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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
tokay gecko, common gecko |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Reptilia |
| ORDER: |
Squamata |
| FAMILY: |
Gekkonidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Gekko (Malayan) gecko (named for the
barking sound the Asian species makes) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Greenish
gray lizard with gray and orange-brown spots covering
body; body is slender with a large head; eyes are
prominent in all species; broad fleshy toes with
inner folds |
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| SIZE: |
25-30 cm (10-12 in.) average total body length;
maximum length of 35 cm (14 in.) |
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| DIET: |
Insects,
baby birds, and small mammals such as nesting mice |
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| INCUBATION: |
100-182 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
2
eggs |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Up
to 20 years |
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| RANGE: |
Southeast Asia and Malayan Isles; northeast China,
Indonesia, and Thailand |
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| HABITAT: |
Arboreal;
bushes, trees and on or around rocks |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
No
data |
| CITES |
Not listed |
| USFWS |
Not listed |
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| 1. |
Nearly
all geckos have a voice, ranging from a small squeak
to the deafening whistles of the African whistling
gecko. |
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| 2. |
The gecko sticks its eggs to walls or rocks near
cracks or holes. More than one female may use the
same 'nest'. The eggs are soft-shelled at first
with a very sticky surface. They harden soon after
they are laid. |
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| 3. |
Tokays have padded toes with sticking power, which
has long been the obsession of scientists. However,
knowing what research has found, it's not surprising.
Each of its four feet has five toes. Each toe has
fine hairs 1/10 mm long, packed at 5,000 hairs per
sq mm (3,000,000 per sq inch). Each hair has 400-1,000
branches that end in a spatula-like structure about
1/50,000 inch long. Each hair is strong enough to
support an ant's weight. One million hairs can support
a small child! |
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| 4. |
Tokay
Geckoes are solitary creatures, only encountering
the opposite sex during the breeding season. They
are territorial and will defend their space against
intruders of the same species and of other species,
ensuring less competition for food. |
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| 5. |
These
geckoes can inflict severe bites if they are sufficiently
threatened. |
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| 6. |
Their
nose is used for breathing and also for detecting
scents. A large number of sensory cells on a membrane
in the nostrils and the Jacobson's organ help tokays
to hunt. Their tongue is used to carry scent particles
to the holes in their palate. These particles are
then transported to the Jacobson's organ, which
tells their brain about the environment (smell and
taste). |
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| 7. |
They
have folds of skin that prevent them from casting
a shadow while resting on a tree. By opening up
the skin fold completely, it allows them to blend
in with the tree bark. |
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| 8. |
Another
important feature of the tokay is its ability to
cast off its tail in defense and later regenerate
a new one. The cast off part will continue to move
for several minutes, giving the gecko time to escape.
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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| 9. |
In
parts of Southeast Asia, tokays are regarded as
bringers of luck, good fortune, and fertility. |
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Tokay geckos are important in controlling pest populations
such as cockroaches and locusts. Unfortunately,
because they are able to pack a powerful bite, most
people do not want them around. Though they are
not in immediately danger, habitat destruction and
the pet trade will eventually take a toll on their
populations. |
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|
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Barlett, R.D. and Patricial P. Bartlett. Iguanas.
Barron's, New York. 1995. |
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Halliday, Tim R., and Adler, Kraig. The Encyclopedia
of Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Equinox
Books, 1986. |
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Flank, Lenny Jr. Herp Help. New York: Howell
Book House, 1998.
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| www.geocities.com/Athens/forum/8318/gecko.html |
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| Utah's
Hogel Zoo. http://www.hoglezoo.org/reptiles/gecko.htm |
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