Key Takeaway:
- Tokay geckos are large, stout-bodied, nocturnal lizards found in tropical forests of Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia and Malaysia.
- They feed on insects, other lizards, and smaller vertebrates.
- Their skin coloration can change in response to environmental stimuli.
- They can live up to 20 years in captivity and require a large enclosure with a height that allows for tree-climbing, branches, and a place to hide.
- They are solitary and aggressive towards members of their own and other species.
- To maintain their health, the enclosure should be heated between 75 to 90 F during the day and 65 to 75 F at night, with a humidity level of 60 to 75 percent.
- They do not require UVB lighting, but a UVA/UVB light bulb is still recommended.
The Tokay gecko is a small arboreal lizard in Central and Southeast Asia. It belongs to the genus Gekko and is one of the largest gecko species.
Tokay geckos are generally nocturnal animals that feed on insects such as crickets, moths, and flies.
They also like eating other lizards such as skinks, anoles, and even other smaller vertebrates. Here’s the ultimate guide on how to take care of a tokay gecko.
Species Overview
Tokay Geckos have short, stout bodies and wide faces with large eyes.
The coloration of their skin is very important to their lifestyle: it can be gray or brownish-red with spots.
But they also possess the ability to lighten or darken this coloring in response to environmental stimuli.
Tokay geckos are warm-blooded animals that can live up to 20 years in captivity but have a much shorter lifespan in the wild due to the high density of their predators.
Habitat And Lifespan
How Long Do Tokay Geckos Live?
Tokay Geckos can live for up to 20 years in captivity if they have optimal conditions and proper care.
Their lifespan may be reduced by poor care or lack of nutrition if you don’t provide them with what they need.
What Kind of Habitat Do Tokay Geckos Live In?
Tokay geckos are found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia.
They prefer living high up on trees to avoid predators, though they also climb down to hunt for food.
They are commonly found in trees and walls of buildings. They can also be found in manmade structures such as houses, garages, barns, and sheds.
These lizards are usually seen during the night, but they may also be active during the day, especially when there is less light outside.
Tokay Gecko Behavior and Temperament
Due to their nocturnal habits, Tokay geckos are most active after dark. They can become quite tame if handled carefully.
The Tokay Gecko prefers to live alone. They will aggressively protect their territory against members of their own species as well as those of other species.
If they feel threatened, these geckos will bite viciously. There are also reports of some being aggressive towards humans or other animals.
Tokay Gecko Enclosure and Tank
Your first step is to decide on an enclosure size that fits your pet’s lifestyle.
To keep a gecko healthy, provide it with an enclosure that contains branches for climbing, a water bowl, and a place to hide.
As an arboreal species, Tokay geckos prefer to spend most of their time in trees.
Therefore, the height of an enclosure is one of the most important factors when choosing it for these lizards.
Tank Types
There are many different kinds of tanks used to house reptiles and amphibians. These include terrariums, vivariums, and paludariums
The difference between these terms comes from the needs of the animal you’re keeping.
A vivarium is an area enclosed and used to raise or keep living creatures. They are sometimes used for studying the behavior of animals and plants.
Terrariums are one subcategory of vivariums. They mimic the desert environment and can be used to grow plants.
Vivarium owners find them appealing because they allow for low-humidity growth conditions without sacrificing space or ease (as opposed to a greenhouse).
A paludarium is a combination of both, and it’s the best choice for many reptiles and amphibians.
A paludarium is a type of vivarium that offers a unique ecosystem for owners due to the selection of living creatures you can add.
A great comparison would be a swamp-like or forest ecosystem, except that it’s a mini one and enclosed inside a glass container! Paludariums are usually high in humidity.
When choosing an enclosure, one of the most important things to remember is that it should be as large as possible.
This will help ensure that your reptilian pet has plenty of room to move around and enjoy its enclosure without feeling cramped or stressed out by its surroundings.
Tank Size
If you’re going to be keeping just one gecko, then a 10-gallon tank will work perfectly fine; however, if multiple Tokays are planned, then a 20 or 30-gallon setup would be recommended.
Because it gives them more room for movement and allows for live plants to help maintain humidity levels that are high enough for good health (this is especially important during shedding season).
Heating
Geckos are native to tropical regions. Therefore, they should have an enclosure that mimics this habitat.
Maintain a temperature gradient of 75 to 90 F during the day and 65 to 75 F at night for your house, as gecko’s environmental needs need to be met.
While heat mats may be useful for supplemental heat, they will not provide enough warmth to raise the temperature of the air surrounding your terrarium.
Ceramic heaters and other under-the-tank heaters are also good options for increasing the tank temperature by roughly 10 degrees Fahrenheit without adding more light.
Light
Because geckos are nocturnal lizards, they do not need special UVB lighting to regulate their day-night cycle.
However, many experts feel that providing nocturnal animals with a source of UV rays can help them to remain healthy during their daytime sleep.
Therefore, using a UVA/UVB light bulb in the tank during daylight hours or at least part of each day is still recommended.
Humidity
The humidity in its enclosure should be about 60 to 75 percent relative to keeping a gecko healthy.
This can be achieved by misting your pet’s habitat every few days or placing it on an elevated water dish so that moisture evaporates into the air.
Substrate
Substrates like coconut husk and orchid bark are good choices for lining your gecko’s cage because they can hold onto moisture—and will not harm your pet if he swallows a small bit.
If you prefer not to use commercial products, you can use paper towels and newspapers as natural alternatives.
Housing The Tokay Gecko
The Tokay Gecko enclosure and tank are important to your pet’s habitat. It’s what they’ll live in, eat from, sleep in, and play with. The bigger, the better!
Tokay Gecko Diet
Diet In the Wild
Tokay geckos wait patiently for prey at night rather than actively seeking it out.
These lizards eat a wide variety of invertebrates, including locusts, grasshoppers, moths, and beetles (among others).
They may also feed on small mammals like rats and mice.
Diet In Captivity
Tokay Geckoes are insectivorous (eat insects). In captivity, you can feed your gecko crickets, meal worms , calci worms and wax worms.
For best results when offering these foods to your pet Tokay Gecko:
- Crickets should be about 1/4 inch long when purchased from the pet store (or slightly bigger if you buy them alive) so that they’re small enough for your little lizard friend to swallow whole without choking!
- Wax Worms are a good source of fat for lizards who need extra calories during the breeding season but don’t overfeed your pet with too many calories at once. Wax worms may even help reduce stress among territorial males since wax worms come out at night when most predators aren’t around!
Fruits And Vegetables
Although most geckos do not eat plants or vegetables, some species can be given fruit and a specially formulated diet to meet their nutritional needs.
As Tokay geckos are omnivorous, they can be fed fruits and vegetables.
A well-balanced fruit and vegetable diet for geckos can include one of the powdered diets from Exo Terra, Repashy, or ZooMed.
Gecko diets are available in many variations: the classic version, which is based on crickets.
Grubs n fruits—a variation of the classic with more vegetables added to it and mango variants that have been formulated specifically for feeding young specimens during their first year.
These diets can be given to your reptilian pet 3-4 times a week in addition to live food.
Bugs
Bugs, including crickets, roaches, moths, and beetles, make up the bulk of a wild Tokay gecko’s diet.
Meals in captivity typically consist of roaches and crickets. Tokay geckos in captivity benefit greatly from eating them because they are cheap, nutrient-rich, and nocturnal.
Those who keep Tokay geckos as pets should know that the insects used as food should be gut-loaded before being given to the reptiles.
Feeding Schedule
Feeding schedules will depend on the age and species of your gecko, but you can expect to feed them at least once a day.
Juvenile geckos should be fed every day, but adults can be fed once every other day.
Feed your gecko as much prey as it eagerly consumes in 10 minutes or less. Baby geckos (0-6 months) should be fed two to three times a day, and their diet should consist of extra-tiny to small feeder insects, supplemented with a very limited amount of commercial diet food.
Geckos prefer to drink from water droplets on leaves, but you can provide them with a shallow bowl of fresh water daily just in case they need it.
Healthy vs. Unhealthy Tokay Gecko
Tokay Gecko is a beautiful lizard, but it’s not always easy to tell if your Tokay is healthy.
If you’re just getting started with your Tokay Gecko, it’s important to recognize the signs of a healthy pet.
If you notice anything unusual about your lizard’s behavior or appearance, consult a veterinarian specializing in exotic pets as soon as possible.
The following are some common issues that could indicate something is wrong:
- Healthy Tokay Geckos have smooth, glossy skin with bright eyes and no discharge from their nostrils or mouth. They also have a strong appetite, good weight gain (or at least no weight loss), and regular bowel movements.
- Unhealthy Tokays can show signs such as dull or faded coloration; excess shedding; lethargy; frequent sneezing or coughing; excessive salivation; sunken eyes with cloudy corneas–and other symptoms depending on the cause of their illness!
- Lethargy or loss of appetite (a lack of appetite can be caused by stress)
- Swollen joints and legs (may be due to injury or infection)
- Abdominal swelling (could be an indication of internal parasites)
Handling Your Tokay Gecko
It is important to handle your Tokay Gecko with care and respect. Holding a gecko too tightly or grabbing it by the tail is likely to cause your pet to drop its tail.
When this happens you may be startled at first, but you should remain calm.
Many animals have a defense mechanism called autotomy, in which they can drop or shed body parts.
Gecko tails are designed to break off at the first sign of danger.
A gecko may lose its tail, but it will eventually grow a new one. However, the new tail often looks different from the original—it’s smaller and of a different color or pattern.
Tail-dropping is a natural part of the defense mechanism in lizards.
Growth Chart
Geckos grow slowly, so it’s important to keep track of their growth. Measure your gecko once a month so you can monitor its progress and make sure that it’s healthy.
To measure your gecko, use a ruler or measuring tape. Start by placing the end of the tape at one end of your gecko’s snout (or nose).
The growth rate of juvenile tokay geckos for the first 24 weeks is given below. NB: Snout vent length (SVL)
You can then use the data to see if your gecko is growing properly. If it’s not, try changing their diet or adding more calcium.
If you notice that your gecko is getting bigger than normal, this could be a sign of a calcium deficiency or obesity.
Talk to your veterinarian if you have questions about whether your gecko is growing properly.
FAQs
Are Tokay Geckos Easy to Care For?
Yes, Tokay Geckos are easy to care for if you have the right information.
They are not beginner pets though, and should only be considered by people who know what they are doing.
They require more time than most other reptiles because they need to eat every day.
You will need to spend some time with them to build up their trust and make sure that they feel safe around you so that they don’t hide when you come near them.
Are Tokay Geckos Aggressive?
Tokay Geckos are known to be more aggressive towards other Tokays than they are with other types of geckos.
Take action immediately if you notice any aggression in your pet Tokay Gecko!
Aggressive behavior can lead to severe injuries; if left unchecked it can only worsen over time without your intervention.
The most important thing is to ensure that there aren’t any health issues causing this behavior.
You should always consult an experienced reptile veterinarian before trying anything else.
How Does a Tokay Gecko Get Information About Its Environment?
A Tokay gecko’s primary sense is sight, with a well-developed visual system. They have vertical slit pupils that contract or expand to regulate light intake.
Their eyes are also very large compared to other lizards and they have excellent night vision as well as color discrimination.
Tokays can see in ultraviolet light (UV), which humans cannot see. This helps them find prey at night when it’s dark outside.
Their sense of taste isn’t very strong, so they mostly rely on their sense of smell when searching out food sources such as insects or crickets in order to eat them whole without chewing them first, as most other lizards do!
Summary
Tokay Geckos can live for up to 20 years in captivity if they have optimal conditions and proper care.
Its enclosure and tank are an important part of the pet’s habitat.
To keep a gecko healthy, provide it with an enclosure that contains branches for climbing, a water bowl, and a place to hide.
Tokay Geckos are native to tropical regions, so they should have an enclosure that mimics this habitat.
Maintain a temperature gradient of 75 to 90 F during the day and 65 to 75 F at night.
To keep a gecko healthy, the humidity in its enclosure should be about 60 to 75 percent relative.
Crickets are a good source of fat for lizards who need extra calories during the breeding season. Some species can be given fruit and a specially formulated diet to meet their nutritional needs.
Geckos prefer to drink from water droplets on leaves, but you can provide them with a shallow bowl of fresh water daily.
Holding a gecko too tightly or grabbing it by the tail is likely to cause your pet to drop its tail.
Gecko tails are designed to break off at the first sign of danger. A gecko may lose its tail, but it will eventually grow a new one.
Tokay Gecko’s primary sense is sight, with a well-developed visual system. They can see in ultraviolet light (UV), which humans cannot see.
Their aggressive behavior can lead to severe injuries if left unchecked.
And if you’re still not sure about getting a Tokay Gecko as a pet, we encourage you to do some research. They are fascinating creatures with a lot to offer.
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