Gecko Question

[gjones]

Came across what seems as a family of medium size geckos living in the roof of my condo in Bangkok. I have always assumed that these were solitary creatures but it seems the larger gecko protected the smaller one as I approached.

Just out of shear curiosity can anyone enlighten my ignorance of these reptiles?

I know they are known locally as to “Tood Gay” or the “F U” gecko.

[baabaabobo]

Interesting photo.

More information here

I do not think they live in family groups and I have seen one actually eat a smaller gecko.

They are aggressive little bu@@ers!

[toptuan]

There is a LOT of information on these reptiles already on Thai Visa. Just use "lizard" and/or "gecko" in the search function. A more colorful thread with bigger pictures is here.

[sbk]

Tokay Gecko is the official name

www.anapsid.org/tokays.html for everything you ever wanted to know about Tokays.

[gjones]

Interesting photo.

More information here

I do not think they live in family groups and I have seen one actually eat a smaller gecko.

They are aggressive little bu@@ers!

Thanks, yes I had assumed this that the bigger ones ate the smaller ones, but these seem to live together under the ridge tile.

There are two smaller ones but only one in the picture, a medium size and a largest one which is well over 1ft or 300mm long.

As I approached the big one stood his ground while the others disappeared under the tile he or it then also retreated under the tile. I then noticed another big gecko again around the 300mm on the wall and as I approached it also made a dash into under the same tile.

I had observed them the night before and had prepared myself to take these photos last night the numbers seem to be constant as two small ones of about 90 to 100mm and one of about 200mm in length and the 300mm plus one, the second 300mm was a surprise.

[Sheryl]

Mine seem to be a family. 2 large and one baby, and tbhey stick together.

[gjones]

There is a LOT of information on these reptiles already on Thai Visa. Just use "lizard" and/or "gecko" in the search function. A more colorful thread with bigger pictures is here.

Thanks for the link Toptuan - http://www.anapsid.org/tokays.html

[SpaceKadet]

Yeah, I have a family of Tokay geckos living under the roof of my house. Gave them the squatter rights since they were there before I moved in. It's a definitely a family unit, must be now on 3rd or 4th generation. They eat the smaller house geckos (ChinChok), rodents and anything smaller than themselves. Thought they would clean up my roof from nesting green snakes, but no such luck.... Feisty little buggers, like to bite if you get to close, but not generally aggressive. In my opinion they do a lot of good keeping the house clean from rodents and bugs, so I let then squat, even if they make a mess and can be noisy on occations ...

[Sheryl]

Careful with those green snales in the attic, may be green pit vipers (they like high places) and they are poisonous. Not aggressive, though..most people who get bit do so becuase they reached their hand up into a place where the snakes are.

[SpaceKadet]

Careful with those green snales in the attic, may be green pit vipers (they like high places) and they are poisonous. Not aggressive, though..most people who get bit do so becuase they reached their hand up into a place where the snakes are.

I've checked them out, seems to be the Golden Tree Snake. Nice looking reptiles, but don't particularly like them in the attic.

And if they start nibbling at my squatter Tokay's, then it's WAR and snakes have to move for sure....

[IMChris]

It seems that every house in Thailand has a GECKO. Ours is a 2 footer, it;s seems that there is only anough room for one big Gecko and lots of small ones that run faster then he does. Yep they bite very hard.