Care for a Tokay Gecko
So you got a Tokay gecko...that's great! Though you are going to have a lot of fun with your new pet, there's a lot you need to do to make sure it's taken care of. Here are some instructions.
Contents
Steps
- Get at least a {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} tank for young ones or 20 for adult ones for it to live in. You will need a good substrate (cocoa fiber works well), and a hide of some sort for it to go in. Tokay geckos are strictly nocturnal.
- Buy crickets; fifty should be good for the first few weeks. Buy cricket food or put a few pieces of dog food in with the crickets.Dust crickets with a vitamin and calcium supplement at least every third feeding
- Add a heat lamp on one side of the tank.
- Put a bowl of water under the heat lamp so it will evaporate and help with the humidity level. Also, spray water all around the tank daily.Get a hygrometer -- the humidity level should be between 60-80%.
- Feed your gecko every other day.
- Know that Tokay geckos are not very tame by nature. Sure, some can be dog tame, but most likely they will remain quite wild for their entire lives. You can try working with them to "tame" them, but don't get your hopes up. Tokays are amazing geckos that are beautiful and males can be vocal as well. They are a great lizard for someone who wants a lizard to look at, but not handle.
Tips
- Do not put two males in with each other, as they will kill each other.
- If you want your gecko to get used to the environment, when it is out, leave it be; if you don't, the gecko will not get used to it and will forever be afraid of you.
- Tokay Geckos can bite, therefore you should be cautious when handling them. They can draw blood, but a bite from a Tokay is really not a big deal. IMO mouse traps hurt worse...
Warnings
- Be cautious when handling tokays.
