Tokay Gecko

Common Name: Tokay Gecko

Latin name: Gekko gekko
Native to: Northeastern India, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Indochina, southern China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Sulu Archipelago and eastern Indoaustralasian archipelago. They have also been introduced into other areas including southern Florida.

Size: Adults average 10 to 14 inches in length. Hatchlings are usually four inches in
length.

Life span: These geckos will live 7 to 10 years.

General appearance: This aggressive gecko has an attractive gray to blue body with
orange to red spots and flecks. The whole body is covered with small angular
scales with tubercular scales on the back of the gecko. The toes have large
undivided adhesive pads which they can climb almost any surface. The male is
distinguished from the female by an angular row of 10 to 24 pre-anal pores.
Tokay geckos have voices that bark, grunt and trill.

Housing requirements:

Enclosure: Tokay geckos can be kept singly in a 10 to 20-gallon aquarium. You
can house them in groups, however it is inadvisable to keep males together
as they will fight. You can keep up to six geckos in a 55-gallon aquarium.
When possible choose high tanks over long tanks. Screened enclosures are
not a good choice because of the geckos’ delicate foot structure.

Temperature: Tokay geckos should be kept in a relative cage temperature of 85°
to 90° F during the day with a 15° F drop during the night.

Heat/Light: A heat lamp may be used. As Tokay geckos are nocturnal, ultraviolet
lighting is not necessary but can be used for aesthetic purposes and
plant maintenance. Undertank heaters are rarely used by this gecko. A
photoperiod of 10 hours light and 14 hours darkness is adequate.

Substrate: Potting soil and sand mixture, orchid bark, coconut fiber or fir bark
can all be used as substrate.

Environment: Tokay geckos are from the tropical rainforest, but the can be
found at home within human habitations as well. Since they are a
rainforest species a relative humidity should be around 70% to 90% and
should not drop below 50%. The substrate listed above will help in
keeping the humidity in the desired range. Strong plants such as croton
and wax flower are recommended. The back wall of the terrarium can also
be lined with bark. Split branches, cork tubes and grape wood branches
can also be used.

Diet: Tokays are not squeamish and will eat a wide variety of insects. Crickets should be a staple and will be relished. Wax worms, wax moths, superworms, locusts and even pinky mice will be eaten. Food should be offered every other day. Dusting of
insects with a multipurpose reptile vitamin/mineral powder should be done at
least every third feeding.

Maintenance: Spot cleaning of the terrarium should be done as needed. A complete
breakdown of the terrarium and replacement of the substrate should be done every
three to four months. Humidity can be maintained by daily misting once in the
morning and once in the evening. These geckos stress with handling and should
be considered a “hands off” gecko. If captured they will bit strongly. As these
bites can be quite painful, it is best to wear strong gloves when handling is
necessary. As the vast majority of Tokay geckos are imported and very few are
captive bred, wild caught animals may be loaded with parasites. It is
recommended to have a veterinarian check for these parasites with a fecal
flotation exam.


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