Tokay Gecko

The tokay gecko is a large, nocturnal, tree-dwelling gecko native to Asia and some Pacific Islands, from northeast India and Nepal through Southeast Asia toward western New Guinea. It lives in rainforests, on trees and cliffs, and often adapts to rural homes, roaming walls and ceilings at night after insects. Typically 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches) long, it is blue-gray with red or orange spots, and it can change its skin colour to blend in. It feeds on insects and small vertebrates and is aggressive, territorial and capable of a strong bite. Pairs form temporary family groups and recognise mates and offspring by smell.

About the tokay gecko

The tokay gecko is a large, nocturnal, tree-dwelling gecko native to South and Southeast Asia and western New Guinea. A member of the true gecko genus Gekko, it is blue-grey with orange or red spots and is believed to be the third-largest gecko species. The name "tokay" imitates the male's loud call, and the word "gecko" also comes from this species.

Its scientific name is Gekko gecko, and the name runs deep. The common name, the scientific name, the family name Gekkonidae and the general word "gecko" all trace back to this species, through Malay words such as gekok and tokek.

Adults usually measure 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in) from snout to tail tip, and some reach 40 cm (16 in). Only the giant leaf-tailed gecko and the New Caledonian giant gecko are believed to be larger. The body is cylindrical but somewhat flattened, with a large head set off from the neck, muscular jaws and a semi-prehensile tail. Compared with most geckos it is robustly built.

The skin is soft and velvety, usually blue-grey or grey with red to orange spots and flecks. A tokay can lighten or darken its color to blend into its surroundings. Males are more brightly colored and slightly larger than females, and they have a slight swelling at the base of the tail.

The eyes are large, with vertical pupils and fused, transparent eyelids. Its toes carry pads covered in fine bristles called setae, which let it cling to vertical and overhanging surfaces and support its whole body weight for long periods. The ear openings are small holes on each side of the head, and it is possible to see straight through the head from one to the other. Tokays hear sounds from about 300 to 10,000 hertz, and they also carry a rudimentary third eye on top of the head, thought to help time their activity to light levels. Scent matters too: the tongue carries scent particles to the Jacobson's organ in the roof of the mouth.

Folds of skin along the body can be spread flat against a tree trunk so the gecko casts no shadow while it rests.

Behavior and diet

Tokay geckos are nocturnal and live mostly alone. They are aggressive and territorial, defending their space against other tokays and other species. When threatened, a tokay opens its mouth wide in a defensive posture and "barks," hisses or croaks. It can deliver a strong bite, and large animals, usually males, can pierce skin and draw blood.

The male's mating call is a loud croak, repeated several times and often preceded by a quick, low cackle. People have heard it as "token," "gekk-gekk," "tuck-too" or "to-kay." In the Philippines the gecko is called tuko after the sound. Calling peaks at dusk, with a second peak at dawn, and temperature strongly affects how much the geckos call.

Tokays eat insects and small vertebrates. In southern Florida, cockroaches, caterpillars, spiders and beetles were the most common prey found in stomachs. In captivity they eat crickets, cockroaches, mealworms, grasshoppers, locusts and small mice. Because they eat household pests such as cockroaches and locusts, they are useful to people.

A tokay can drop its tail to escape a predator. The detached tail keeps twitching for several minutes while the gecko gets away. A new tail grows back in about three weeks, though it is usually never as long as the original.

The breeding season lasts four to five months, and females may lay eggs about once a month during it. The male holds the female by the neck with his jaws while mating. Females lay one or two hard-shelled eggs, glue them to a solid surface, and guard them until they hatch. In Cambodia, as many as four adults have been seen guarding a shared clutch of about 11 eggs. Pairs can form temporary family groups and recognize their mates and young by smell.

Range and habitat

The tokay gecko ranges from northeast India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh across Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, to western New Guinea. Two subspecies are recognized, one found only in Bangladesh. Whether the species is native to Taiwan is unclear.

Its natural home is rainforest, where it lives on tree trunks and cliffs. It readily moves into rural buildings, roaming walls and ceilings at night in search of insects. Growing urbanization, though, is shrinking its range.

The species has also been introduced outside Asia. It is established in Florida, Martinique and the islands of Belize, and possibly in Hawaii.

Conservation status

The tokay gecko is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, in a 2019 assessment. Even so, it faces heavy pressure from trade. Tokays are poached for traditional Chinese medicine, where dried geckos called Ge Jie are believed to nourish the kidneys and lungs, claims that are not supported by medical science. Demand runs high in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and other parts of Asia. Between 2009 and 2011, poaching intensified because of a short-lived false belief that tokays could cure HIV.

In the Philippines, indiscriminate hunting is quickly making the species threatened. Trading in geckos without a license there can bring up to 12 years in jail, but illegal trade continues. Internationally, the tokay is listed on CITES Appendix II, so trade in the animals and their parts requires permits.

The tokay also holds a cultural place in Asia. In Southeast Asia it is a symbol of good luck and fertility, and folklore credits it with supernatural powers and even descent from dragons.