Taming my 1st Tokay

Emilylovesherps · #1 09-21-2009, 12:18 AM

Training Crocodilians comes naturally to me, but my Tokay is a different story. I keep him in an Exo Terra tank, but the real question is, how do I begin? I've started petting his tail in the tank evey other day, which of course he doesn't like. I want to try to coax him onto my hand, but he barks immediately and gives a warning snap. I want to make each training session "end on a high note" with no negative barking. What should I do next?

T-ReXx · #2 09-21-2009, 01:31 AM

Keep doing what you've been doing. Tokays are high strung and it takes a lot of work and time to win their trust. Start with the tail touching and let him set the pace. The warning bite is mostly for show, he probably won't give you a serious bite unless he feels really threatened(as in grabbing him). Once he allows you to touch his tail without jetting off then and only then do you try to get him on your hand. It takes some nerve, and you will probably be bitten at least once. If he's captive bred you'll have better luck, most wild caughts never become tame.

It also depends on the gecko. I have tame tokays that act like leopard geckos, and captive bred ones that will bite hard no matter what I do. It's kind of luck of the draw, not all of them will become tame, and most will never be completely trust worthy not to bite.

tokeh · #3 09-21-2009, 05:06 AM

hi,
this is a verry intressting topic,
i'also want to tame my tokeh , i first have to wait for new juveniles so i can start from the beginning. the ones i've got at the moment are verry scared and agggresive.
will you please inform us how you are doing and tell us what progres you've made.

**Riverside Reptiles** · #4 09-21-2009, 11:41 AM

Emily, in the wild the male and female tokay bond by giving each other kisses. So, you must start every morning by giving him little kisses. He might try to kiss you back but that's normal. Once you get used to it, it won't hurt so bad

PS to any newbie reading this...it's a joke. I wouldn't suggest that you attempt to give kisses to your tokay. However, if you do decide to try it, please have someone there with you to take pics and please post them afterwards!

**Riverside Reptiles** · #5 09-21-2009, 11:42 AM

By the way Emily, dig through the old posts here. There's been a bunch of previous threads about taming tokay.

Emilylovesherps · #6 09-21-2009, 01:18 PM

Thanks everyone! He is a captive bred individual, thank goodness. I have had very bad luck in the past with wild caughts. I did buy a wild Tokay from a distributor here in South FL, and he didn't live a month. So I held out for a CB. I will let everyone know my progress, especially with the kisses (thanks Ethan lol). If there is one thing I've learned with training herps, it's that you must have extreme patience-one of my good qualities.

Thanks again for the tips.

holocaustto · #7 09-22-2009, 08:33 PM

Good luck! and please let us know about any kind of progress, it might help anothers as well.

Emilylovesherps · #8 09-22-2009, 11:43 PM

So I'm on day 4 of gecko taming. Made some decent headway tonight. I put on my Gila gloves (lol gardening gloves) because everyone keeps saying something about reaching under his chin. I was trying to do it barehanded, but it's like poking something in your eye-you know what's coming, so it's harder to do it! I gently petted his chin, and he did bark and give the same superficial bite a couple of times. I did want to mention the most noticable part of his aggressive displays are huffing and hissing. I found it very interesting-like he was winding up to the next level of threats. As soon as he clamed down after a display, he lightened his color, and it was much easier to pet him on the chin. I will continue the updates, as I start to see more positive progress. I am also including a photo of Brahma for you all to see his sweet smile.

holocaustto · #9 09-22-2009, 11:46 PM

beautiful!
It seems like you are doing a good job!
Please keep us updated.

T-ReXx · #10 09-23-2009, 01:44 AM

That's exactly the way to go about it. The thing to remember about tokays is that they aren't aggressive(at least when it comes to humans) they're defensive. They're reacting because they're afraid and they see you as a threat. Remove the threat factor and presto! tame tokay! It's a simple idea that takes patience and dedication. And of course don't rush him, anything that scares him severely will set you back to square one. Once he realizes that you come in peace, he'll stop being so worried and be less likely to react negatively.