Photo Credit: Thomas Brown, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Tokay Gecko

Gekko gecko

Animal Class: Reptile

Length: 10-12 inches

Lifespan: 7-10 years

Diet: Insects and small vertebrates

Habitat: Eastern India, Bhutan, and southeast Asia

Description: There are two variations of tokay gecko, the red spotted and black spotted.

Tokay geckos are vocal, and the word “tokay” is an onomatopoeia of the sound male geckos make.

They’re also known for being able to grip and stick to surfaces using setae, which are fine hairs that help create more surface area and form molecular bonds.

Tokay geckos are aggressive and have a strong bite, but they aren’t venomous.

Like other geckos, they can drop their tail when threatened and regenerate it.

Conservation Status: Least Concern