The Gecko Zone : heating

Here is a care sheet on a large and beautiful gecko, good for intermediate gecko owners; the Tokay Gecko.

HABITAT: The Tokay Gecko is native to Asia's, India's and Indonesia's Tropical Region so they need a tall climbing tank. A 25-30 gallon tank is best for a single Tokay Gecko. Tokay Geckos are fairly large (up to 14 in.), so if you are housing two geckos the tank has to be considerably bigger (never two males in one tank). Tokay Geckos need a screened lid because they have toe pads allowing them to climb vertical surfaces. Tokay Geckos are like Crested Geckos needing lots of climbing sticks and plants. Coconut fiber or bark are best substrates because they help maintain humidity (see below). Tokays will also need some type of hide.

HEATING, LIGHTING AND HUMIDITY: Tokay Geckos are nocturnal so they don't need any special UV lighting. Day time temperature should stay between 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit. At night the temperature should drop to about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. You can turn off the light to make the temperature drop at night if your house doesn't get lower than the 70's. If not, a night bulb will be required. A night bulb is a low watt black light that will give off a mild purple light, and is available at pet stores or Petsmart. The humidity level in the tank should stay between 70-90% and should not drop below 50%. This can be achieved by misting the tank two times a day.

FOOD AND WATER: Tokay geckos are insectivores and sometimes carnivorous. Crickets and roaches are the best, and maybe an occasional pinkie mouse as a treat. Even though Tokay Geckos usually drink water droplets formed by misting, there should always be a water dish of some sort.

SEXING: Male and female Tokay Geckos both have visible pores at the base of their tails, but the males pores are much larger. Males are also usually bigger in size and brighter in color.

Below are some pictures of Tokay geckos and an ideal setup.

FUN FACTS: Sometimes people will catch wild Tokay Geckos and release them in their houses to get rid of cockroaches. If you own a wild caught Tokay Gecko it will most likely be fine if you put tiles in its tank, because of their familiarity of being in peoples houses in the counrty they came from.

NOTE: Tokay Geckos are very aggressive and will most likely try to bite you if you are handling them. When they bite they draw blood and usually don't let go for a while. The secret of getting them off is to put a drop of vinegar on their nose, but make sure you hold them in their tank or in some container so they don't fall a long distance or run away after they let go.

Monday, March 4, 2013

The Tokay Gecko