Tokay Gecko: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Skinks, Geckos and Snakes · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Tokay says its own name. The word copies the loud croak of the male, and Malay names for this call gave English the word gecko.
2. Its sticky toe pads can hold its whole body on a wall for a long time, which makes the tokay a strong climber.
3. This gecko has no eyelids. A clear scale covers each eye, and it keeps its view sharp by wiping the scale with its tongue.
4. Its soft blue-gray skin is dotted with orange or red spots, yet the tokay can shift its colour to blend in with its surroundings.
5. When breeding, a pair forms a small family and cares for the young. They can tell their mate and babies from other geckos by smell.

The quiz

1. Where does the name tokay come from?

• A famous explorer
• A river in India
• The male's call (correct)
• Its orange spots

The name imitates the sound the males make.

2. What lets a tokay hang on a wall for a long time?

• Its toe pads (correct)
• Its long tongue
• Its sharp teeth
• Its tail spines

Its foot pads can hold its whole weight on a vertical surface.

3. How does a tokay clean its eyes?

• It blinks its eyelids
• It rubs them on leaves
• It waits for rain
• It licks them with its tongue (correct)

It has no eyelids, so it wipes the clear scale over each eye with its tongue.

4. What can a tokay do with its skin colour?

• Glow in the dark
• Change it to blend in (correct)
• Shed it every night
• Make it see-through

It can change its skin colour to blend into its surroundings.

5. How do tokay parents recognise their own babies?

• By their colour
• By their size
• By their smell (correct)
• By their call

They tell their mates and young from other geckos by smell.

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