grow and thrive.

By day Tokays need a temperature of 26-30C and at night between 18-22C, this can be provided

by a good quality heat lamp. The wattage of the bulb you use will be dependent on this size ofyour enclosure and also the ambient air temperature of wherever you live, if you live in a

naturally cold climate you will need a higher wattage bulb to get the correct temperatures. Thelamps should be on a regular day/night cycle, providing the Tokay with enough light and warmth

in the day but switching off at night to provide a natural period of darkness. The ambient

temperature of the average house should be enough for your Tokay at night but if your house

gets cold you could use a low wattage night-glow bulb or ceramic heat bulb to bump up thetemperature at night without adding too much light. Be aware of where you place your heat bulb

to avoid your gecko getting burned, you should put it in a position where the gecko cannot come

into immediate contact with the bulb, it should be adequately covered by a light guard if fitted

inside your enclosure. You should use a good quality digital thermometer to monitor your

temperatures in the terrarium. Reptiles, and therefore Tokays, control their body temperaturethrough their behavior via a method called thermo regulation. A Tokay will seek out the best

spot to raise or lower his temperature to a comfortable level. If hes too hot he will gosomewhere cooler and too cold he will likely find a good basking spot to warm up. Poor

temperatures can be the number one cause of stress and ill health for geckos and particularly

Tokays so purchase a good thermometer and ensure your temperatures are correct beforeintroducing a new Tokay to an enclosure. Humidity is also very important as Tokays come from

a naturally warm, tropical climate with high humidity levels. The humidity in the terrarium

should be between 50 and 75 per cent average, this can be achieved by placing a large water dish

in the enclosure, an automated fogger machine or simply by regularly misting with a waterbottle. You should invest in a good digital hygrometer to monitor the humidity levels inside the

tank. The moisture that accumulates on the glass, plants and leaves will allow the gecko to drinkby lapping up the water droplets. A water dish is also recommended to aid humidity and to givethe gecko a constant water source to drink from if it needs to. A good humidity level is needed to

help the gecko when shedding their skin, poor humidity can result in the gecko having difficulty

shedding.

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Feeding

In the wild Tokays feed on a wide range of insects including cockroaches, crickets and locusts

and these should be your staple diet for your Tokay gecko. Hatchling and juvenile Tokays have a

similar diet but feed on smaller prey items, as a general rule avoid feeding your tokay any fooditems that are bigger than the width of the Tokays head. Providing your Tokay with a good,


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varied diet is important to it's health and helps provide it with most of the necessary vitamins and

minerals it requires. You can find most of the mentioned feeding stock at any reptile store. Themost commonly used and most nutritious staple food item for Tokays are crickets, which come

in a range of sizes. Ensure that you feed the correct size prey items dependent on the age and size

of your Tokays. Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed small (around 1.5cm) to medium (around

3cm) sized crickets respectively whereas adults can handle large prey items such as the largestsize crickets and locusts (up to 5cms). Tokays will also eat a range of other invertebrates

including mealworms and morio worms, wax worms, butter worms and phoenix worms but these

should be used more as treats and variation than a regular diet. A vital part of feeding any reptileis providing additional vitamins and calcium by dusting your food items with the relevant

supplement powders. These can be obtained from any good reptile store and are absolutely

essential to your geckos health and wellbeing. Without a regular calcium and vitamin supplyyour geckos can suffer from week bones and joints (known as MBD or Metabolic Bone Disease),

poor immunity to other disease and infection and other serious health issues. If MBD develops

and is left untreated it can potentially be fatal so good supplementation is very important. As a

treat you can occasionally offer Tokays baby mice or pinkies. Most Tokays will readily take

these but you should provide them sparingly as they are extremely high in fat and too many canresult in overweight geckos! These are great as treats for underweight geckos that may need to

gain some weight or for breeding females who need a little extra to help with the bodilyrequirement of egg laying.

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Breeding.

Captive bred reptiles in general are always preferable and Tokays are steadily becoming moreand more common from specialist breeders. Tokays were, and still are, readily available in the

pet industry and as a result or often available for very cheap prices. Thanks to the Tokays bright

colors and attractive features they have always been seen as a cheap, popular gecko that have

been imported in huge numbers every year as wild caught animals from Asia and the far east.Because they have always been so cheap and easily available there has never been muchincentive for gecko breeders to produce captive bred Tokays but in recent years this has begun to

change. With the introduction of more new and exciting morphs captive bred Tokays are

becoming more commonly available. Captive bred animals generally sell for higher prices as

breeders have spent a great deal of time, money and resources into hatching and raising theseanimals and because they usually come in far better condition, less stressed and more accepting

of being handled than wild caught Tokays. The recent appearance of new Tokay morphs such ascalico, leucistic and albino have given reptile enthusiasts a chance to own new and exciting

geckos that arent commonly available elsewhere and increases the interest in captive breeding

of Tokays in general.


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Tokays are secretive geckos and witnessing the actual act of courtship and mating is generally a

rare sight. The male attracts females to his territory using his namesake calling sound. Once he isintroduced to a female he uses a swaying motion of the head and tail as well as other vocal

sounds to attempt to initiate mating. If the female is accepting she will allow the male to mount

her, usually by holding her by the back of the head and neck with his jaws. This can look quite

aggressive at first sight but is quite normal, its not uncommon to see minor scars and abrasionson the female after mating

Mating occurs by the male inserting the hemipenis (of which he has two) into the cloacae of the

female, this can last for several minutes. Usually after a couple of weeks or so after mating thefemale will find a suitable spot to lay her eggs, the average clutch contains 2 eggs glued together

but 3 eggs are not unheard of. Tokays lay around 4 clutches of eggs per year, usually with 2 eggs

per clutch. These are usually adhered or glued to a sturdy piece of bark, inside bamboo tubes

or plants or sometimes even against the glass of the terrarium. If this is the case you should notattempt to remove the eggs on their own, as they will break. If you can, remove the eggs along

with whatever they are attached to and move them to an incubator. Be sure to not move the eggs

too much and try to keep them the same way up as they were laid, rolling or turning the eggs can

potentially drown the embryo inside the egg. If it is not possible to move the eggs to anincubator, cover them with a deli/plastic cup with some ventilation holes in it and try to incubatethem naturally in the terrarium. The purpose of the cup is to help regulate humidity and to avoid

crickets damaging the eggs. The incubation time can be anything up to 120 days dependent ontemperature and conditions. You should aim to keep the eggs at a steady 30C, resting on

slightly damp vermiculite, you should attempt to keep the air humidity in the incubator around a

steady 60%. If everything is successful hatchlings should emerge anywhere between 2- 4months.

To breed your own Tokays you will obviously need at least one healthy male and female pair. A

single male can be housed with more than one female but there have been instances of fighting

amongst rival females and also regular eating of each others eggs. You do not really have to do

a great deal to initiate mating between a good pair of Tokays, you just need to provide a goodhousing environment and imitation of their natural breeding season conditions. Slightly

increasing temperatures, humidity, a greater variety of food items and longer daylight hours can

all help to encourage your Tokays to breed. If you notice evidence of breeding you shouldprepare for your female to lay eggs by providing a small dish or bottle cap of raw calcium

powder for the female to lick as she will need a good supply to ensure good health and strong

healthy eggs. Continue to dust food items as normal. Once the eggs are laid then you shouldprovide the female with a little extra food to get her strength and weight back up.

Once the hatchlings arrive you will need to house them separately in smaller identical setups to

the adults. Tokays are naturally aggressive and territorial towards other geckos and although they

generally do not attack or eat their own young, there have been instances of them doing it so its

best not to take the risk of keeping hatchlings and juveniles in with adults. Hatchlings are usuallyaround 5cm from snout to vent with a further 4cms for their tail (around 8- 10 cm total length).

They are black-gray in color with white spots and a banded black and white/gray tail. The adult

colors develop with age. After hatching from the egg wait for the hatchlings to have their firstshed (which they will eat) before attempting to give them any live food, this usually takes a day

or two but its not unusual for hatchling not to eat for up to a week. Once a regular feeding

pattern is established this is the ideal time to get a young Tokay used to being handled.


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Hatchlings have the natural Tokay aggressiveness straight from birth but by regular light

handling they can tame down relatively quickly compared to adults. Sexual maturity will bereached around 12 months of age. Males should be separated around 6 months of age or even

sooner if any signs of sibling aggression begin to occur. Males are extremely territorial and

sometimes a dominant male will bully a weaker sibling which can result in injury or, at worst,

death.

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Sexing

Once a Tokay reaches maturity it is relatively easy to distinguish between males and females.The males have small swellings at the base of the tale which hides the hemipenes in a cavity

inside the body. Males are generally larger and heavier than females and have a bulkier, rounder

shaped head. The female tends to have a more angular head shape. Males have a line ofnoticeable pre-anal pores at the base of the tail; these are usually slightly raised and exude a

yellow waxy substance. Its not so easy to tell young or juvenile Tokays apart. This can be done

through a process called probing or popping. This involves pushing gently behind the cloacawhich, if done correctly, can reveal the hemipenes if the Tokay is a male. Be aware that this

should only be attempted by someone who has prior experience as this can be stressful for the

Tokay and potentially damaging if done incorrectly. Consult an experienced herpetologist,

breeder or reptile veterinarian if unsure.


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female

male

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Health & Diseases

Abscesses: start as small swellings, but become filled with pus. Can become infected ifleft untreated.

Mouth rot: Redness, bleeding, swelling or unusual discharge around the mouth. Swollen

head and rotting of the skin tissue around the jaw and mouth.

Skin disease/rashes/infection: Irritation, inflammation or bleeding around the inner thighs

or abdomen.

Diet Defects: Infertility, lethargy, loss of appetite, sunken and dull eyes.

MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease): Soft bones through lack of calcium. Drooping or

sagging jaw, weak limbs or dragging of legs, crooked limbs, back or tail. Generallethargy, poor color, convulsions.

Impaction: Caused by ingesting substrate or other foreign materials. Blocks digestivesystem, lack of appetite and rapid loss of weight, bloating or swelling around stomach

area. General lethargy and lack of stools. Usually fatal if untreated.

Respiratory Infection (RIs); Popping or clicking sounds when breathing, bubbles ormucus discharge around mouth and/or nostrils.
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Salmonellas: Acute appendicitis, blood poisoning and pneumonia.

External parasites: blood sucking parasites, ticks, and mites.

Internal parasites: Diarrhea, regurgitation of food, mucus or blood in the stool, weak and

lethargic, emaciation and mortality frequently seen if untreated.

Fungal infections: Cotton like substance growing down legs or around vents and mouth.

Should your Tokay begin to show signs of any of the above you should seek advice from aqualified reptile veterinarian who can provide professional advice regarding the best form of

treatment. Do not attempt to diagnose and treat ailments yourself if you are not fully sure of

what you are doing.

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Tips.

Wear gloves if necessary when handling as they do have a powerful bite.

If a Tokay bites and decides to latch on it can be a very long time before theydecide to let go. Place them back in the viv. and let them go, this may encourage

them to let go on their own. If this fails you may be able to gently and carefullyprize the jaws open but this should be done with caution to avoid harming your

gecko. A short and gentle submersion in water has also been know to work and

alternatively a drop of vinegar in the mouth can also encourage them to let go. If

it is just the glove they won't let go of place them back in the viv. with the glove,they will let it go when they are ready.

Be careful when handling not to damage the gecko's skin, geckos have soft skin

that can be easily damaged.

Don't grab or trap your geckos tail as they can drop them if they feel threatened

enough. Tokays do re-grow their tails but they will never look quite the same as

the originals

Be patient when trying to handle or tame a Tokay. They are not a gecko that likes

to be handled and take time, patience and respect before they will be fully used to

regular handling.

If you plan on housing your gecko in a natural vivarium setup be careful to use asuitable substrate. Some soils and earths contain perlite or fertilisers which are

great for plants but can cause illness or impaction for your geckos which can be
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potentially fatal. Use regular eco earth, coco fibre, moss or other suitable tropical

reptile substrate. Sand is not good for Tokays.

Use a razor blade to clean your terrarium glass.

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The best place to see a Tokay in the wild:Small sub-urban backpackers' hostels in south East Asia offer gecko-fans their

best chance to see a tokay, listen out for their distinctive call after sunset.

Tokay Gecko Care

Male Tokay gecko

Common Name

Tokay Gecko

Scientific NameGekko gecko

Wild Distribution

Tokay geckos have a wide range and are native to Northeast India, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, New

Guinea and the Philippines. The Tokay gecko has also been introduced as an invasive species to Belize,

Florida, Texas, Hawaii and some Caribbean islands.


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The natural habitat of this arboreal gecko is the trees and cliffs of the tropical rain forest. Theycan often be found dwelling in and around human settlements where they can find easy shelterand are often valued for their insect pest control.

Description

The Tokay gecko is the second largest gecko in the world. Adult males can reach 12-14" in total length.

Female Tokay geckos are slightly smaller averaging 8-10" long. An adult tokay gecko averages 5-7 ounces

in weight, but particularly large males may achieve weights closer to 11.5 ounces. Hatchling tokay

geckos start life at 3.5"-4" and reach breeding age in 9-12 months, but it may take up to 2 years for a

tokay gecko to reach is full adult size. Male tokay geckos are a blue-grey body color with spotting that

varies in color from redish-orange to whitish-yellow. Females tokays are a grey body color with the same

spotting and generally not as brightly colored as the males. Both sexes have the ability to lighten and

darken their skin to some degree to help them blend into their surroundings.

Lifespan

Wild Tokay geckos have an average lifespan of 7-10 years. In captivity, Tokay geckos can live up to 20years with proper care.

Feeding Tokay

Geckos

tokay gecko basking

Tokay geckos have voracious appetites and are aggressive eaters. Ideally, your tokay should be

fed small quantities frequently as opposed to an infrequent mass feeding. All live food itemsshould be "gut loaded" for 24 hours+ before feeding to your tokay gecko. Gut loading is just

feeding your crickets or other prey item with vitamin enriched foods, so that when your tokayeats them, they gain the additional nutritional benefits from the contents of the insects stomachs.

Live Food

Crickets - These should be the main diet of your tokay gecko. They are available in both smalland large sizes. Adult Tokay geckos can easily eat large crickets, some very young adolescent or

newly hatched tokays will probably require the smaller size or even pinhead crickets.


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Pinkie/Fuzzy Mice - An adult Tokay gecko can be fed "pinkie" mice occasionally to supplementtheir diet. Don't try to feed too large a prey item to your Tokay.

Meal Worms and Wax Worms - These items are not very nutritious and should not be used as amainstay to feed your Tokay gecko. They are fine to use as part of a varied diet, however.

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

Powdered supplements are the most commonly used and typically come in separate containers:vitamins and calcium supplement. They are then used to "dust" food items just prior to feeding

for maximum nutritional value.

Water

There are a number of ways to provide drinking water for your Tokay gecko.

Water Bowl - A large shallow bowl provides a constant supply of clean drinking water for yourTokay. This bowl should be cleaned and refilled daily.

Misting - this can be done about 2x daily to maintain humidity, and the geckos may lick thewater droplets off the glass and other surfaces (so keep your tank clean). Most Tokay geckos will

learn to drink from a water dish, but newly acquired tokays may need multiple options to ensure

they drink enough water until acclimated.

Drips - Items can be placed on the screen top and allowed to drip into the terrarium. A cup witha small hole in the bottom will work.

Last Updated on Su

Housing TokayGeckos


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Enclosure

A glass aquarium or terrarium from your local pet shop will be adequate to house your Tokaygecko with a screened top for ventilation. A single Tokay can be kept in a standard 20 gallon

tall/High aquarium (24" L x 12" W x 16" H), but a larger tank is recommended. When choosinga tank, height is more important than length for these arboreal geckos. Do not use terrariums with

screened sides as these may damage the tokays delicate toes.

One male and several females can be housed together in larger tanks. Male Tokay geckos are

very territorial and will fight so do not try to keep multiple males together.

Heating and Lighting

Daytime temperatures should be maintained between 78-86 degrees with nighttime drop of 10degrees. Tokay geckos are nocturnal, therefore an expensive UVB bulb is not necessary. A

standard incandescent bulb will provide sufficient heat and lighting for your Tokay gecko. Use agood quality heat lamp with a ceramic socket, put on a timer. Planted terrariums may requirebetter quality lighting to thrive, such as T5 fluorescent strip lights. This would also allow you to

use a ceramic heat emitter in place of the incandescent bulb. Ceramic heat emitter give off no

light, just heat, so they can be run at night to maintain proper temperatures even in colder

climates. Place your heat lamp in such a way as to provide a range of temperatures in your tank,your tokays will self regulate their body temperature and move to where they are comfortable.

Substrate and Landscaping

The best substrate to use is the ground coconut fiber material. It is purchased in dried,

compressed bricks from your local pet store. Add some warm water to it and wait...it will expandas it absorbs the water. This material is non toxic, the small particles will not choke your gecko

or cause impactions if swallowed and it holds moisture to maintain the high humidity your gecko

needs.

Cork bark tubes of appropriate size can be used for decoration as well as climbing and basking

areas. The hollow cork tubes also provide safe hiding places for the sometimes seclusive tokaygecko to retreat.

Humidity Levels

Tokay geckos natural habitat is tropical rainforests with high humidity. In captivity, you shouldtry to maintain a relative humidity of 40-80%. This can be acheived and maintained by keepingthe substrate moistened (but not wet), daily misting, and the use of a large shallow water dish.

Potted plants may also help maintain desired humidy levels in your terrarium.

Do not let humidity levels drop below 40%. Failure to maintain proper humidity levels can lead

to health problems for your tokay gecko, primarily incomplete sheds. Incomplete shedding isespecially dangerous to the tokay geckos delicate footpads and can result in an inability to cling


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to surfaces and even lead to infections or other damage to their toes.

Plants

Pothos - (Epipremnum aurem) This is a commonly available beginner houseplant that comes in 3main color varieties: golden, variegated and Jade. Pothos plants prefer bright indirect light, butcan tolerate lower light conditions. Water when top inch of soil gets dry, usually about once a

week. Pothos is a low growing vining plant. Periodically prune the vines back to maintain desired

size or shape. Pothos can be easily propagated by rooting cuttings in water.

Snake Plant - (Sansevieria sp.) Another hardy plant that grows clumps of vertical sword-likeleaves. Snake plants prefer moderate to bright light and watering every 7-10 days, but do not

over water. Sansevieria likes to be pot bound and can be propagated by separating leaf clumps

from the base or from cuttings.

Maintenance

In order to maintain an attractive and healthy environment for your Tokay gecko, a regularcleaning regiment needs to be performed.

Daily spot cleanings to collect feces from the walls and substrate. Daily cleaning and refilling of the water dish. Daily misting of terrarium to maintain humidity levels of 40-80%. Replace the substrate every 3 months or sooner, as needed. Cork bark tubes or other decorations that have become soiled can be removed from the

terrarium and sprayed with a mild bleach solution (5% bleach). Rinse them under water until

you can no longer smell any bleach residue and allow to dry before reintroducing to the tank.

Breeding Tokay Geckos


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Sexing

Identifying the sex of Tokay geckos is fairly easy. Male tokays tend to be larger, thicker and have wider,

more angular heads than females. Male Tokay geckos typically have brighter gray and blue base colors

while females tend to be darker gray and brown base colors.

The most definitive way of sexing them is to check underneath between their rear legs and justabove the vent for a line of pores. Adult male tokays have a very pronounced series of pores that

form a somewhat V-shaped line or ridge that may have tiny, waxy protrusions. It should be very

noticeable in mature males. Female tokay geckos also have these pores, but they are not as

pronounced or obvious.

Never try to keep more than one male tokay per enclosure. Tokay geckos are very territorial and

males will fight with each other resulting in injury or death. Several females may be kepttogether in larger tanks. Do not overcrowd. In the wild tokay geckos are very solitary and only

seek each other out during mating season. For this reason, some people choose to keep their

tokays separated except for a breeding season. If you notice any aggressive behavior betweentank mates, separate them.

Mating

Tokay geckos should breed with little or no encouragement, if they are in good health. In thewild, tokay geckos breeding season begins in spring and last several months. This breeding

season is marked by increasing daylight hours and rains. In captivity, this can be reproduced by

increasing the humidity and lighting period by one or two hours. Feeding should be increased

and a dish of calcium supplement kept available in the enclosure. This will ensure the femaletokay gets sufficient calcium and food to lay healthy eggs.

Male tokays will often vocalize to attract a female with a loud booming bark. Other courtshipbehavior involves a lot of posturing and head bobbing. The male tokay gecko will then climb on

top of the female, often grasping her by the neck, and attempt to mate with her.

Egg Laying

Female tokay geckos lay clutch of 2 eggs at a time. The eggs are initially soft and the mother forms them

into their final shape with her rear feet as they harden. The eggs are adhered to a surface and cannot be

removed without damaging them. Female tokays will often continue to lay their eggs in the same spot

over and over. A single female may lay up to 3 or 4 clutches of eggs per year.

The eggs are glued to a surface and form a pure white, round domed shape measuringapproximately 3/4" in diameter. Sometimes the mother will later eat the eggs. This may be

because of a calcium shortage or perhaps the eggs were infertile.

Incubating Eggs

Eggs should be incubated on a vermiculite or other slightly moistened substrate. Maintain


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temperatures between 80 an 86 degree. Eggs should hatch in 90-120 days typically. Lowertemperature can result in longer incubation time, up to 200 days. Incubation temperatures are

also known to affect the sex of the hatchings. Higher incubation temperatures cause higher

percentages of male hatchlings.

Raising Young

Tokay geckos are 2-3" long when they emerge from their egg. The first thing they do is molt and

eat the old skin. They should be maintained in same, but seperate, conditions as adults. Feed

them the small size crickets until they are large enough for adult sized crickets. A general rule ofthumb is not feeding anything equal to, or larger, than the geckos head.

Handling Tokay GeckosTokay geckos DO NOT want to be handled. They are generally aggressive and will bite if

provoked. I do not believe you can ever "tame" a Tokay gecko completely. Some seem more

docile then others, but they are generally unpredictable and very likely to bite. You may have

better luck starting with a young captive bred Tokay gecko rather than trying to "tame" an adult,likely wild caught Tokay, from your local pet store. I do not recommend handling your Tokay

unless its necessary such as an examination or transferring to a new home.

Remove any tank decorations that may get in the way of you grabbing your tokay.

Grab your Tokay gecko on its backside, place your forefinger across its shoulder/neck area

pinning it down. The palm of your hand will grip the body, slip your thumb underneath, behind

the legs to under its head/jaws. Your thumb and forefinger should be positioned to control the

head (the dangerous part!) and be able to limit its motion. Be careful not to crush the front legs.NEVER grab your Tokay gecko by the tail. The tail will detach as a defense mechanism and

cause injury and stress to your gecko. Tokay geckos can eventually regrow their tails, but they

never look the same. Regrown tails are typically shorter and fatter and often do not quite matchin coloration. Original tails are much more attractive looking.

Tokay geckos are surprisingly muscular and can squirm a lot when held, be careful not tosqueeze too hard and injure your pet. You have to be confident when you grab them, and move

quickly. If you mess up a grab and have to make repeated attempts, your gecko will become

agitated, be darting around your tank and ready to bite.

Some people prefer to wear thin leather gloves when handling their tokays. I use my bare hands,

but sometimes use another method to initially grab them. When the Tokay is on an unobstructed

area of the glass, remove the top and throw a t-shirt over the side to cover the gecko. They willusually hold very still when this happens. You can see the Tokay gecko through the glass, but the

gecko cannot see your hand coming behind the t-shirt and you can get a perfect grab on 1st try.

Then transfer to a bare hand grip or directly to another tank. etc.

When you do get bitten, the Tokay may not want to let go initially or even start twisting. Cleanthe wound thoroughly to prevent infection. Tokay geckos can injure their jaws or teeth as well,


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so try to avoid getting bitten!

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Tokay Gecko