Tokay Geckos

About Tokay Geckos

• Tokay gecko is a lizard species with orange-spotted blue-grey skin.
  • They are one of the largest geckos alive today which can grow up to 14 inches in length.
• Scientific name: Gekko gecko
• Habitat: They live in tropical rainforests, rock crevices or manmade environments with a variety of microhabitats.
• Distribution: They are found across southeast and east Asia.
• Species: Two variants of tokay geckos exist: a red-spotted and a black-spotted
• Characterstics:
  • Appearance: They have thick, cylindrical bodies, with heads set apart from their necks.
    • Their limbs are well-defined and powerful, and their bodies are covered in spots.
    • Camouflage: They can changes its skin colour to blend with its surroundings.
    • Skin folds: Their skin folds help it blend with tree surfaces and avoid casting shadows.
    • Tail: They can drop its tail to escape predators, and the tail grows back in about three weeks.
    • Grip: Tiny structures called setae help them stick strongly to vertical and overhead surfaces.
    • Bite: They are very fast and a strong bite.
    • Eyes: They have two large eyes and a light-sensitive third eye called the parietal eye.
    • Smell: They uses its nose and tongue to detect scents through the Jacobson’s organ.
  • Behaviour:  
    • They are arboreal.
    • They are solitary, nocturnal hunters and are more likely to sit and wait for prey than to actively forage.
    • They communicate vocally to find members of the opposite sex during the breeding season.
  • Diet: They are insectivorous, and eat pests such as cockroaches. They may also eat small rats, mice and snakes.
• Threats: They face major threats from the illegal wildlife trade and hunting.
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN: Least Concern 
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
  • CITES: Appendix-II