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 and patterns 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, these geckos 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, and probably 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 10 gallon 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 if maintaining more than two adult animals. Heating and Lighting

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 can be 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 heating should 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 of lighting 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 while also adding to the naturalistic appearance of the terrarium. Tokay geckos like to hide during the day. Therefore ample hiding spots should be provided for them. 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. The lizards will drink the droplets that form, and the runoff will further aid in raising humidity levels. Nutrition

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 be staples 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 than every 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 D3 supplement. 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 with extreme 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 those lizards 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 how they 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

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 and ensure 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, and retain 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)

Lastly, you will need to fully clean out the whole enclosure every few months. A 25+ parts water and 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 easily be 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 facilitate healthy 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

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 to only 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 its cliche, 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 a pinkie 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 10 minutes 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 less defined. 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! :)

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).

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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 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. Back to top

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. 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 slitlike 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. Back to top

Behavior
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 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 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. Back to top

Morphs
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 .

blackspot

blue head green brons

calico

calico

leucistic

melanistic

orange

penguin

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yellowspot

anery

Buying a Tokay
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 dont 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 dont drink from bowls but some have been known to venture down and drink from them. Back to top

Housing

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 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 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 arent 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 dont 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 doesnt hold moisture as well as the other options and generally doesnt 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 & Decoration

You 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 Heating

The 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 hes 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. Back to top

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 food items that are bigger than the width of the Tokays 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 geckos 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. Back to top

Breeding.
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 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 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 arent 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, its 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 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- 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 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 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 its 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 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.

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.

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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 of noticeable 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 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.

female

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Health & Diseases

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 (RIs); 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. Back to top

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 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. Back to top

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 Name Gekko 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.

The natural habitat of this arboreal gecko is the trees and cliffs of the tropical rain forest. They can often be found dwelling in and around human settlements where they can find easy shelter and 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 20 years 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 items should 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 tokay eats 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 small and 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.

Pinkie/Fuzzy Mice - An adult Tokay gecko can be fed "pinkie" mice occasionally to supplement their 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 a mainstay 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 your Tokay. This bowl should be cleaned and refilled daily. Misting - this can be done about 2x daily to maintain humidity, and the geckos may lick the water 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 with a small hole in the bottom will work.

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Housing Tokay Geckos

Enclosure

A glass aquarium or terrarium from your local pet shop will be adequate to house your Tokay gecko 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 choosing a 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 10 degrees. 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 a good quality heat lamp with a ceramic socket, put on a timer. Planted terrariums may require better 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 expand as 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 tokay gecko to retreat.
Humidity Levels

Tokay geckos natural habitat is tropical rainforests with high humidity. In captivity, you should try to maintain a relative humidity of 40-80%. This can be acheived and maintained by keeping the 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 is especially dangerous to the tokay geckos delicate footpads and can result in an inability to cling

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 3 main color varieties: golden, variegated and Jade. Pothos plants prefer bright indirect light, but can 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-like leaves. 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 regular cleaning 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

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 just above 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 kept together 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 between tank mates, separate them.
Mating

Tokay geckos should breed with little or no encouragement, if they are in good health. In the wild, 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 female tokay gets sufficient calcium and food to lay healthy eggs. Male tokays will often vocalize to attract a female with a loud booming bark. Other courtship behavior 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 measuring approximately 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

temperatures between 80 an 86 degree. Eggs should hatch in 90-120 days typically. Lower temperature 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 of thumb is not feeding anything equal to, or larger, than the geckos head.

Handling Tokay Geckos

Tokay 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 match in coloration. Original tails are much more attractive looking. Tokay geckos are surprisingly muscular and can squirm a lot when held, be careful not to squeeze 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 will usually 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. Clean the wound thoroughly to prevent infection. Tokay geckos can injure their jaws or teeth as well,

so try to avoid getting bitten!