[bawner00]

hey here's some information i've found, hope you enjoy it!!!


tokay geckos commonly live in people's homes within their native range, they often hide behind picture frames, furniture, or in attics during the day. at night, they leave their retreats to forage for food on walls and ceilings.

in tropical asia, many stories have developed about these large lizards. people mention that boys in malayan towns will sometimes tie a tokay to a piece of string end lower it from a second story window or rooftop onto the hat of a passerby. when the toe pads and claws touch the hat, both the lizard and the hat are pulled up to the youngster. people further note that to many malayan people, the tokay gecko is a symbol of good luck. the length of time between a new house being built and the firt tokay barking is keenly noted. a tokay's call soon after the birth of a human child is thought to signify a happy life for the infant.

other local people have related that in parts of southeast asia, it is considered good luck if a tokay bark seven times in a row. conversely, it is considered bad luck for the family if a tokay ceases to bark or is found dead inside the house. elsewhere in southeast asia, in the philippines, church bells in many areas ring at 6:00 PM. this is about the general time of the evening thet tokays come down off the ceilings of people's homes and crawl toward the floor of the house to pick off ****roaches and other insects. in many rural areas, the tokays are thought to be coming down to "kiss the ground" and to make a short prayer, as local people stop when they hear the church bells and give a short prayer themselves. another common belief is that when tokays kall a lot, it means it is going to rain hard. still another folk myth is that if a person purposely tries to injure a tokay, it will jump from the ceiling and become affixed to his or her skin. the person may be unable to get it off. generally, in the philippines, tokays are apreciated for eating unwanted insects in homes and buildings. people in the various asian countries in wich tocays occur describe their vocalizations slightly different. in the philippines, a tokay's most commonly uttered call is sounded out as to'-ko, to'-ko, to'-ko.

regrettably, in several other asian countries including china and vietnam, tokays are often killed and they parts are prepared for use medicinally. people report that tokay gecko parts and a powder made from tokays are eaten in the mistaken folk belief than doing so will relieve respiratory-related conditions such as coughs, asthma, and symptoms of tuberculosis. hopefully, as these areas become more cosmopolitan, these negative practices toward tokays will diminish.

in hawaii, were tokays have been introduced, some residents have been baffled by the type of animal making the noise they hear.

[Emily]

I work with 7 Philippino nurses. When I told them I got a tokay and showed them a picture, they told me stories of growing up with them in their houses! They were all told as children not to touch them because they bite.

[holocaustto]

Thats awsome
I knew some of them... it's very interesting!