The Tokay Gecko is a species of lizard that is native to parts South-East Asia. It is an arboreal lizard that is primarily active at night.
Tokay Gecko Taxonomy
The Tokay Gecko belongs to a family of lizards called Gekkonidae. This is a group of lizards that fall under the Infraorder Gekkota, meaning they are a sub-group of Geckos.
The Gekkonidae family of geckos are referred to as common geckos and they are the largest group of geckos in the world.
There are around 65 recognised genera and approximately 1,000 different species that fall under this family, making it one of the largest families of reptiles in the world.
Some of the other species in this family include the Madagascar Giant Day Gecko and the Gold Dust Day Gecko.
The genus that the Tokay Gecko belongs to is called Gekko. The species in this genus are often referred to as ‘True Geckos’ or ‘Calling Geckos’.
The species in this genus are native to South-East Asia. Some species have a very large geographical distribution while others only occupy small niche habitats.
The scientific name for the Tokay Gecko is Gekko gecko. There are currently two recognised sub-species of Tokay Gecko.
The nominate sub-species, Gekko gecko gecko can be found throughout much of South-East Asia. The other sub-species, Gekko gecko azhari is only found in Bangladesh.
Tokay Gecko Description
The Tokay Gecko is a large species of gecko that can grow to a total length of 12 inches including the tail. However, they can grow a little larger than that.
It is regarded as the third largest species of gecko in the world, after the Giant Leaf Tail Gecko and the New Caledonian Giant Gecko.
They typically have a grey or blueish colored body with bright spots that are usually red or orange in color.
In captivity, a wide variety of different color and pattern morphs are produced including albino, melanistic and piebald lizards.
They have many of the common ‘gecko characteristics’ such as a long body, semi-prehensile tail that makes up around half its length and a large triangular shaped head that is very pronounced from the neck.
The have short skinny legs with large toe-pads that help them climb. This is very common in arboreal geckos.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Tokay Gecko is native to South-East Asia where they can be found throughout most of the region. However, the sub-species Gekko gecko azhari is only found in Bangladesh.
This lizard can be found as far West as the Eastern portion of India in the West Bengal region. Their range extends through Bangladesh and Myanmar and into the heart of South-East Asia.
Here they can be found in countries such as Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
They can also be found in Singapore and throughout most of the Indonesian islands, with their range extending as far South as the island of Timor, where you can find the Timor Python and the Timor Monitor.
There is also a large population of Tokay Geckos that have been introduced into Hong Kong and they can be found throughout most of the Philippines.
They prefer to live in dense rainforests where the can be found high in the canopy or on the walls of steep cliffs.
Tokay Gecko as Pets
The Tokay Gecko has been around in the pet trade for many years. They are popular with some keepers due to their large size and stunning appearance.
However, while these lizards can thrive in captivity and are relatively easy to take care of, they are not recommended for beginners as they can be very aggressive and have a nasty bite.
Many of the Tokay Geckos that are sold as pets are wild caught adults that are notorious for being aggressive. However, captive bred babies that are handled regularly can become far more tolerable and less aggressive.
Tokay Gecko Housing
As the Tokay Gecko is an arboreal lizard, height is the most important aspect of their enclosure. You will need to ensure they have enough height to climb around their enclosure.
You should offer these lizards an enclosure that is at least 18″ x 18″ x 24″. However, even more height is preferred. A three-foot-tall enclosure would provide these lizards with plenty of space.
You will want to add plenty of climbing branches, rocks, vines and live or artificial plants. The more your gecko has to climb on the better. It will also help the lizard feel secure if the foliage is dense.
Substrate
As these lizards are often found in dense rainforests, you will want a substrate that can hold humidity well. Good options include Coco Fibre or a mixture of organic soil and sand.
Daily misting will help to keep the humidity levels high. However, it is important not to saturate the substrate. You don’t want stagnant water building up on the floor as this will create swampy conditions that are a breeding ground for bacteria.
Light and Heat
You will need to provide your Tokay Gecko with a thermal gradient inside their enclosure so that they can regulate their body temperature.
Overhead heat is preferred as these lizards will spend most of their time off the ground so they won’t benefit as much from an under-tank heat source.
You should aim for a hot spot at the top of the enclosure of around 100F. The temperature will decrease as the lizard descends further from the source of the heat.
The cool end, or bottom of the enclosure should be around 85F. This will allow the lizard to efficiently regulate its body temperature.
As the Tokay Gecko is a nocturnal species, you do not need to provide any special lighting such as UVB. However, you can have a UV light present if you wish.
These lizards should be subjected to an adequate day/night cycle so ensure that all lights are turned off at night.
Water and Humidity
A very shallow dish of fresh water is all you need to offer your Tokay Gecko. They may choose to drink, bathe or defecate in it so it is important to keep it clean.
These lizards will get most of their moisture requirements from drinking droplets off the cage furnishings after you mist the enclosure.
You will need to maintain humidity levels of 60-80% in your lizard’s enclosure. This can be achieved by misting the enclosure two or three times a day.
Tokay Gecko Diet
In the wild, the bulk of a Tokay Gecko diet is made up of insects and small lizards. However, they will thrive in captivity on an insect-based diet so you won’t need to feed your gecko other small lizards.
It is important to offer a varied diet to ensure your lizard gets as much nutrients as possible.
You can feed them things like Crickets, Mealworms, Super Worms, Roaches, Locusts, Snails and a variety of other insects.
You can also offer them the occasional mouse. Aim for a mouse that is no longer than the width of the lizard’s head. They can also be offered mashed fruit on occasion but some will refuse to eat it.
It is important to dust the prey with a vitamin and calcium supplement before feeding them to your lizard to increase the nutritional value of the food.
While mealworms are perfectly fine as part of a varied diet, avoid the bulk of their food coming from them as these insects have a very low nutritional value.
You can feed your Tokay Gecko as many insects as it will consume in a single feeding. This can be done every two to three days.
You can adjust your feeding schedule to suit your reptile. Monitoring their body mass will help you to judge how much they need to be fed.
Behaviour
The Tokay Gecko is renowned for being an aggressive lizard. Adding in the fact that they can inflict a nasty bite means these lizards aren’t suitable for beginner reptile keepers.
It is an arboreal species that will spend most of its time high in the canopies. It has adapted greatly to climbing with its ‘adhesive’ foot pads and semi-prehensile tail.
The Tokay Gecko is a very vocal lizard and you will often hear them calling once the lights go out. In fact, they get their common name from the sound their call makes, which sounds like ‘To-Kay’.