Tokay Gecko — care sheet

Intermediate. The husbandry itself (tall tropical setup, insects, high humidity) is very doable. What bumps this to Intermediate is temperament: tokays are famously bold, fast, and will bite hard. They are a look-don't-touch display animal, not a beginner's "hold me" pet. Skip this one if you specifically want a lizard to handle.

Insectivore. Feed a rotation of appropriately sized feeders: crickets, dubia and discoid roaches, red runner roaches, locusts/grasshoppers, hornworms, and silkworms. Prey should be no larger than the space between the gecko's eyes (roughly its head). Juveniles daily, adults every other day, offering what the gecko eats in about 5 minutes. An occasional pinky mouse or crested-gecko diet can be given roughly 2x/month as a treat, not a staple.

Minimum for one adult is a tall 24 × 24 × 48 in (60 × 60 × 120 cm) per modern authority guidance (ReptiFiles, The Bio Dude); bigger is better. These are arboreal, so height and vertical climbing space matter more than floor space. One tokay per enclosure, always.

A warm basking spot of 90-100°F (32-38°C) measured with a digital probe on the basking surface. (Some sources cite up to 105°F; keep the true basking surface in the low-to-mid range and always offer a gradient.)

80-85°F (26-29°C) on the cool end, giving the gecko a real thermal gradient to move through.

A natural nighttime drop to about 75-80°F (24-26°C) is fine; do not let it fall below ~75°F (24°C). Use a non-light heat source (like a ceramic heat emitter) if the room gets cold, so you don't disrupt the day/night cycle.

Yes, provide low-level UVB. Tokays are nocturnal so they can technically survive on dietary D3 alone, but modern keepers get healthier animals with UVB. Aim for a Ferguson Zone 1 basking UVI of about 1.0-2.0 using a T5 or T8 tube such as a Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 or an Arcadia ShadeDweller, mounted so the basking branch sits roughly 6-10 in below the lamp (measure with a Solarmeter to be sure). Replace UVB bulbs every 12 months.

High: aim for roughly 60-80% average, measured with a digital probe hygrometer, allowing it to cycle down between mistings rather than sitting soggy. Mist 1-2x daily. Ventilation matters just as much as moisture; a stagnant, waterlogged tank causes skin and respiratory infections.

A moisture-holding tropical substrate at least 2 in (5 cm) deep: coconut fiber (Zoo Med Eco Earth), a soil mix like ReptiSoil or Exo Terra Plantation Soil, or a bioactive soil blend. Loose substrate holds humidity and supports live plants; a planted/bioactive setup with cleanup crew is ideal. If using loose soil non-bioactively, spot-clean constantly and replace it every few months.

Dust feeders and gut-load. A common approach is an all-in-one like Repashy Calcium Plus LoD dusted on feeders at each meal. If using plain supplements instead: calcium with D3 (more often for growing juveniles than adults, e.g. daily for juveniles vs. 2-3x/week for adults) plus a reptile multivitamin about 1-2x weekly. Gut-load insects for 2-3 days before feeding.

Typically 10-12 in / 25-30 cm, with large males reaching up to 16 in / 40 cm. Tokays are one of the largest true geckos and are noticeably heavy-bodied.

Commonly 10+ years in captivity, and well-kept tokays can live 15-20 years. Buy captive-bred if you can and treat this as a long commitment.

See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: Refusing food for an extended period alongside weight loss or a thinning tail (dehydration/parasites/illness) warrants an exotics vet visit.; Stuck shed, especially around the toes or tail tip, that could cut off circulation.; Soft, rubbery, or bent jaw/limbs, tremors, or twitching, which can signal metabolic bone disease from calcium/D3/UVB problems.; Open-mouth breathing, wheezing, clicking, or bubbles/mucus around the nose or mouth, which can indicate a respiratory infection (often from too-cold or too-stagnant-wet conditions).; Any new wild-caught or freshly imported tokay: get a fecal exam, as heavy parasite loads are common.; Lethargy, sunken eyes, or a persistently gaping/limp animal that is unlike its normal bold self..