What's The Deal With The Tokays (geckos)?

[Sheryl]

My experience was same as yours sbk until I attempted to evict them at which point they first tried evasion but once cornered began to snap and threaten most impressively. I think bite-wise, one is OK unless one provokes them. It was their droppings that got to me.

Update: The one who manged to elude eviction ran up into the roof area (space between ceiling and roof) and has remained there, for all know his evicted relatives may have joined him up there, which is fine with me as I don't have to see the droppings and am hoping they'll eat the bats and any other critters that are up there. They are chasing something around in the dead of night, that's for sure, judging by the racket I hear. I've sent the cat on up to investigate several times but she always comes back down in short order, which suggests it's not mice. She doesn't hunt or bother the tookays, never has (smart cat!)

There's a very large colony of them living in the garden shed-cum-spa, I just let them be as a lower level of cleanliness applies there than to my home proper.

[Gary A]

We just had another tokay encounter. My wife opened the back screen door and he must have been hanging on the top of the door. The door opens in and he dropped on the kitchen floor. The wife got her broom and the chase started. From the kitchen to the dining room back to the kitchen. He got behind a movable kitchen cabinet. My wife put her hand in a plastic bag. I don't know how much protection that gave her, (none). I told her to go get one of my welding gloves but she told me to just move the cabinet. She had him cornered and when he made a run for it, she grabbed him. Out he went.

[eek]

GaryA, i love reading your tokay stories! You should pen them under a title such as "Tokay Tails/Tales"

[JonnyF]

Tokays have a jaw that locks similar to a pitbull.

That said, in the 18 years I have lived in Thailand, with tokays in my bedroom (well --only one) I have never been bitten or attacked. But then, I tend to leave them alone. I get my husband to catch them and remove them. And, since he knows what he is doing, he never gets bitten either.

They will move back btw.

Thai people are told as small children that if they aren't good the tokay will come and bite them and I have yet to meet a Thai woman (and lots of men) who aren't fearful of these creatures. Personally, I like them. The poop is annoying but a small price to pay for a creature that helps keep my house clean of roaches and mice (yes, mice).

**edit** I have to add that I just remembered that young children are told the tokay will come and eat their liver if they aren't good. Not just bite them. Sorry

Not too sure about the Tokay, but the notion of a pitbull having a locking jaw is a myth. They have the same jaw mechanism as any other dog but the strength of the jaw muscles has given rise to the myth.

Really interesting thread, I wonder if the Tokay really does have a locking jaw? I've never seen one but they look quite scary!

[sbk]

Yes, I have since found that out about pit bulls. But didn't another poster say he had to pry the jaws off his wife or some such thing? Maybe not locking but they have some serious jaw strength as I have seen a full grown tokay eat a mouse by crushing it to death in its jaws.

[baabaabobo]

Not in the least intimidated by an adversary hundreds of times bigger than it, the tookay will often attack any human that dares to disturb its hiding place atop a door jam, behind a picture frame, or hidden in the thatch of a beach bungalow. The lizard's powerful jaw and needle-sharp teeth can easily puncture skin, inflicting a painful and infectious bite. The more one struggles to be released, the tighter the vice-like jaws clamp closed.

What is the correct thing to do to get them off if they latch onto you? (Good to know just in case)

There is still one more in the house which has so far evaded capture and a large number of them in the garden shed.........

I had a friend once who caught snakes. One day he caught a huge Burmes python and the press were called to take a photo. While we held this beast up for the photoshoot it wriggled and was able to bite my friends hand. Although not venomous the fangs went in a long way.

All attempts to make the snake let go caused considerable pain and did not work. Eventually we thrust his hand into a bucket of water. When the snake could no longer hold it's breath it let go. I would suggest doing the same with a latched on Tokay.

[Knightsbridge]

a zoologist friend told me the only way to get a tokay's jaws to loosen its grip from your finger is to fill a basin with water and then hold the tokay under until it loosens... and then get the hel_l away ...

also watched the zoologist pick one up - he first put a stick in its open mouth and naturally it snapped shut. And then the guy picked it up with ease and released it outside...

Not in the least intimidated by an adversary hundreds of times bigger than it, the tookay will often attack any human that dares to disturb its hiding place atop a door jam, behind a picture frame, or hidden in the thatch of a beach bungalow. The lizard's powerful jaw and needle-sharp teeth can easily puncture skin, inflicting a painful and infectious bite. The more one struggles to be released, the tighter the vice-like jaws clamp closed.

What is the correct thing to do to get them off if they latch onto you? (Good to know just in case)

There is still one more in the house which has so far evaded capture and a large number of them in the garden shed.........

[TBWG]

a zoologist friend told me the only way to get a tokay's jaws to loosen its grip from your finger is to fill a basin with water and then hold the tokay under until it loosens... and then get the hel_l away ...

also watched the zoologist pick one up - he first put a stick in its open mouth and naturally it snapped shut. And then the guy picked it up with ease and released it outside...

Not in the least intimidated by an adversary hundreds of times bigger than it, the tookay will often attack any human that dares to disturb its hiding place atop a door jam, behind a picture frame, or hidden in the thatch of a beach bungalow. The lizard's powerful jaw and needle-sharp teeth can easily puncture skin, inflicting a painful and infectious bite. The more one struggles to be released, the tighter the vice-like jaws clamp closed.

What is the correct thing to do to get them off if they latch onto you? (Good to know just in case)

There is still one more in the house which has so far evaded capture and a large number of them in the garden shed.........

Hi

I have been advised that if one bites you say on the arm just lay your arm on a hard surface preferably the floor and once the tokay has a foothold it will release and just run off. Sounds logical. but I must say fortunately I have never had to put it to the test.

However this does sound preferable to the local myth of having to wait until the next thunderstorm before it will release it's grip.

This is a good opportunity to repeat a saga from my blog ...........

Well thats about it I have run out of material until I get back to Thailand in about 6 weeks time.

But before I sign off I thought I'd introduce you to Toby, he is rather partial to the odd cockroach but is obviously missing some female company judging by the racket he makes all night by the bedroom window where he announces his availabilty to all the local females!

So I though I would have a cheap laugh on him when I saw a realistic looking toy rubber tokay in the market, blow the expense (20 baht) if it shuts him up at night.

I positioned it on the fence right under his penthouse suite (under roof tiles) and wait to see if he would fall for it.

Five minutes later the sister in law is screaming like a banshee and laying into the defenceless toy with a big broom.. so it must have been realistic looking, but if Toby saw that from his high rise vantage point he won't be taken in by the Tokay version of a blow up sex doll... ah well back to plan B! That's the ear plugs.

I just hope he has scored by now as I would like a decent nights sleep when I return.

TBWG

[canuckamuck]

Long before I ever thought about moving to Thailand I bought a tokay at a Canadian pet store. I knew nothing about them but soon discovered that they have a lousy personality. I got bit more than once, but I can assure you that he (buzz) always let go. The first time was quite a shock however and buzz found himself flying across the room from my reflex. Anyhow, I never had any tooth marks, so I believe their teeth are not an issue. But they bite hard so hold their head down with a stick and then grab them by the neck. Your next problem is getting them to let go of what they are attached to. If you are patient they will let go, if not get someone to spray water on them and they will lose their grip.

BTW I haven’t had a reason to handle one in Thailand in the five years I have been here. And they won’t bite unless you touch them.

[Carib]

A kind of different tokay. Iguana`s I have these around where I am now.

These fellows like to come inside, but you can always hear them, the nails make noise on the floor.

The one inside is a young one, still greenish. The older ones are about 1 meter up to 1.20 and since I am the only one without dogs here, ( cannot have dogs since I am on the move a lot) they all gather in my garden /trees/shrubs/whatever.

The `king` of the garden is not afraid of me, I can easily approach him uptill the moment that he swings his tail to one side, than I know I reached the limit. I am in reach of his taillash. Believe me it hurts.

If these fellows come inside and I want them out it is always a game, but if they panic, the will climb in every thing hanging down or even will try to run up the refrigerator/bookshelves /desk/whatever.

I throw a towel over them, and than another one just to make sure that they experience darkness.

Than I just pick them up and put them outside. No struggle at all.

So maybe you could try that with a gecko/tokay, of course if it is in the position to make that possible.

Turds?? These fellows would make an average small dog ashamed of its product....

Edited October 6, 2008 by Carib

[PoorSucker]

Thanks Carib, nice pic, a Iguana threesome.

[PoorSucker]

hmmm. a double post.

Just ignore.

Edited October 7, 2008 by PoorSucker

[Patsycat]

I wouldn't like to hear the pitter patter of iguana feet in the middle of the night..

[Carib]

I wouldn't like to hear the pitter patter of iguana feet in the middle of the night..

Lol, just make sure you have some towels ready...

[meandwi]

It is true when a lizard bites it holds on! Grab it behind the skull/jaw, squeeze and pull up on its skin. It will release. I play with the kids all the time with local lizards and hang them from my ears, lizard earings are too cool!

meandwi