Tokay Gecko

Conservation Status:
Stable

Description:
Tokay Geckos are one of the largest geckos, with males reaching lengths of 12-14 inches.  Females are usually 8-10 inches long.  Their color is usually blue-gray sprinkled with red dots.  Each individual keeps the same basic coloring, but can lighten or darken it.  Their scales do not overlap, so they feel smoother than most other lizards.  They have large, yellow eyes without eyelids.  The scales of their feet act like suction cups, allowing them to climb almost any surface.

Range:
Tokay Geckos are native to southern Asia.  They have been introduced to Hawaii and some Caribbean islands.

Habitat:
Usually in trees near homes or in cultivated areas

Diet:
In the wild, they eat insects, small mice, and lizards.  In the zoo, our tokays eat crickets and pinkies (young mice, which have bright pink skin until their fur grows in).

Life Cycle:
Males begin calling in December, making a barking sound that sounds like "To-kay".  The calls are thought to be associated with mating.  Females lay 3-4 clutches per year, with 2 round white eggs in each clutch.  The female uses the toe pads of her back feet to shape the eggs, and the male may also help.  They place the eggs against a solid surface, and the eggs begin to stick to the surface as the shells harden.  Both adults may guard the eggs from predators, and the eggs hatch in 65-200 days.  The male sometimes protects the young after hatching.  They mature in one year, and can live up to 23 years in captivity.

Did You Know?

·        Tokay Geckos are common around homes, where they are welcomed because of their huge appetite for insect pests.  In many parts of their native range, they are thought to bring good luck, and a gecko's bark after the birth of a child is considered a good omen for the child.

·        In China and Vietnam, they are believed to cure respiratory conditions such as asthma and tuberculosis.

·        The scales on their feet have spatula-shaped "suction cups" that are small enough to stick to the tiniest irregularities, even in glass.  On rougher surfaces, such as tree bark, they use their toenails for climbing.

·       They use their long tongue to clean their eyes.

·       Their tail is used to store fat, and it will break off along a fracture plane when the gecko is threatened.  The wiggling of the discarded tail distracts the enemy, allowing the gecko to escape.  A new tail grows back in several months, but it is always smaller than the original tail.

·       Tokay Geckos are known as the tigers of the gecko world.  They are aggressive, territorial, and have a nasty bite that can break the skin.  They will bite even when handled frequently.

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