Scaly friends count too.
Tokay Gecko
Gekko gecko
Also called Tokay, Tuko (Filipino), Tokeh (German), Tokek rumah (Indonesian)
From Tropical Asia: northeast India, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and across Southeast Asia including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and southern China. Introduced populations live in Florida, Hawaii, Martinique and elsewhere.12
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Large, robust climbing gecko with sticky toe pads
One of the biggest geckos in the world, with a sturdy, slightly flattened body, a large head with strong jaws and a semi-prehensile tail. Its eyes have vertical pupils and no lids, and its broad toe pads let it run up walls and glass. It can lighten or darken its skin to blend with its surroundings.13
Personality what they are like
A bold, self-assured and territorial gecko that prefers to be watched rather than held, and it will stand its ground with a bite if it feels cornered. Patient keepers can build trust over time, and captive-bred animals are reported to be calmer than wild-caught ones.31
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Nocturnal and arboreal. Needs a tall enclosure with plenty of vertical climbing surfaces and hides.3
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Mist the enclosure daily. Handle with care and mainly when needed; most keepers treat tokays as display animals.3
Home where they are happiest
At least 60 x 60 x 120 cm (24 x 24 x 48 in), with 90 x 60 x 120 cm for large animals. Basking spot 32-38 C (90-100 F), cooler zone 26-29 C, nights 24-26 C. Humidity 60-80%. About 5 cm of moisture-holding substrate such as coconut fibre plus leaf litter. A 12-hour light cycle with low-to-moderate UVB is recommended.3
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Insect eater. Offer crickets, roaches, grasshoppers, hornworms and silkworms dusted with calcium. Juveniles eat daily, adults every other day. In the wild they also take small vertebrates.31
Company who they like around
Keep one gecko per enclosure; tokays are strongly territorial.3
The story where it all began
Carl Linnaeus described the tokay in 1758, and both its common and scientific names come from Malay-Indonesian words that imitate its call. It has long lived alongside people in Southeast Asia, often hunting insects inside houses.213
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Males make a loud call that sounds like 'to-kay' or 'gekk-gekk', and that call gave the species its name.1
- 2
It is ranked as the third-largest gecko species after the giant leaf-tailed gecko and the New Caledonian giant gecko.1
- 3
In parts of Southeast Asia it is seen as a sign of good luck and fertility.1
- 4
Females lay one or two hard-shelled eggs and guard them, and several females sometimes share a nest site.1
Recognised by the official bits
- The Reptile Database
- Valid species Gekko gecko (Linnaeus, 1758)2
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Tokay Gecko. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Fresh waterevery day
- Temperature checkCheck the warm and cool endsevery day
- Spot cleanevery day
- FeedingHow often depends on species and agevaries
- SupplementsCalcium and vitamin dusting as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- UVB bulb changeMany UVB bulbs fade before they stop glowing, follow the maker's adviceevery 6 months
- Weigh inevery month
- Full cleanevery month
- Vet check-upFind a vet who sees exotic petsevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Tokay gecko - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for names, range, size, lifespan, body, colours, behaviour, diet, IUCN, fun facts
- Gekko gecko - The Reptile Database reptile-database.reptarium.czused for taxonomy, distribution, names, etymology
- Tokay Gecko Care Sheet - ReptiFiles reptifiles.comused for care, habitat, diet, social needs, size, lifespan, temperament
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.