[Debbie]

Within a few months we are going to move to another house and our reptiles are going to get their own room
We were planning to release some geckos in the room, so they can eat escaped insects.
The most suitable gecko, for that purpose, would be the House gecko.
But since we feed our reptiles on adult Blaptica Dubia, that isn't going to work. The house geckos are way too small to eat them.

So we started thinking about other geckos who are big enough to eat the Dubia, and we came to think about Tokay geckos.
So, can Tokays be used for that purpose?
Won't they scare off our Rhacodactylus, since they are both nocturnal? And if this isn't a good choice, what larger gecko(s) do you reccoment?

Hope anyone can give us some advice

[Sgvreptiles]

I had a pair of Phelsuma standingi running around my room for about a year. They did great, ate from my tongs, and wound drink, Only thing that sucked, was shit on the walls.

['stoph]

shit on the walls.

I was thinking the same thing

You have escapees with roaches? You must have big holes in your vivs.
Will the room be on the right temperature and humidity to house gecko's?
No windows that can be opened?

You can feed Tokays with thongs if you have them sitting in a hiding place. When they have a room to wonder freely they will run from you to the ceiling or behind other vivs. Also they don't drink from still water so you'll need a little fountain in the room with running water.
You'll have to provide additional food - since they don't eat fruit and CGD you'll have to free some extra insects or put additional feeder isnects a high box without a top cover.
A Normal door won't be good you need something to keep insects from crawling out of the room and doesn't squish your gecko when opened.

[Debbie]

Thanks for the reply's

The room will be the right temp for Tokay's so thats no problem.
Our window's can't be opened and our doors are perfectly sealed.

The roaches escape when we pick them out of their container....

We never were planning to let them live on escaped insects only, we knew we had to give them additional feeding (so they get enough calcium and vitamines).
We also heard that they can eat an almost full grown crestie, so we are thinking it over. Maybe a pair of Ph. Mad grandis are a better choice....

['stoph]

We also heard that they can eat an almost full grown crestie

There are some pictures of them with a dead bird in his mouth and one eating a snake.
A day gecko will be more visible and it's easier when you can feed insects and fruit/CGD.

The extras for phelsuma: running water or a dripping system and a basking spot.

[Debbie]

Originally Posted by 'stoph

There are some pictures of them with a dead bird in his mouth and one eating a snake.
A day gecko will be more visible and it's easier when you can feed insects and fruit/CGD.

I did a google search and fond some of those too... So i guess it won't be a Tokay that we will set free in our reptile room....

Originally Posted by 'stoph

The extras for phelsuma: running water or a dripping system and a basking spot.

That is no problem.

[jabberwock486]

i would consider useing traps over live animals to control the roaches.

big problem is tokay geckos are not small, neither is their prey or their crap. so in effect you will have a lizard, or colony of lizards, crapping all over your house. if you hate bird crap on your car, imagine it on your walls. also such an animal could escape. we really should do our part to minimize the introduction of non-native species. habits like this can and may very well lead to our hobby being banned.

i would not trust an animal in the room either as it could be a source of infection. nor could i check its health. although it seems a novel idea its not something i would recommend. not unless you have a large warehouse or collection. also don't do this if you rent. as i said about being banned stuff like this is common. i use to be on call for the city for reptiles. if you move around alot don't do this. someone will have to clean that up and catch those animals. this angers home buyers, the city and others, thus they move to get stuff like this banned. you will miss animals or they may get loose and breed else where, including other homes if the location is good.


traps can be placed anywhere and do a good job. i use the glue traps and bait. dispose of the traps as you go.

[cooper01]

I'm not trying to really tell you what to do. Seriously, do what every floats your boat. There are some ethical and ecological problems with this idea. Is there going to be enough food for them? What happens if they reproduce? the real issue any ecologist will have with this is: what happens when one gets out? this is why there are breeding populations of all sorts of exotics in Florida. Non native species are as we find, not good for the overall biodiversity of the ecosystem. I know that this all sounds like a huge puff of smoke over a small idea and action, but its really the idea. Just wanted to put my zoological two cents in. Hope you don't hold it against me!!! I'm really not trying to be mean.

[Debbie]

It's not our intention to let them live only on the escaped roaches, we are going to give them dusted and gutloaded roaches and stuff.
We just don't want roaches walking around our house, so we were looing for another option. And we know lots of people with house geckos or small phelsuma in their reptile room and they are doing and breeidng just fine. But those species are to small to eat the insects we give to our reptiles.
The windows in the room can't open. And the doors are escape safe.
We live in Holland, the climate here is impossible for a Tokay to survive and breed (it rains most of the time and by now it's already freezing at night) is it ever got the change to go outside....

But we will think of other options.

[cooper01]

Thats a lot different. I was thinking of a place in the US that the tokays could live it they escape.