Tokay male call doubt

holocaustto · #1 06-19-2009, 08:46 PM

Hi everyone, I wanted to ask a few things about the male call in Tokays.
Do they call when they are alone looking for a female or the female has to be in the tank? I want to know if my male woll start making this call alone or just as I put the Female with him.
About the sound, I know one (the one you can always hear in youtube) that sounds like "ge-cko"

YouTube - Tokay Gecko mating call

but I've red about a call that sounds more like "To-kay" or "To-keh" (The one that gives them the name as I know) is it the same one?

Thks!

cliff_f · #2 06-20-2009, 01:04 AM

That is their mating call. It is to attract females, so you do not have to have a female in the tank.

holocaustto · #3 06-20-2009, 02:02 AM

It means, as the Female is there, they will stop doing it? That's pretty much my doubt and if the "ge-cko" and the "to-keh" are 2 different sounds with different purposes or just the same one "listened in a different way", if you get what I mean :P

cliff_f · #4 06-20-2009, 12:27 PM

They will still call even if a female is present in the cage. That is their way to attract/showoff to the female.

Ingo · #5 06-20-2009, 01:40 PM

If a female is present, there is a tendency that the frequency of calls drop, especially in small vivs, where they have everything in sight.
But they still call.

Ingo

holocaustto · #6 06-20-2009, 01:45 PM

Perfect, thanks!

But I still want to know if "ge-cko" and "to-keh" are two different kind of calls or not :P

crestedtimm · #7 06-20-2009, 01:51 PM

Hey!

My male called every few days before I added a female to the cage.

NOW....he calls like every 45 minutes, day or night. And the female has already layed 1 clutch Im waiting on. There are two pieces of cork tube in the tank, and I believe that each animal has their own, so maybe he is like calling to her to come snuggle or something?

In reference to the different words they say: Sometimes it sounds like "To-kay" others its more "Gek-ko" and it is usually repeated 5-7 times in my experience. Also, the repeated calls are usually preceeded by a different sound that either sounds like someone knocking on wood a few times, or someone saying "hey". He usually ends his chorus with a single syllable as well.

So: Intro-Chorus- (5-7 times repeated)- closing note.

(My geckos are in my bedroom, or my gecko room has a bed in it, however you want to look at it.

Timm

holocaustto · #8 06-20-2009, 01:56 PM

Great !! hahaha, it seems like your male is pretty much a "Don Juan" :P
It would be awsome if you could record both of the calls so I can finally listen to the difference. I've seen lots of vids and for me it always sounds like "ge-cko".
So, as you say they are for the same purpose. The intro you say, I know exactly what it is :P