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Welcome to the only dedicated Tokay Gecko site there is! On this site you will find everything you need to know about the Tokay Gecko. On the left you will find links to relevant topics.
In recent
years geckos have become increasingly popular in the reptile keeping
community. Geckos are a large and varied group of lizards that includes
over 300 subspecies worldwide. There are a variety of land based geckos
(terrestrial) and tree dwelling (arboreal) geckos. Geckos come in a huge
range of colors and patterns (also sometimes known as "morphs") some
very bright and vibrant and others far more subtle. This site is
dedicated to the gecko that i feel is the most spectacular of all the
gecko species; Gecko Gekko or the Tokay Gecko .
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 themselves up 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 Tokay was the first gecko to be scientifically named by Linnaeus in 1758. Their closest relative is the Palm gecko (Gekko Vittatus).
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 to captive 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 in your 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.
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. Males have 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 these geckoes 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 30-40cm in 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 distraction while 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 feels velvety to the touch. The coloration of a Tokay Gecko is very important to its lifestyle. In daylight 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 more noticeable. 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 surfaces normally. 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 other geckos, do not have eyelids (some of the more primitive geckos like the Leopard Gecko do) and keep 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 that prevent the animal from casting a shadow while resting on a tree. They open up the skin fold completely and this allows them to blend in with the tree bark.
Tokays 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 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 it will 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 their natural defensive habits. If a Tokay bites they can and will latch on and won’t 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 can’t get much 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.
Just 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 can command some very high prices (sometimes running into thousands of pounds/dollars/euros!) Photographs featured below are from website www.crystalpalacereptiles.com .
If you are thinking of buying a Tokay gecko there are a few things to consider. Tokays are often sold 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 to feed. 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 don’t survive, however many wild caught Tokays do make great improvement and can 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 a breeder. 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, unfortunately CB 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 don’t drink from bowls but some have been known to venture down and drink from them. 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 select a proper reptile terrarium rather than an all-glass aquarium, as these don’t provide adequate ventilation without being modified. Tokays are escape artists and have been know to pop lids and doors off enclosures if they aren’t secured correctly so be aware to close all doors and lids properly. 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 aren’t able to nudge or slide the doors open, keep them secure. Avoid using Flexariums or full mesh enclosures as these can damage the geckos feet and don’t hold enough heat and humidity for this type 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 of humidity 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 doesn’t hold moisture as well as the other options and generally doesn’t 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, lower maintenance 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 and requirements. 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 hiding behind 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 standard but 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 and small, delicate plants will likely be damaged, Tokays will require strong, sturdy and hardy plants on which to hide, climb and sit.
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 of your 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. The lamps 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 the temperature 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 temperature through 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 he’s too hot he will go somewhere 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 before introducing 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 water bottle. 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 drink by lapping up the water droplets. A water dish is also recommended to aid humidity and to give the 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.
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 food items that are bigger than the width of the Tokay’s head. Providing your Tokay with a good, 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. The most 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 largest size 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 reptile is 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 gecko’s health and wellbeing. Without a regular calcium and vitamin supply your 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 can result 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 bodily requirement of egg laying.
Captive bred reptiles in general are always preferable and Tokays are steadily becoming more and 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 Tokay’s 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 much incentive 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 these animals 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 as calico, leucistic and albino have given reptile enthusiasts a chance to own new and exciting geckos that aren’t commonly available elsewhere and increases the interest in captive breeding of Tokays in general. 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 is introduced 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, it’s not uncommon to see minor scars and abrasions on 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 the female 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 not attempt 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 an incubator, cover them with a deli/plastic cup with some ventilation holes in it and try to incubate them 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 on temperature and conditions. You should aim to keep the eggs at a steady 30°C, 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- 4 months. 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 other’s 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 good housing 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 should prepare 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 should provide 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 it’s best not to take the risk of keeping hatchlings and juveniles in with adults. Hatchlings are usually around 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 first shed (which they will eat) before attempting to give them any live food, this usually takes a day or two but it’s 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. 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 be reached 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.
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 of noticeable pre-anal pores at the base of the tail; these are usually slightly raised and exude a yellow waxy substance. It’s 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 cloaca which, 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.
· Abscesses: start as small swellings, but become filled with pus. Can become infected if left 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. General lethargy, poor color, convulsions. · Impaction: Caused by ingesting substrate or other foreign materials. Blocks digestive system, 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 (RI’s); Popping or clicking sounds when breathing, bubbles or mucus discharge around mouth and/or nostrils. · 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 a qualified 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. · 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 they decide 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 carefully prize 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 a suitable 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 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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