I was in the pet store and saw something I had never seen before, a very large gecko with light gray skin covered in orange rust-colored spots. He had a giant head and large eyes. He was stuck to the side of the wall like spiderman and facing downward as if waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting prey.
I asked the guy working in the store if I could see the gecko. He said okay and reached in to grab him. That’s when it happened. The gecko bit him and bit him hard. He screamed and let out a word I won’t repeat. I couldn’t hold back a smile when I said. “Okay, I want that one.”
I have to admit, I was scared. Scared and excited. This gecko seemed like the coolest lizard, large exotic and unpredictable. I was so happy to have one. I really had no idea how to care for it but I was going to find out.
So, do Tokay geckos make good pets?
Tokay geckos make great pets for the right person. They are easy to care for, hardy, and very interesting. However, if you are looking for a pet lizard that you can handle often, they are probably not the best choice.
Interesting Facts About Tokay Geckos
- Where are they from? –Tokay geckos come from southeast Asia, northeast China, Thailand, and Indonesia, as well as some Pacific islands. They are arboreal and are found in bushes, trees, and rocky outcrops.
- How big do they get? – Tokay geckos are one of the largest living gecko species. They can grow more than a foot in length.
- How long do they live? – Tokay geckos have been known to live as long as 20 years.
- What do they eat? – Tokay geckos are opportunistic feeders and eat a wide variety of prey items. In the wild, they eat an assortment of bugs, spiders, insects, other lizards and geckos even small rodents and nestling birds. In captivity, they are raised mostly on crickets, mealworms, super worms, hornworms, wax worms, and occasionally pinky mice.
- Do they make noise? – Yes! Geckos are the only lizards that have vocal cords. Tokay geckos make a barking noise that sounds a lot like they are saying “To-kay! To-kay!”This is also how they got their name.
Why Tokay Geckos Make Good Pets
Affordable
When I bought my tokay gecko, I was surprised at how affordable it was. I thought that such an exotic lizard would be several hundred dollars. This was not the case. Tokay geckos were very affordable at the time and they still are. You can find captive bred tokay geckos ranging in price from $25 U.S. dollars to about $100 dollars for various interesting color morphs.
Easy to Care For
One of the things I found was how easy Tokay Geckos are to care for.
You will need:
- An Enclosure
- Substrate
- Heat
- Humidity
- Places to hide
- UVB lighting
Enclosure
Tokay Geckos are one of the largest gecko species on earth but you can keep an adult in a 10-gallon sized terrarium. This is great especially if you don’t have very much space. Many owners like to add live plants which is a great idea but not a requirement.
Substrate
News print, butcher paper, paper towels are just fine but a substrate that holds moisture is best. Tokay geckos need humidity to be healthy. Cypress mulch and orchid bark are good options. Coconut husk works well too.
Heat
Ambient temperatures of about 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit are best with a basking spot of about 90 to 100 degrees. Nighttime temps can be in the mid-70’s. You can achieve this by using a red heat bulb or ceramic heat element.
It’s best to use an Infrared Thermometer, Non-Contact Digital Thermometer to check for accurate heating. It’s also a good idea to use a thermostat. It’s important not to barbecue your lizard.
Humidity
Tokay geckos require a good amount of humidity. It’s easiest to achieve this by spraying the inside of the cage with a fine mist of water at night right before the lights go out. This will imitate a light rain.
The trick is to spray just enough for water droplets to form but not so much that puddles form. You want the cage to dry out by the next day. If you choose a substrate that holds moisture be sure to check to make sure it is not wet like a sponge. Moist is good wet is not.
Places to hide
Tokay geckos (and most reptiles) need places to hide so they can sleep and feel secure. This is important so they don’t become stressed. If you like a naturalistic looking cage this is a great opportunity to decorate to your heart’s content.
Tokay geckos actually prefer a cluttered cage. Hollow cork bark logs are great, caves, plants, sticks, even an overturned plastic bowl with an opening cut out will work great as a place to hide.
All of this will help your tokay gecko feel secure, happy and be healthy.
UVB Lighting
Even though Tokay geckos are active at night they still need UVB lighting in order to absorb calcium and synthesize vitamin D3. You can use UVB coil bulbs for smaller cages right near the basking spot. These lights should be on 12 hours a day but not 24 hours.
The above is not meant to be a comprehensive care guide but it should give you a good idea of what to expect when taking care of your tokay gecko. It’s far more than I had.
Very Hardy
As I look back now, I did a lot of things wrong when caring for my tokay gecko and that makes me sad but it is a testament to how very hardy Tokay geckos really are.
I didn’t do half the things I now know are important to a healthy gecko living a long life. My tokay gecko did very well for many years. They can tolerate owners’ mistakes better than other species but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do everything you can to take care of them properly.
It’s just good to know that your lizard isn’t going to die suddenly if you don’t get everything perfect.
Very Interesting
When I first saw my tokay gecko in my favorite pet store I was captivated. Tokay geckos are large, can climb almost anything including glass and even make noise. They are very interesting.
The first time I heard him barking, “To-kay, To-kay, To-kay” I was tickled with awe. It was so cool! If you are looking for a very interesting lizard Tokay geckos definitely qualify.
Why Tokay Geckos Are Not a Good Pet for Everyone
Not Easy to Handle
Tokay geckos are not known for being docile lizards that even children can handle. In fact, it’s a good idea that children never handle tokay geckos. They can be tamed with lots and lots of patience and a very good understanding of how to do so but your average person is going to have a tough time.
If you are looking for a pet lizard that is also easy to handle, tokay geckos are not a very good choice. Some lizards that are, include crested geckos, leopard geckos, bearded dragons and uromastyx.
Are Very Fast
They Are Very Fast Tokay geckos are extremely fast. I always worried about my tokay gecko getting out of his cage. He was always near the top which was also the opening. I had to pull the screen open to feed him and clean the cage.
They are so fast! I knew that if he got out it would be next to impossible for me to catch him. A lot of lizards are fast. This is not something that should dissuade you from buying a pet lizard but a fast lizard that bites really hard can be a concern for people.
They Bite
The first time I saw my tokay gecko he was biting the guy trying to show it to me. It drew blood. His hand was bleeding and not just a little. I decided that day I did not want to get bit.
So, any time I needed to clean the cage I was very careful. Anytime I needed to handle him I used gloves. If this is a concern for you then a tokay gecko is probably not the best choice.
Tokay geckos make good pets for the person who enjoys observing them. They are easy to take care of, hardy, very interesting to look at and listen to. If you are interested in a tokay gecko and don’t mind having more of a display animal than one you handle, then a tokay gecko is an excellent choice.
I loved my tokay gecko. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll have another one.