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Tokay Geckoes
are found from northeast India to the Indo-Australian Archipelago.
The Tokay Gecko lives in tropical rain forests, on cliffs and trees. |
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Tokay Geckoes, one of the largest
geckoes alive today, grow to 14 inches in length. The body
is cylindrical, squat, and somewhat flattened on the upper
side. The head is large with large, prominent eyes. The eyelids
of these animals are fused together and transparent.
Their ears can be seen on the
outside of the gecko as small holes on both sides of the head.
It is possible to see straight through the head of these geckoes
through their ears.
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They have soft, granular skin
that feels velvety to the touch. The coloration of a Tokay
Gecko is very important to its life-style. The skin is usually
gray with several brownish-red to bright red spots and flecks
but it has the ability to lighten or darken the coloring of
its skin. They usually do so in order to blend with their
environment. |
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Tokay hanging upside
down on glass.
Notice the toe pads! |
The
Tokay is a remarkable climber. Able to scale a sheer wall,
the gecko can then take a right-angle turn and perform an
upside-down march across a ceiling. The toes of these lizards
are outfitted with enlarged overlapping plates called lamellae,
which, in turn, are covered by thousands of microscopic spatula-shaped
prongs (setae) that operate in a suction-like fashion in the
absence of adhesive. |
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The Tokay's ability to vocalize is remarkable,
for most lizards are silent creatures. The sound is perhaps produced
by clicking the broad tongue against the roof of the mouth. It has
been variously described as "checko," "tocktoo," "toki," "tok,"
or "chick chick.". |
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Dinner for a Tokay gecko can
consist of insects, baby birds, and small mammals. Tokays are solitary,
nocturnal creatures who set up territories that are protected by
a male and occasionally watched over by a female. |
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| During the breeding period,
which lasts from 4 to 5 months, females lay eggs about every
month. In order to attract a mate, a male has a call that
can be heard over a wide area. This loud "to-kay" sound is
repeated multiple times. After mating, the female looks for
a laying- site, and when she finds the right one, she affixes
the hard-shelled eggs to a solid foundation where they are
guarded by both parents until they hatch. |
Tokay hatchling |
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An important characteristic
of the Tokay Gecko is its ability to cast off its tail in defense
and regenerate a new one. The part of the tail that has been cast
off will continue to move violently for several minutes until it
slows down and stops, thus giving the gecko fair time to escape.
The tail has several sections on it where it can break off at any
given moment. It takes approximately three weeks for these geckoes
to completely regenerate a new tail although it is usually never
as long as the original tail. |
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