Tokay Gecko

Organisms / Vertebrates / Reptiles

Gekko gecko

Big Pine Key (outside Tim MacDowell's house)

March 27, 2006

Photograph by Dr. Tom Goodwin

Descriptive Information

Field Marks: Bluish grey body with numerous and widespread red and cream-colored dots. Makes the sound “uh-oh.”
Size: 10 inches (25.4 cm) long.
General Habitat: Introduced species to Florida. Normally found in Southeast Asia and in the Malay Archipelago. Found in Scrubland, usually in more tropical areas. Tends to live around people (often found on house walls).
Range: South Florida, in the Miami area along the Atlantic Coast in Dade and Browar counties, and in Lee County along the Gulf coast.

Field Observations
The gecko was found on the wall on the outside of a house at dusk.  We kept our distance as we approached it. According to the house resident, Tim McDowell, the gecko is a regular visitor. He revealed himself when he first made an “uh-oh” sound and repeated it after Tim responded with an “uh-oh.” Since we were unable to catch him, we observed his body length relative to his position on the sidings of the house and substituted his body with a stick and were able to determine his size. He was quite large but still within the normal range of size for his species (20.3-36 cm). Bonnie remembered seeing this type of gecko at a pet store. She had wanted one as a pet but was discouraged from getting one because they are very aggressive. This species of gecko is not native to Florida, but it is often released by its owners when it is no longer wanted. It has survived because the temperature range in Florida is similar to the temperature range in its natural habitat. In Malaysia and Southeast Asia it eats cockroaches and other insects (it is used to control these pest populations). The Tokay gecko eats other lizards as well.

References
Conant, Roger and Josef Collins. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians Eastern and Central North America. New York: Houghton Mifflein Company, 1998.

Additional Photographs
The Tokay Gecko revealed his presence with a sudden, loud “uh-oh.”

Page developed by Bonnie Echeverria and Deborah Roquiz