Tokay Gecko Care Sheet

It is three in the morning and you hear Geh-ko, Geh-ko. The sound you hear is the Tokay Gecko call. The call is used for territory claiming and mating. The Tokay Gecko is one of the most interesting, vocal, and beautiful of the geckos to husband. These lizards come from the tropical Southeast Asia. The Tokay Gecko can easily reach 12-14 inches. At an average, the Tokay cost is relatively cheap. The habitat and diet requirements are also for any level herper.

The following information is from what I have personally found to be effective when keeping Tokay Geckos. I have kept reptiles and exotics for over 12 years. I have husbanded everything from scorpions and spiders to blue-tongue skinks and giant leaf tailed geckos. The following information is for anyone wanting to know about Tokay Geckos and the proper care they need.

Before I start, I want to clarify that the following information is what I raise my Tokays by. There are too many websites with false information. I am going to be completely truthful and bold with my information.

Tokay Gecko Habitat: These animals are arboreal, meaning they like to hang out in trees, off the ground. The best type of tank for these guys is a tall tank. If you can still find the 20 gallon tall, this is perfect for keeping a single Tokay or a confirmed pair of Tokays. As with all my animals, I do not keep any of my reptiles in the same enclosure. I do not want to chance fights, bullying, food rationing, or territorial issues. Both of my Tokays are currently housed in two separate PVC pipe cages. The cages measure 2 feet tall by 1 foot wide by 1 foot deep. I have plastic garden mesh zip tied to the PVC pipe frame. Inside I have a piece of bamboo, artificial foliage, food bowl, water bowl, and newspaper substrate. The only types of substrate I recommend for these guys are newspaper or the reptile carpet you can buy at local pet stores. It is easy to clean or replace. Sand or coconut husk are just too messy for these guys. Besides, the only time I ever see my Tokays on the ground is to poop or eat. The artificial foliage creates good hiding spots for my Tokays. You can also use hollowed pieces of drift wood, grapevine or bamboo as well to give them a security blanket. Cages can be ordered at Reptile Apartments.

Tokay Gecko Lighting: I am ready for the criticism here, but this is how my Tokays are set-up. I do not have any lighting for these guys at all. No UVA/UVB is necessary considering these geckos are nocturnal and hide for almost all of the day. I do not have a nocturnal heat lamp and bulb either. My reptile room is kept at 75-80 degrees always. Therefore, I do not have any heating for them. If your room is cooler than this, I recommend getting a heat light that will give you this temperature gradient. You can also use an under the tank heating pad to achieve your temperature gradient as well. Just keep it around 75 so your Tokays can digest their food properly. Also, if your naturally temperature gradient is 75-80, do make sure the room still gets light. Light is important for the Tokay to regulate his day/night cycle.

Tokay Gecko Humidity: Tokay Geckos are one of the hardiest geckos if not lizard period. I have raised Tokays in high and low humidity. I find a daily misting suffices. I do have water bowls for my geckos, but I find they are real drop drinkers. I spray the cage well, covering everything with tiny water bubbles. Then, I watch my geckos lick the water off the cage décor and themselves. If you miss a day or two, they are not going to become dehydrated. Their humidity requirements are not as severe as that of the Giant Leaf Tail Gecko. Just keep a shallow water bowl and mist them once a day and they will be hydrated.

Tokay Gecko Diet: These geckos will eat just about anything. My geckos love crickets, superworms, and pinkies. They tend to eat exclusively at night in complete darkness. I use food bowls to feed my Tokay geckos. You can feed the gecko insects like crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, mealworms, superworms, and caterpillars/horn worms. I feed my gecko two times a week, and give it enough food until they stop eating during the feeding time. Quick tip for judging appropriate feeding sizes: Do not feed your gecko anything that is bigger than the space between its eyes. If it fits in between, they will be able to swallow the item without a struggle.

Tokay Gecko Temperament: There is so much debate on this area of Tokay Geckos. I have seen the youtube videos of Tokay owners who are holding their "tame" Tokay Geckos. I will give them the credit of being truthful. Every individual gecko has its own personality. Every gecko can learn to associate human hands as non-threatening. However, after raising Tokays for 10 years, here is what I live by. If the Tokay is not aggressive, he is most likely ill. Tokays should always bark and attempt to bite when being reached for or touched. If he has fight in him, he has the strength and health to do so. If he is lethargic or too tame, it could be the sign of a sick Tokay. I handle my Tokays weekly, always with the same bark and bite attempt. A quick hand out of the biting range and these geckos can be held.

Last words. Tokays are beautiful geckos. They are typically blue bodies with orange/red spots. They do change colors and can be seen going from blue to black and the spots going from reds to yellows. There are Tokay Gecko morphs, which are a bit pricy, but if you want an all white Tokay, it is pretty neat. Tokays are great reptiles to husband.

If you have any questions, comments, or complaints, feel free to post them here or write me at ReptileApartments@yahoo.com.