[aquamentus_11]

ok, guys i need to know the final verdict on moving with tokays. i know it's not recommended and that they get stressed. i'll be moving on an almost monthly basis in the next few years and need to figure out now if i can keep him or if i should start making arrangements to find another home for him.

his tank and set up will obviously be kept the same. does anyone know how long it takes them to settle back down in such a situation? how stressed do they actually get after a move? i don't want to keep him in a perpetual state of unrest.

[Riverside Reptiles]

Nate, I think that his state of health is going to play a part in this. And I think the sort of distances and time of travel are going to play into it as well. If you're talking about just picking up his whole enclosure with him in it, putting it in the car, and driving an hour away every now and then, it's not likely to be a big deal. If you're talking about pulling him outof his home, breaking everything down, moving him 1,000 miles in a "gladware" container every month, that's a whole different thing.

[aquamentus_11]

yeah, while they wouldn't exactly involve 1000's of miles and salad bowls, some of the moves would involve 5-8h car rides through the appalachian mountains. regardless of his initial state, i would worry that his health would eventually degenerate. there again i'm at a loss because i have no gauge of how well these guys handle things like this. from people's responses, it sounds like tokays take a few weeks to over a month to calm down after being placed in a new setting. if so, mine would just be getting settled down when i'd have to move him again. like you said, ethan, my dude's doing so well right now, it seems such a shame to have to start him all over again every few months. i like the little grouch and feel guilty about this, but his well-being comes first.

any other insights or experiences with this? before i bought him, i asked the woman at the pet store if they did well despite frequent travel and she said yes.....

[daggekko]

The toughest thing for the Tokay and travel is going to be the temperature and humidity differences along the way. If you move from Atlanta to Chicago and set up everything the same your tank temperatures are probably going to get messed up. I personally think that if YOU can handle getting your temperatures correct very quickly in new environments the gecko could handle being moved monthly. But you also need to consider the car ride. I know I hate sitting in a car with the heat blasting. You'd probably have to get a shipping box with styrofoam and make sure it stays the proper temperature as well.

Sadly I'd say the best option would be to find him a new home and once you settle back down and stop moving start up again.

[aquamentus_11]

i was afraid of that i could get the temp and humidity back up no problem, i'd just hate to have to take him out every time and make it a huge ordeal.

the new problem is where to find him a home. he's doing so well! although they do a decent job with their current tokay, i can't give him back to the pet store because, as ethan said, who knows where he would end up. i've looked into it and the local reptile rescue is sketchy: i would never trust them to care for him properly. in fact, i don't trust anyone around here to treat him properly....i've put a lot of time and worry into my little dude and have enjoyed watching it pay off for him. i mean he still hates my guts and looks at me like i'm the antichrist, but i was looking forward to reversing that. what are my other options? i have some time to enjoy him still, but i have to start a plan NOW.

[daggekko]

You could probably find someone on this forum in your area that would be willing to give him a home. That would be the best option. If you can't make that happen you can always try craigslist.com. I hate using craigslist though because you get every idiot that doesn't even know what a gecko is trying to get it. It takes some time and frustration but I have rehomed geckos off of craigslist and felt like the new home was going to be a really good one. It is really getting too cold here to be shipping much longer so finding someone local to you is the best idea!

[aquamentus_11]

ok great. yeah, you guys are about the only people i know of that i'd trust. i'll have some pics up this afternoon/evening after he finishes shedding.

[daggekko]

Yeah, I have met a lot of great keepers on this site. The classifieds aren't to high in price either. If I remember correctly you can buy 5 postings for $5 or so. Once you know what your going to do with the Tokay I'd say get an ad up with some details so keepers in your area can contact you. Good luck!

[aquamentus_11]

thanks for the help, sir

[Ozymandias]

There is also an adoption forum on here that is free alternatively you could also try posting over at fauna too. Good luck