Diet Menu for Tokay Gecko

Diet Menu for Tokay Gecko

Gecko is a reptile that likes to eat insects. All kinds of insects. Typically, they hunt for food at night

Tokay geckoes are insectivorous.

For zoo diet

In captivity, they usually feed on mealworms, cockroaches, crickets, grasshoppers, pink mice, and locusts.

Your tokay geckos should thrive on on a diet of wax worms, meal worms, and crickets. Wax worms tend to be a little too fatty, so use them sparingly as a treat. But before that,you will want to dust the food items with a reptile multivitamin powder. The vitamins will lessen the chance of Metabolic Bone Disease, which is fairly common. Every respectable pet store carries multivitamins so it should be a readily available commodity.

To make sure all the food goes in and out without any type intestinal blockage it is a great idea to only offer food that is no larger than the width of your gecko's head. Also make sure to feed the crickets a nutritious cricket feed 24 hours or so prior to offering them to your tokays. I know its cliche, but you are what you eat! Lizards are no expection. :)

Hatchlings will need to be fed 1-2 times daily, and juveniles should be offered food once a day. You will only need to feed adults around 5 times a week. Some people like to offer their adults a pinkie mouse monthly as a special treat, but I personally don't do this. It doesn't bother me to feed mice. I just don't see how it could benefit their health.

Proper tokay gecko care requires that you remove any crickets that have not been eaten after 10 minutes or so. They can stress your lizard out if he is not hungry by crawling all over him. A lot of people don't know that crickets bite. They will try to nibble little chunks out of your reptiles!

Feed

     Tokays require a mixed diet. You can feed them crickets, mealworms, superworms, pinkie mice, cockroaches, and other insects. Adults should be fed 3-4 times a week while young are feed daily.

     A water bowl is not needed. Tokays require daily misting and a dripper. Remember when misting to use hot water. This is because the water cools very fast when coming out of the mister. Simply spray the plants and the gecko will drink the droplets.

Gutloading

     For keeping a healthy pet, it is also required to keep your food well gutloaded. This is because your herp gets all the food and nutrition form it's food. An if a cricket has an empty stomach then your gecko will be getting no nutrition.

     Crickets are basically an exoskeleton. They do not hold nutrition very well unless they have it in their stomach. This is way it is so important to provide you crickets with a well rounded diet. For the easy way, it is recommended to use poultry or chicken mash to feed to your crickets. Make sure that it does not contain any steroids or other growth hormones. You may also use cat food though it is not quite as nutritious. Their are also product's called cricket gutload or cricket feed. These are acceptable too. Not only should you provide a good source of dry food, but you should also provide a fresh veggies or fruits. This will complete a good diet to provide back to your herp. Also this will provide a good source of water for your crickets. Stay away though from using iceberg lettuce as this has very poor nutritional value. You may also purchase another product called cricket water. This provides an good source of water too. Or use a combination or the too. Do not use a water bowl as crickets are dumb and can drown in a drop of water. This also make's it to easy for bacteria and disease to spread as crickets will excrete their wastes everywhere.

     Mealworms are easier provided that you feed well gutloaded crickets as part of their diet. Simply provide a container with a rolled oats or wheat bran  for their food source and substrate. Five them also some sort of vegetable or fruit once a week.

     Potatoes, mustard greens, and dandelion greens are an excellent source of nutrition.  Potatoes, carets, and oranges provide a good source of nutrition with providing a great source of water. Please remember though to replace the fruits or vegetables every couple days as it will start to mold which can be harmful. Also when using dandelion greens, it advisable to get them from the supermarket or make sure that your lawn is not sprayed or have received overspray from the neighbors yard from any chemicals such as weed killers, pesticides, or fertilizers. They can be deadly for both your feed and herp.

Supplements

     Even with proper gutloading, it is still recommended that you supplement your herps food with vitamins and calcium. Providing these supplements is easy. The main way is simply adding a tiny bit of supplement to a baggy, add the food and shake a few times to lightly coat it. Their are also sprays, drops, and water drops. Dusting is the preferred way, unless needed to for health reasons.

     You will also need to provide a bowl with calcium. This allows them to be able to eat extra calcium when needed. I also add a tiny amount of vitamins mixed it with mine, but this is just something extra that I do.

     Dusting you their food is needed depending on the age, size and season of your geckos. Adults require dusting their food once a week with both calcium and vitamin powders. This generally provides the amounts they need without overdosing or becoming deficient. Use the Calcium with Vit.D3 on every other dusting with the adults as two much has been causing some debate as to Vit.D3 overdosing.

     For hatchlings, juveniles, and gravid females, it is recommended every other day to dust their prey. Please note, you will only want to use the calcium with vit.d3 once a week. Other then that use the regular calcium.

     Calcium is important in proper bone growth along with egg production in gravid females. Without the proper about of calcium, they will develop MBD. This will include signs of weakening of he animal, limbs not growing strait, mouth line uneven or not strait, and improper development of the jaw. Females need it when producing eggs. They will require high levels of it for strong eggs and to lay the eggs. Not enough calcium will cause soft and brittle shells along with the female becoming egg bound which can kill her. Even if you don't breed your female. She will still need extra calcium during the breeding season as she will still lay infertile eggs. MBD is one of the main killers of herps. 

Perhaps for those of you who maintain a tokay gecko, and wants them to grow big and fasts. Quick ways to make large gecko with some of them are fed regularly. Type of food can be dried shrimp, crickets and other. As a supplement for your gecko is to give  boiled eggs every day. One boiled egg in a day is enough. If you still have other remaining eggs you can use it to make an omelet or martabak. For you, of course.

How About Breeding Tokay Gecko

How About Breeding Tokay Gecko ?

This does not look like a bad idea, especially for those who like reptiles. Perhaps if asked, there would be variety of reasons for people to keep a gecko. From my experience, every gecko breeder who was asked, why do they cultivate geckos? Most of them will answer that it was solely for business. And there is no other reason.
For those of you who are interested to become a gecko-breeders, surely you must have a gecko that will be grown or maintained. Whether it's for the preservation or just as a pet. In southeast asia  region, may be easier to get your geckos than in the other continent. But, I think that's  probably not  a problem now, because the gecko itself has become a commodity of exports. In Indonesia, in my hometown of Malang, to find geckos still practically easy. We can buy it at stores that sell pet, or to save costs we can look at the forest and the settlements that are often heard the voices of geckos. I myself had find a gecko in one village near my house. At that time, I use pvc pipe which I cut 50 cm long. To trap it, I put the pipe on a tree where the gecko perched. I put pvc pipe with a vertical position and I also put a few crickets as bait. As a result, in less than 1 hour, the gecko begin crawling down towards the pipe, it is because the smell the crickets, after the geckos crawled in and it's busy eating crickets, I shut the pipe and I brought it home. Easy isn't it?
When I got home, I see my catch considerably big, perhaps weighing 1.5 ounces. Then I put the gecko into a wooden box which I have previously made. And for the food, I give 1 ounce of crickets per day, and I give coconut water to drink, this is for fast weight increasing. 

For most people probably having tokay gecko is only intended to achieve  benefit greatly by selling it. With the circulation of rumors and news this makes gecko price soared with a variety of reasons, these make people more interested in finding and maintaining these reptiles. And of course this makes their presence in nature declining. If geckos continue to be hunted and traded over time these animals will become rare and really have a very high price. For its rarety of course.



 

Myths and Legends on Geckos Railway

Myths and Legends on Geckos Railway

              As one of the reptiles that may be less popular as pets, geckos proved to have a background that was impressive. In fact, these reptiles often helped color the human life in various aspects. In society, especially in southeast asia geckos have many legends and myths in people's lives.
In Indonesia, especially Java many people who believe if there are geckos that occupy our homes, it is believed that the house has a high air of magic. Where possible in the house are heritage objects are believed to be maintained by the geckos. Other Javanese legend also mentions, that the people whose house is inhabited by the house gecko is believed will always have good luck. Especially when the geckos often barking at night.

In Chinese tradition is also believed, geckos, which have a bark as much as 7 or 9 times  is a gecko that can bring luck to its possessor. And indeed, usually a gecko would bark with the same amount, no less and no more. Strange, but it's real.

Even in the land of Java there is such a spell to call the geckos in the woods, it is said that the geckos are capable of showing the location of a powerful heritage objects.

Different with the Japanese, they allegedly glorifies these reptiles because they believe that the gecko has a dragon gene, or in other words the reincarnation of the dragon. So that these reptiles often sought to be used to complement an imperial rituals in Japan.

Maybe, there are many other legends and myths that accompany these reptiles, and it was still very trusted by some people in various parts of the world. This is also the cause  for geckos to have a high value on the market, for some circles.

For me, the gecko is one of the natural resources we must preserve with proper. Who knows  someday geckos would give real benefit  for humanity. Maybe one day geckos actually have the ability to cure AIDS.

For the Indonesian, especially Javanese people, preserving geckos also means preserving traditions and cultural from our ancestors.

What Makes it So Priceless

What  Makes it  So Valuable

The last few months in Indonesia, was widely circulated about geckos business that  are booming. It was said, the price of a kilogram of geckos size could reach billions of rupiah. Because of the great fortune, lots of people trying out this business. But do not be tempted trigger first, this business is still all covered with dark. What is clear is that there is high demand in the market for the geckos, and there is a lot of transactions conducted on geckos sale in Indonesia.
Gecko had only used as an insult to predict the weather by some people in  Indonesia, and now suddenly became most wanted reptile that has a high price. Although the market is limited, but demand for geckos seem to increase. You may believe it or not but this is a fact, because I have witnessed the transaction. Around the end of January 2010 yesterday, I asked one of my friends to the area of Pasuruan, East Java to deliver one of the guests who came from Jakarta, which he said looking gecko with 4 ounces of weight and he would appreciate with the price of 100 million rupiah. And sure enough, when we go to Pasuruan Warungdowo to the house of the gecko owner, after considering the weight and the result ared 4.2 ounces of my friends guest had taken a direct phone and call somebody and told him to transfer a sum of 100 million rupiahs to the account of the gecko owner. He had checked his account within one hour, and sure enough after half an hour talking, the gecko owner immediately checking his bank account and , a hundred million dollars has been included in the bill. With a little gasp with pleasure the gecko owner said "I'll find some more geckos again for you, sir!" No need to get a kilo, geckos weigh three to four ounces allready sell at a price of  100 million to 150 million Rupiahs. Only gecko weighs three ounces valued least expensive, while the weight just a little less price has fallen dramatically. Even now, I still having hard time to believe, but it really happened. This really makes me wonder what really makes the house geckos have become so expensive.
Various new phenomena of the house gecko often accompanies the trip of  the house gecko that penetrating the business world. Various rumors and the reasons often put forward by various parties for a large profit. Some of the reasons that make house gecko prices soared among others are,

1. Circulation of rumors about the gecko's ability to cure HIV-AIDS, this story of origin is not clear because there has never been research and the news from any  media that describe the research on this reptile's ability to cure AIDS. But it is clear that rumors have been circulating actually makes geckos prices soared, especially those who have sought is 3.5-4 ounces of weight.

2. Indeed the Chinese medical techniques, some animals are able to cure human diseases. In the geckos, can cure some skin diseases such as itching and eczema. There's even a mention that the house geckos have enzymes capable of curing the tumor. But, the program is not clear truth.

3. In addition, meat and skin of the geckos also have a fantastic price. In Indonesia, on Probolinggo area gecko breeders who obtain orders remain in considerable numbers from an importer from China. So, no wonder if the price could be costly.

4. Another rumor is a lot of geckos are also sought by the Japanese, who allegedly said to be used for the completeness of a royal ritual in Japan. This is because Japanese people believe that the gecko is another incarnation of the dragon, maybe that makes them willing to pay a high price.

Various reasons and rumors have been delivered over the house geckos and soon can become an icon and deliver the geckos to be high priced commodity. And it is frequently used by those who are crazy money. I myself, now has two geckos in my house. Perhaps there is no harm in hoping that I will keep the gecko is sought and bought with a high price. However, do not worry I still like the existence of  these reptiles continued in nature, so I took the initiative to start breeding them. At this present  there are already exists 5 pieces of gecko eggs in the back of my closet, and I intend to keep them until they hatch later. How about you? Do you have a gecko eggs on the wall behind the cabinets of your home?

Tokay Gecko Profile

further discussion,

Behaviour

Tokay geckos are arboreal and solitary, nocturnal creatures who founded the area covered by males and occasionally supervised by a female. They formed a population in which a single polygynous male mating few females. These reptiles eat what they can catch chew. In captivity, usually a house geckos eat crickets, mice, and small lizards. They can change their skin. Gecko loves to bite, especially in a state threatened. They'll open their mouth wide when they felt threatened or to be captured. Usually hissing sound stating that they are going to bite. Another form of defense is to cut-off their tail, similar to the lizard. Gecko's tail will grow back within 3 to 4 weeks after the break, but will not grow up as perfect and as good as the original. Gecko does not like to be treated, which obviously they will bite. If used as pets, gecko is the perfect pet for those who just like to see and not touching their pet.
Gecko usually live in trees, crack rocks, caves, and even under the roof of our house, in my case, they have been living in the back of my closets for years.  
During the mating season, which lasts about 4-5 months, males often copulate with females, often grabbing them with their mouths during copulation. During the breeding period, females lay eggs every month. In order to attract a mate, a male has a call that can be heard in the vast region. It's hard "to-kay" sound is repeated several times. Females approached the male from behind, and they move side to side, while the male held female in place with its teeth, biting at the neck area. Looking for a female who placed the site, and when its found the right one, its affixes the hard-shelled eggs (oval; anywhere from 3 mm to 45 mm) for a solid foundation where they are guarded by both parents until they hatch. In captivity, Tokay gecko tends to eat their own eggs.
The Tokay gecko is the second largest gecko in the world. Adult males can reach 12-14 " in total length. Male Tokay geckos are slightly smaller averaging 8-10" long. An adult Tokay gecko averages 5-7 ounces in weight, but particularly large males may achieve weights closer to 11.5 ounces. Hatchling geckos Tokay start life at 3.5 "-4" and reach breeding age in 9-12 months, but it may take up to 2 years for a Tokay gecko is to reach full adult size. Male Tokay geckos are a blue-gray body color with spotting that varies in color from orange to redish-whitish-yellow. Tokays Females are a gray body with the same color spotting and generally not as brightly colored as the males. Both sexes have the ability to Lighten and darken their skin to some degree to help them blend into their surroundings.  
Usually these reptiles is not much liked by people, but actually geckos has helped many people overcome pest problems that often interfere with agriculture, it is because they like to eat insects. Hmm, I wonder what else they could do for us? 

Tokay Gecko Profile

Tokay Gecko Profile

 
Tokay gecko, Gekko gecko, house gecko, and other names represent this nocturnal arboreal reptiles. Gecko can also be called a big lizard, reptiles are included in the Gekkonidae family. . In other languages this animal called a teko or tekek (in language: Java), tokek (in language: Sundanese) and tucktoo or Tokay gecko (in languages: English).
Characteristics.

The Tokay Gecko came to the second largest species of Gecko, attained lengths for about 35-40cm (11-15 inches) for the males, and 25-30cm (7-11 inches) for the females, it can weights to 150-300g (5-10 oz ). They are Distinctive in appearance, with a Bluish or greyish body colour, sporting spots ranging from light yellow to bright red. Usually the male is more brightly colored than the female. They have large eyes with a vertical slit pupils. Eyes are brown to greenish brown and can vary from orange to yellow. Dorsal (back side) rough, with many large nodule. Bluish gray to brown, with the red spots to orange brick. Ventral (stomach, lower body side) blue-gray or yellowish vaginal discharge. Tail rounded, with six rows nodule striped. Toes are equipped with front and rear suction pads called scansor, which is located under the finger side. Used to attach to the slippery surface, it makes the gecko fingers look wider from above side.
Tokay Geckoes are one of the largest geckoes alive today with a length of around 35 cm. The body of a Gekko gecko is cylindrical, Squat, and somewhat flattened on the upper side. The limbs are well-uniformly defined and developed. The head is large and set off from the neck, and they have large, prominent eyes with vertically-slit pupils. The eyelids of these animals are Fused together and transparent. They also have remains of a rudimentary third eye on the top of their head, which is believed to coordinate their activity to light conditions.
The ears can be seen on the outside of the gecko as small holes on both sides of the head. It is possible to see straight through the head of these geckoes through their ears. Tokay Geckoes have a hearing range from about 300 Hertz to 10.000 Hertz.
They have soft, granular skin that feels Velvety to the touch. The coloration of a Tokay Gecko is very important to its lifestyle. The skin is usually gray with several brownish-red to bright red spots and flecks.
In the Gekko gecko, there are obvious male and female differences. The male is more brightly colored than the female and generally, the male is slightly larger than the female. A conspicuous difference between the sexes is the small amount of swelling at the base of the tail of the male, due to the presence of the two hemipenes. Also, the males have visible preanal and femoral pores and postanal tubercules.
Something that is very helpful to the Gekko gecko is their toes that have fine setae on them, allowing them to cling to vertical and over-hanging surfaces and move at fast speeds.
Males are very territorial, and will attack other male Tokays as well as other Gecko species, as well as anything else in their territory. They are Solitary and only meet during the mating season. Females lay clutches of one or two hard shelled eggs which are guarded until they are hatch.Tokays Renowned for their loud vocalizations. Their mating call, a loud croak, is variously described as sounding like gekk-tokeh or gekk, where both the common and the scientific name (deriving from onomatopoeic names in Malay, Sundanese, Tagalog, or Javanese), as well as the family name Gekkonidae and the generic term gecko come from. The call is similar to the call made by Gekko smithii (Large Forest Gecko).
 Gecko can change the color of his skin becomes lighter or darker in accordance with the conditions arrounds.They usually do so in order to blend in or to be less noticeable to other animals. Territorial sound harsh and peculiar, tokke ... ... tokkee, a basic reference to his name in various languages. Gecko is also often regarded as a "pitbull" in the world Gekko because when they bite something, the bite will not be released for several hours even days. Gecko bite could not be forced to get off without hurting the gecko's. One way to release the gecko bite is by immersing the animals in the water so that he would escape. The easiest way is with vinegar dribbled into the mouth geckos. Usually it is enough to make them let go. Gecko can change their skin and the typical lifespan is 7-10 years, however in some Tokays captivity have been known to live over 18 to 20 years.
To be continued...

 

About "Priceless and Most Valuable Tokay Gecko" Blog

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"Priceless and Most Valuable Tokay Gecko" 

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Indonesia is one of the island country of immense natural and cultural charm. Despite the political and economic conditions are far from stable, Indonesia was still able to enchant the world, with all kinds of charm. Tropical climate is quite distinctive, making it a perfect  place for different kinds of exotic and amazing fauna to live. And these amazing reptiles, may be one reason that could be popularized to the world of Indonesia's natural beauty.
  Gecko, yes that's a popular name in the community. This reptile turned out to have a lot of amazing stories. Perhaps this is also what makes geckos have a very high value in various circles. The various stories and myths accompany the gecko in its history. Starting from the myth of the tokay gecko as a talisman of luck, and or the rumors that have emerge saying that this nocturnal reptile can cure AIDS. If the first house geckos are not very popular in society, but unlike today, because whether it is caused by anything; that this explained, tokay gecko in the last cuople of years became a topic that lot of people talk about. Starting from the village to elite executives in the big cities have discussed this tokay gecko rumor. So that automatically makes the gecko a commodity with a very high price. In Indonesia itself, has a lot of news stories and discuss the advantages and benefits of this reptile. With rumors circulating that the house geckos are able to cure AIDS, making the price reaches millions to billions of rupiah. Although there is no scientific evidence or research that says the house geckos are able to cure AIDS, but high demand for it often appeared in public. Indeed, it is evident in Chinese medicine techniques, geckos are able to cure some diseases. Diseases such as porters, and as a supplement to add strength. Even some house geckos skin is used as craft and decoration materials. Until this very day, the house geckos phenomenon continues. With a variety of excuses that circulate in the community, making the price of the higher reptiles. It's much buying or selling a house gecko is happening in Indonesia, and mostly done by foreign buyers from other countries. About the truth of this, I, as the owner of this blog is still not know for sure. And this is one of the reasons I made this blog, to share information with the world.
Looking at current conditions, particularly in Indonesia's population own a house gecko has been reduced. According to Indonesian agriculture official, house geckos great potential to reduce insect pests that often interfere with the farmers, because it is the staple food of most geckos are a variety of insects. So, is geckos will eventually become endangered animals? With the increasing buying or selling a house gecko is happening in Indonesia and other countries, the scarcity of house geckos are likely to occur. It is just a matter of time.