Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko): Spotted Lizard with Loud Call

“To-kay, To-kay” – that loud, echoing call is often the first sign that a Tokay Gecko is nearby. You might hear it from a doorway, spot it clinging to a wall, or see its bright eyes glowing on a rooftop at night. The Tokay Gecko is one of the most recognizable reptiles in Asia, known for its striking colors, powerful bite, and bold personality. Living close to people and thriving in forests, villages, and even inside houses, this gecko has become a familiar part of nighttime life across the region.

Information Table about Tokay Gecko

Common name	Tokay Gecko, Tokay Lizard
Scientific name	Gekko gecko
Taxonomy	Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Gekkonidae Genus: Gekko Species: Gekko gecko
Weight / Size	150–400 g; total length can up to 400mm
Lifespan	Wild 7–10 years; Captive ~10–20+ years
Population	Widespread across tropical Asia
Habitat	Tropical forests, evergreen forests, limestone hills, rocky cliffs; also thrive in rural houses, buildings, and human settlements
Range	South & Southeast Asia; introduced to Florida, West Indies, and Madagascar
Diet	Insectivorous - eats crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, spiders, moths; occasionally small rodents or lizards
Conservation status	Least Concern (IUCN Red List), Near Threatened (NT) - Vietnam Red Data Book

Physical Characteristics of Tokay Gecko

The Tokay Gecko is the second-largest gecko species in the world. Most males are about 11–20 cm long, while females are usually 7–19 cm. Very large individuals can reach a maximum length of about 40 cm, which is rare but possible. Tokay Geckos are also quite heavy for a gecko, weighing around 150–400 grams.

Their body is thick and strong, with a big head and powerful jaws. The tail can drop off to escape predators and grow back in a few weeks. They have large eyes with a vertical pupil, and their toes are covered with tiny hair-like structures that help them climb walls and ceilings.

Tokay Geckos are famous for their bright colors. Many have blue or gray skin covered in orange, yellow, or red spots. These colors can change slightly depending on light, temperature, or stress, which helps them blend into tree bark or dark spaces. Skin folds along the sides also reduce their shadow and improve camouflage.

Male Tokay Geckos are usually bigger than females and have more visible pores near the legs.

The Tokay gecko shows striking physical traits.

Global Distribution and Habitat

The Tokay Gecko has a very wide native range across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. In China, many Tokay Geckos have darker spots, while bright red-spotted individuals are common across Southeast Asia.

Tokay Gecko Habitat

Tokay Geckos are arboreal, living mainly on trees and moving at night. Their natural habitats include tropical rainforests, evergreen forests, limestone mountains, rocky outcrops, and shrubland. They hide in tree hollows, rock crevices, and natural gaps in the bark while waiting for prey. Tokays also adapt well to human areas, especially in rural regions, where they are often seen on house walls, ceilings, and roof tiles.

Distribution in Vietnam

In Vietnam, the Tokay Gecko occurs throughout the country, but it is most common from Quang Binh southwards. It lives in many habitat types, from lowland villages to forested mountains. The species is recorded from 0 to about 1,100m in both natural forests and areas close to human settlements.

Vietnam hosts many strong Tokay gecko populations.

Subspecies of Tokay Gecko

Scientists currently recognize 2 main subspecies of the Tokay Gecko. Each subspecies has its own distribution range and some differences in appearance and genetics.

1. Gekko gecko gecko (Linnaeus, 1758)

This is the most widespread and well-known subspecies. It occurs from northeast India and Bangladesh through Myanmar, southern China, and across all of Southeast Asia. It is also found in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In some regions, it has been introduced to new places such as the United States, the West Indies, and Madagascar.

G. g. gecko shows a high variety of colors and patterns depending on the region. There are two main forms:

• Red-spotted form: Common across Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. These Tokays have blue or gray skin covered with bright red or orange spots. This form has been studied more in genetic research.
• Black-spotted form: Found mainly in Guangxi and Yunnan (China). They have darker, almost black spots. Some studies suggest this group may even be a separate species called Gekko reevesii, because of clear differences in color, body shape, and genetic traits.

This subspecies represents most wild Tokay Gecko populations and is the one people commonly see.

This species prefers humid forests and rocky shelters.

2. Gekko gecko azhari (Mertens, 1955)

This subspecies has a much smaller range, recorded mainly in Bangladesh and possibly nearby parts of India. It is considered a local Tokay line, keeping more primitive physical traits.

Very few individuals have been studied, so the available data is still limited. Because of its unique features and narrow range, G. g. azhari is often seen as an early-splitting group that separated from the main Tokay population long ago.

Tokay Gecko Diet

The Tokay Gecko diet is mainly insect-based. In the wild, Tokay Geckos eat many kinds of invertebrates such as crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, beetle larvae, and jumping insects. In captivity, they may also take small pink mice. Their strong appetite and wide food choice make them one of the most effective insect hunters in their range.

Tokay Geckos are active at night, so they hunt in low-light conditions. They wait quietly on tree trunks, house walls, or ceilings. Thanks to thousands of tiny hair-like setae under their toes, they can hold onto smooth surfaces and reach difficult positions that many predators cannot. This gives them a big advantage when approaching fast or flying insects.

Tokay geckos feed mainly on insects and small vertebrates.

Tokay Gecko Hunting Technique

A Tokay Gecko uses both smell and the Jacobson’s organ to detect scents in the air or on surfaces. This helps it locate prey even when visibility is poor. Once the target is close enough, the gecko strikes quickly with its large head and powerful jaws. Its bite is strong enough to crush the hard shells of forest cockroaches and hold the prey firmly until it stops struggling.

Tokay Geckos rely heavily on camouflage during hunting. They can make their skin slightly lighter or darker to blend into the tree bark or walls around them. Their skin folds also help remove shadows from the body, so insects have a harder time spotting them.

Defense and Special Behaviors

When threatened, Tokay Geckos can drop their tail as a defense strategy. The detached tail continues to move for a few minutes, distracting the predator while the gecko escapes. A new tail will grow back later, although it often looks different from the original.

Although Tokays are skilled hunters, they also defend themselves strongly. Their bite is famous for being painful and very firm, and they often refuse to let go immediately if they feel threatened.

Behavior and Reproduction

Behavior of Tokay Gecko

The Tokay Gecko is a nocturnal and arboreal species. At night, it walks along walls and ceilings in houses or moves across tree trunks and rocky cliffs in the forest while searching for insects.

One of the most famous features of this species is its communication calls. Both the common name “Tokay” and the scientific name Gekko gecko come from the loud croaking sound they make. The call is often described as “to-kay,” “gekk-gekk,” or “poo-kay.” Tokays also make hissing or rough croaking noises as a defense call when they feel threatened.

Besides vocal sounds, Tokay Geckos use chemical signals to communicate. They breathe and detect scents through the nose, and the tongue carries odor particles to the Jacobson’s organ located on the roof of the mouth. This helps them read their environment and recognize potential mates or rivals.

Tokays are generally solitary animals. They live alone and only meet the opposite sex during mating periods. Males are highly territorial and will aggressively defend their area from intruders, whether they are other Tokays or different species. This behavior reduces competition for food and shelter.

The gecko defends itself through loud calls and bites.

Reproduction of Tokay Gecko

During the breeding season, the male Tokay Gecko uses his loud “to-kay” call to attract a female. This call is repeated many times and can be heard across a wide area. When mating begins, the male approaches the female from behind and gently holds the back of her neck with his mouth to keep both geckos in place. This is typical Tokay Gecko mating behavior and helps ensure a stable position during copulation.

The breeding season usually lasts 4 to 5 months, and males may mate with the same female several times during this period. A female Tokay Gecko lays 1 or 2 eggs per clutch. The eggs are oval, hard-shelled, and firmly glued to a solid surface such as a rock wall, tree trunk, or even man-made structures inside houses.

Egg size can vary widely, with some reports showing measurements from 3 mm up to 45 mm, depending on the source and the environmental conditions where the eggs were recorded. Tokay Geckos show unusual parental care for a gecko species. Both the male and the female often stay near the eggs and guard them until they hatch.

In captivity, however, Tokays sometimes show negative behaviors caused by stress or poor housing conditions. One example is eating their own eggs when they feel unsafe or do not have a proper hiding place.

Females lay small clutches of hard-shelled eggs.

Threat and Conservation of Tokay Gecko

The Tokay Gecko is listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN, but in Vietnam, it is considered Near Threatened (NT) because wild numbers have dropped quickly in recent years.

Threat

The biggest threat is large-scale hunting and trade. Tokays are collected for traditional medicine, where they are used as “Ge Jie” and believed to help with kidney health, breathing problems, and many other illnesses. In some countries, false claims even promote Tokay Gecko parts as cures for HIV or cancer.

Heavy wildlife trade also plays a major role. The Tokay is one of the most traded reptiles in the world. Thailand exports 2 to 5 million dried geckos each year, and Java exports more than 1.2 million per year.

Many populations in Vietnam, China, and Southeast Asia have declined, with Vietnam losing almost 30% of its wild population in the last 15 years. Habitat loss from urban growth and forest clearing also reduces the areas where the species can survive.

Conservation

Tokay Geckos are important insect hunters and help control pests in the ecosystem. Protecting their habitats and understanding their distribution and genetics can support better long-term conservation plans. In Vietnam, areas like Cat Tien, Bu Gia Map, and Yok Don National Parks can act as safe zones if hunting pressure decreases.

The species is listed under national wildlife protection laws, but stronger action is still needed. Useful steps include controlling illegal hunting and trade, restoring wild populations, educating communities, and developing legal captive-breeding programs to reduce pressure on wild animals.

Genetic research has also found several distinct genetic groups across Southeast Asia, meaning that losing even small local populations could reduce the species’ overall diversity. Because Tokays may represent a species complex, conservation should focus on protecting all major regions where they still occur.

Follow Katien Safari into the World of Animals

If you stay overnight in Cat Tien National Park, there’s a good chance you’ll meet an unexpected “neighbor” — the Tokay gecko. After sunset, amid the sound of insects, you may hear its iconic “to-kay… to-kay…” echoing from the roof, tree trunks, or even the walls of your room.

Sometimes, a Tokay might appear on the ceiling or near a lamp — don’t panic. These geckos are gentle, shy creatures, and they’re only there to hunt mosquitoes and insects. Just avoid touching or trying to catch them, and they will quietly keep their distance. If you feel uneasy, simply close windows and tidy up food to avoid attracting bugs.

For a deeper look into the park’s nocturnal wildlife, you can join a responsible night tour with Katien Safari to explore the park’s nocturnal wildlife ethically. Their guides will help you learn more about Tokay geckos and many other fascinating forest species.

5 Interesting Facts about Tokay Gekko

- The Tokay Gecko gets both its scientific name (Gekko gecko) and its common name from the loud call “tok-ay” that you can hear easily in the wild.

- Its eyes are very large and have no movable eyelids. Instead, the eyes are covered by a clear membrane, and the gecko licks its eyes to keep them clean.

- During the Resistance War against America, American soldiers gave the Tokay Gecko a slang nickname: “the fuck-you lizard” because its call sounded similar to the phrase.

- In East and Southeast Asian folklore, the Tokay Gecko is seen as a symbol of luck, wealth, and fertility, and hearing its call is often considered a good sign.

- Tokay Geckos often mate with nearby individuals instead of moving far, which can lead to inbreeding when populations are small.