Beautiful Beasts: Tokay Gecko Husbandry, Handling, and a Controversial History.
Hailed as being aggressive, shy, and apt to deliver a painful bite, this Southeastern Asian arboreal gecko known as the Tokay Gecko (Gekko Gecko) is poorly understood and frequently frowned upon by many keepers in the reptile hobby. Often wild caught, difficult to adapt to captivity, and not to mention coming to owners with heated tempers, these beautiful yet misunderstood creatures are under investigated and shamefully ignored as a possible reward for the patient and willing reptile hobbyist accepting of a challenge with rich recompense.
History & Controversy
Conservation Status: Not Evaluated
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Family: Gekkonidae
Genus: Gekko
Species: Gekko Gecko (Linnaeus, 1758)
Nocturnal and arboreal, these geckos live in Asia and some Pacific Islands, but they have been popularly known to inhabit heavily populated areas and even acting as pest control in city buildings. Recently have these animals become invasive and heavily populated in the state of Florida, after being imported regularly and released from captivity to develop in the wild.
Naturall aggressive, ravenous eaters, and stunning in color, these creatures have coexisted quietly with people around them, keeping their distance and pleasing us from afar. It has been more and more popular among certain reptile hobbyists to seek out these animals as captive pets or collectables.
Established as a species by zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758, the Tokay Gecko begun to occur in Northeast India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. They also are popularly seen in Southeast Asia and Western New Guinea. Their native habitat is rainforest, where they live in trees and cliffs. They have begun to adapt to rural human habitations, roaming walls and ceilings in buildings and homes at night to collect insects. Many have come to smile upon these natural pest controllers.
Now an invasive species in Florida, particularly down in the Keys, the Tokay Gecko has now become more urbanized in as far as Orlando.
A large gecko, Tokay's are able to reach up to 15 inches, and be very bulky. They lack eyelids, have the ability to climb walls, and will drop their tails if threatened. They possess a semi-prehensile tail, and a large head with powerful jaws and sharp teeth.
The Tokay Gecko are not only significant in population, they have also become culturally significant in many East Asian countries. Regional folklore has attributed supernatural powers to these geckos. In Southeast Asia, these geckos are symbols of good luck and fertility, and they are sometimes believed to be the relatives of dragons. The species is hunted in Asia for medicinal purposes. The Tokay Gecko is an ingredient in a Traditional Chinese medicine known as Ge Jie. Believed to nourish and clean the kidneys and lungs, however this is not sustained by any medical science what so ever. In China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia with some Chinese Communities, these geckos are so sought after that some merchants will disfigure monitors with paints and prosthetics to pass them off as giant Tokay Gecko specimens.
The Tokay Gecko is becoming threatened in the Philippines due to increased hunting. There is high collection and trading of these animals, and more people are shipping them to the United States to be sold as pets.
Now that the Tokay Gecko has made it's way to America, buyers are using them for multiple purposes. Inexpensive (normally being between only $15-20 when wild caught, more expensive when captive born usually but not always) and fairly easy to get at reptile expos and private reptile breeders and traders, buyers will either buy these animals for pest control around their business or home, or they will be brought into a home as display animals. Rarely do many hobbyists want to take time to tame and handle these aggressive geckos, however potential with these geckos is becoming more and more apparent.
However, these geckos have become easy targets in a very controversial topic, wild caught animals in any sense can be frowned upon. The author herself refused to own wild caught reptiles until she first begun to work with Tokay Geckos.
Wild caught reptiles are difficult to adapt, often overly stressed, and apt to succumb to illness or death. There is question to the morality of owning such animals when their natural habitats have been pillaged and their normal environment has been disrupted. These animals could live happily if only we did not disrupt the balance, and importation can often lead to mistreated and dehydrated animals. Other's argue that the domestication of this species requires sacrifices. It is a known fact that the interest in these animals is becoming greater and greater, and the establishing of these beautiful animals in captivity eventually diminishes the necessity of ever needing to import, therefor allowing wild populations to return and expand without human interference. A popular example of this could be the Leopard Gecko. Once heavily imported, these animals where not going to stop being looked for by rising reptile traders and breeders. There was a high demand, and a small pocket of breeders got their hands on a few wild caught animals and bred them out, soon building a population so great, Leopard Geckos are now hardly ever imported from natural habitats. You would be harder pressed to find a wild caught Leopard Gecko than a captive born one now a days. There is a hope and realistic idea that this could be done with Tokay Geckos, however the problem lies in the over importation of these species, and the ease in which reptiles are attained. One could easily argue against the point of the Leopard Gecko, we are in a different time. More reptiles are being imported as more outlets are available. More Tokay Geckos are ending up with inexperienced breeders because unlike over 20 years ago when Leopard Geckos were first introduced, there is now a much larger demand and following of different reptile species. A conclusion could be in fair moderation, though many ask if that's possible. As of now, it is simply a matter fit for debate.
Husbandy
Now that we've discussed Tokay Geckos natural history and the controversy
surrounding them in captivity, we can now look into a piece for those reading this that currently do own one of these creatures.
Large, climbing geckos require large, tall enclosures. A ten gallon tank can be appropriate for these geckos, but only for one. A 20 gallon tank is a minimal requirement for two geckos, but to go larger is to go better. Include plenty of hiding places, climbing material, and thick brush. These geckos like to be reclusive, and will need a habitat that fulfills this enjoyment.
Coming from tropical environments, these geckos need high humidly that can be maintained by leaving a water dish in the cage at all times, and misting daily or once every other day. Keep a humidity gauge in the geckos enclosure to ensure you are keeping a 70-85 precent humidity level.
Seeing these geckos are nocturnal, they require no lights of any purpose or specialty. They also do not require a heat source, normally preferring room temperatures between 76 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The author keeps her Tokay Geckos in large plastic containers with sealed lids and holes drilled throughout. These geckos are escape artists, so take caution in keeping the lid sealed and/or clipped. Also watch when opening the cage, as these geckos can dart, and they can do so very fast.
Do not keep male geckos together, as they are apt to fight. Male Tokays specifically can be very territorial to all intruders. Male and females pairs will often bond, and any new female introduced may be attacked and even killed by an established female or couple. The animals will breed if kept together as a pair, and females as well as males will guard their eggs aggressively. They will thermoregulate their own eggs, and the eggs should not be removed from the enclosure. Baby Tokays will be protected by both parents when they hatch, however in the bounds of safety, hatchlings should be removed so not to be accidentally injured by aggressive adults or clutch mates.
Tokay geckos will consume large insects such as roaches and super worms. They will sometimes take to crickets, however these can be too small. Make sure to add supplements to the Tokay geckos food, such as calcium and victim powder.
These geckos do not have needs that cannot be provided for by fairly novice breeders and keepers. It is the taming of these beasts that prove to be only for the more advanced of keepers.
Handling
Tokay geckos, when born into captivity, are fairly similar to other geckos when it comes to handling and attitude. Prone to some aggression, you can have an animal raised by humans yet that still holds the potential to be flighty, however this is not often and not as severe as wild caught specimens. In this section, we will focus on taming wild caught specimens, seeing these are the majority.
For the most part, patience will be your ultimate tool when it comes to taming these geckos. Gaining a Tokay geckos trust can be a long and difficult process. There also has to be a willingness to experience pain in the process. You will be bitten, and in some cases these bites will be painful and damaging to the skin. Tokays have strong jaws and sharp teeth, that will cause bleeding and fairly deep superficial wounds. These bites range from uncomfortable to very painful, and the author even found herself needing to invest in a pair of gloves to continue taming her first Tokay gecko in order to receive fewer bites and risking infections.
The main purpose of handling your Tokay gecko will be to show it that you are not a threat. The animals main motivation is to preserve itself from potential injury or death, and it is necessary to establish a sense of safety. Interactive feeding and activity around the cage will allow this to become more and more apparent to your Tokay. When you first acquire your Tokay gecko, do not handle for one to three weeks. This will allow acclimation and give you a more successful chance of your gecko surviving and thriving in it's new captive environment.
When it comes time to begin taming your new gecko, there are a few things you can do. With gloves, it can be difficult to get a sense of how you are clutching your gecko's body, however unless you are very comfortable with the idea of painful bites, simply use common sense when using gloves. If you use your bare hands, it is smart to keep a spray gun of cool water near, as this can act as a tool to remove your Tokay geckos jaws from your hand. Spraying your gecko in the mouth/face will often cause it to release its bite.
Placing your hand in a new, wild caught Tokay's cage may provoke screams and threatening bites, however do not let this startle you. Simply make sure your Tokay does not scamper up the cage walls, and leave your hand in for a moment to let your presence be known and calming. It may be suggested by some you offer your hand to your gecko to explore, however other's say this will not work with a wild caught animal.
You may carefully yet firmly grasp your hand around the geckos body. Keep your grip stern as to not allow the squirming animal to escape. Be prepared for screams and bites, this is normal behavior. Allow your gecko to relax in your hands, and loosen your grip gradually. Offer a calming stroke to the animals head or body. Be careful not to grasp the tail, as Tokay's are able to drop them (however they will grow back, just not look the same).
Keep handling sessions between 5 to 15 minutes, and try and handle every day to every other day. Keep sessions positive and gentle. Do each in a quiet and safe environment.
Do not expect to see results right away; these sessions can take many weeks to over a month to show progress. Earning an animals trust that has never had contact with humans before can be a very slow and difficult process. However, do not feel discouraged. Taming a Tokay gecko is not impossible, even if it can be tricky.
