"Taming" a Tokay

Vector · #1 03-07-2011, 04:45 PM

I am seriously thinking about getting a Tokay Gecko for my 18th birthday. I've been doing research on them for awhile and I think I am ready to own one. Something I really would like to do if I do get a Tokay is "tame" it down a little. I know some of you may suggest that I get a gecko that doesn't mind being handled such as a crested or leopard but I have a higher interest in Tokays and I'm not a big fan of leos like I used to be.

What are your thoughts on "taming" a tokay? Do you think its wrong to change their nature or is it okay as long as the animal is not being stressed and is healthy?

cookie · #2 03-07-2011, 04:55 PM

Well as long as you are confident in holding it, The tokay will be okay with you. I got my boyfriend one and on the second day of having him he let us pick him up. Now hes okay with it, at first he runs around but once you got him he calms down and is okay with the fact of you holding him. He doesn't try to bite us be he will open him mouth a bit to show hes a little upset and then he'll close his mouth and get cozy on my hand and then hes happy.

They feel what you feel. So as long as your calm and confident you should have no problem.

**Riverside Reptiles** · #3 03-07-2011, 06:59 PM

I don't "tame" any of my reptiles. I prefer for them to display normal (natural) behaviors. But to each their own.

Jheuloh · #4 03-08-2011, 10:43 PM

See Juve Tokay Gecko this thread for more opinions on tokay gecko taming.

My objective observations: Seasoned monitor, gecko, chameleon keepers, etc, have a strongly negative vibe associated with "taming."

My personal opinions: Probably depends on how one 'plays their cards' so to speak. Directly picking up an animal and holding it for a given amount of time seems to be a bad thing. Nobody really says anything about curling your hand up into a fist and waiting for the gecko to approach though. I did the latter with my leopard gecko (now passed away due to pinworm infection), and his tolerance of my presence seemed to genuinely improve as long as I was consistent. When I was inconsistent, however, he'd "fade back into the shadows", so to speak. But that's a leopard gecko, not a tokay gecko, so my mileage may vary if I try that with a tokay. Whether how I interacted with my leopard gecko was in the realm of "taming" is up for debate. Note that this is the opinion of an inexperienced person who reads a lot (inexperienced compared to the people who've been raising reptiles for the past, say 10 or 20 years, vs my mere 4 years of practical experience, of which the biggest leaps in husbandry knowledge being made in the last 2.) So everything I say is to be taken with not one, but two grains of salt.

Edit: The "place the hands into the terrarium still as a rock" sessions I tried with my leopard gecko lasted only for about 2 weeks, after that he was left be, unless I had to clean his terrarium, or when he had a pinworm infection, to give medicine. Eventually he came out during the night on his own will.

So, TL;DR: I would say it's not 'wrong' assuming the animal is in good health & stress levels are unaffected, although as I mature and gain more experience, my opinions may change.

thehotchik1000 · #5 03-08-2011, 11:02 PM

Most tokays will crawl on their owners once out of the cage. I seriously doubt any will approach your hand in the cage. That's their territory, and you are just a stressor. My opinion of handling my tokays is I only do so for cage cleaning, medical, and weight taking. Other Than that I prefer for them to be left Alone. It allows them to be tokays. I have a few cb adults that I have had since before they were even thought of, that will be ok being handled, although my handling Is letting them just walk around on me. Free handling of sorts. I have seen many people that have "tamed" their tokays and the animal Is generally stressed, underweight, and weak. This isn't every case but 99% of the tame tokays ive seen are sick. A healthy tokay will never be full tamed. You may be able to get the animal out of it's territory and have it tolerate you but most will also end up jumping and trying to run from you. Just my .02c.
Morgan

Jheuloh · #6 03-08-2011, 11:17 PM

People make similar comments about green iguanas; "The only tame iguana is a sick iguana." Seems that holds true for tokay geckos too.

lickyoureyeballs · #7 03-08-2011, 11:46 PM

You'll have the most luck a captive bred hatchling. We've got a tame tokay... It's doable.

Jheuloh · #8 03-08-2011, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lickyoureyeballs

You'll have the most luck a captive bred hatchling. We've got a tame tokay... It's doable.

Is he/she part of...

?

thehotchik1000 · #9 03-09-2011, 01:14 AM

Yes, like I said in my above post I have some adult cb that I've had their entire lives. They are ok out of the cage but getting them out of the cage is the thing. They will never jump willingly in my hand, and will bark if I put my hands in front if their faces to try and stop them from jumping. But they will climb on my arms and hands without issue.They Also arent too bad if I should need to pick one up from the ground or wall when they should jump. If you get a cb baby, it will require you leaving him or her Alone for quite awhile to accustom to you and the new enclosure but especially if they have had Human contact before are much less bighty than an adult that's never been touched. I feel that when they start to associate hands with "displeasure or stress" that's when you will always have an issue out of the cage. I take them out with a towel and place them on my open palm and let them jump from one hand to another. This allows me to weigh them easily, check for any medical problems one may have and also if a problem should arrise they are much more easy to work with.
Morgan