Tokay gecko help?

[Cuppencake]

I posted in the n00b forum and someone said I should try the tokay board, so I do apologize if I'm doing something wrong!

Hi! A few days before my birthday my dad got me a lizard in replacement for my dog dying, and as I know it IS a tokay gecko, I have a few questions about it. I am pretty sure that it's a male, the guy I got it from was completely horrible and didn't even have substrate / heating AT all. I went to my local petsmart and apparently the reptile guy has never heard of such gecko and has no idea what to tell me. uwu; anyways! My gecko is very agitated because my dad is dumb and decides to pick him up and hold him for 3 straight hours, he didn't eat for a week. I finally got him to eat 7 crickets. I dusted half of them on calcium because I wasn't sure how he'd take it as he's never had anything like that before. I named him Spyro, I didn't see the name "grumpy" fit. My dad also got bit too. Right now I have him in a 30 gallon tank with coconut husk substrate, a heat rock, a piece of wood, soaking dish and a infrared uv lamp. I have some pictures and he looks mighty happy. More than he was before. Anyways I noticed that on his tail he was shedding? And he hasnt been eating either. A few days ago he crawled into his rock and stayed there with his tail hanging out one of the holes. Today he came out. But when he was in the rock he didn't even bark or growl or anything when I put in some crickets like normally. What's up?

 

[Aimless]

He sounds pretty unhappy.

A heat rock isn't a good way to heat a tokay's cage, and they are notorious for overheating and killing geckos. I would strongly recommend a che.

Also, can you post pictures of both gecko and setup? Tokays need safe places to hide, preferably vertical, and they need fairly high humidity.

 

[Cuppencake]

I think it's a heat rock that's what the guy told me but idk. I got a infrared from the pets tore and it's a 50 watt. I still need to remove the top on it because it's horrible ventilation. I need to find out how much the screen tops are too so I can place the lamp up top


This was the tank when I got it;
http://puu.sh/5yYCo.jpg

This is it after I spent money to buy him stuff that he never had before
http://puu.sh/5yYLH.jpg
http://puu.sh/5yYSh.jpg

And maybe you guys could help me decipher if it is a female or male?
http://puu.sh/5xNk2.jpg

 

[Aimless]

Is the bulb in the tank? This is not good. Just like with hear rocks, they can burn and even kill your gecko. Reptiles know they need to get warmer but can't always discern when it's too warm.
This tank is set up more for a terrestrial gecko than an arboreal tropical gecko. I can see why he is not happy. I would strongly encourage you to spend a little time reading the Tokay forum on here, in particular paying attention to housing threads. Also, the DIY and naturalistic subforums can be searched for "Tokay" and get some great examples.

 

[Cuppencake]

Yeah. I hope it doesn't seem like im careless or nything, I'm using my phone ugh it's completely dreadful searching on it but im Atleast trying. Uh yeah it's 10 inches away from the ground. I'm getting a screen top when I get my check and some other things aswell. The lamp doesn't seem to heat the tank through the walls though, but I didn't know, the reptile dude said since it was such a low watt that I could put it inside for now.

 

[zuper8]

I can see you are trying pretty hard to get it right for your Tokay. Glad you rescued him from your dad lol. I am a beginner too, but I've had my Tokay for 2 years now and I can relate to your situation. Everyone will want your setup to be perfect instantly, but I know that is unrealistic in most beginner situations. So, here would be my suggestion for priorities:

1. yes get the screen top like you planned, so you can put the heat lamp on the screen.

2. Get a temp and humidity gauge, you want one side of the tank to be like 85-90 degrees and the other side can be a bit cooler. You might have to buy a couple different heat bulbs before you know which one will get the temperature you want. It is hard to recommend a specific heater because it depends so much on what temperature the room is. I doubt a 50w will do the trick, maybe try a 75 watt and def take out the heat rock.

3. Get a pressure mister like this: All Living Things® Pump Sprayer - Humidity Control - Reptile - PetSmart

it is easier to use than a regular spray bottle and you can save up for a misting system that does it for you. Keep the humidity as high as you can. 60% and up! I mist my Tokay's tank 5 times a day at least.

4. You could put a couple of these on the back wall, they are cheap: Exo Terra Jungle Plant Amapallo - Habitat Décor - Habitats & Decor - PetSmart

5. Get some PVC pipe or a paper towel roll, he will like hiding in there. Tokays will be super stressed if they can't hide vertically. Anything flat that you can sit upright would be great, some people use a piece of slate. Heck even a piece of wood.

The water dish and coco fiber substrate are good, and change the water every now and then, he might like to drink out of it while you are still mastering the humidity levels.

That's great you got him to eat those 7 crickets, he will come around and eat more eventually. So just focus on getting him some cover and good temps/ humidity. He is already in a better situation than he was before, he is with someone who cares, so don't get discouraged.

 

[Cuppencake]

He actually licks the water off of the walls, I mist it whenever it looks like the water evaporates. See, I live in Florida so it gets kind of hot already, but it's been getting cold and I'm not sure how he reacts to that. The 50 watt bulb gives off heat, around 80 - 90 degrees aroUnd 6-7 inches away. Sometimes he just lays on the water dish. Yeah I got money, so after I pay my bills im going to go out and get the screen top and the temp and humidity gauge, some plants if I have enough! Yeah the tank before had this giant sticker of skulls on the front, obstructing the view from the front, and he painted the back of the enclosure, don't know what he was thinking. Looked like he just threw him into a tank and gave him nothing but a rock and a piece of wood. Nothing else. He was feeding him regular sized rats and other lizards. No way that can be good for him.

 

[Cuppencake]

Also, would just some oak bark work? And do I slant it in the enclosure or what? I guess however it fits right? Heheh.

 

[Cuppencake]

How is this?
http://puu.sh/5AUYR.jpg

 

[Cuppencake]

Okay! They didn't have any humidity or temp gauges so I just got the screen, a piece of wood and a plant and tongs.

http://puu.sh/5B2gT.jpg
http://puu.sh/5B2mD.jpg

 

[Aimless]

the bark placement is good, but I would add more. he needs to be able to get inside or between to feel safe.

 

[zuper8]

Ugh, I got my Tokay from a person like that too, tiny 10 gallon tank, hardly anything in it, and the whole house smelled like cigarettes!

I can see he likes that new hide already, cool! Those are all good additions. I know I have seen people here recommend that if you are using a long, flat tank like that to turn it upright. I have never done it before, but I know Tokays like the tank to be turned vertically so they can climb higher. They sell screen clips at Petsmart to keep the screen top closed in front, and I'm guessing you would put the heat lamp on top like normal. Can anyone else chime in who has turned a long tank upright?

That's awesome you live in FL, it will be easy to get the right temps/ humidity for your gecko.

Keep adding stuff as you can, it's actually pretty fun to do... because these geckos use EVERYTHING you put in there. I love seeing my gecko check out all the branches and things I put in there. I even got a cheap bamboo plant from the mall and I saw my Tokay climbing on it. The more crowded it is, the better for them. And yeah just slant the wood or bark against the wall so the gecko can climb behind it.

Here is how my tank is now, I am still looking to add more things. Got most of the items at Petsmart and the local reptile expo (they have one once a year near me and they have waaay better stuff than petsmart and it's cheaper. plus it's really fun to go).



Side view. I'm trying to make it as much like living in a tree as possible.

 

[Aimless]

you can also pick up fake plants cheap at thrift stores or dollar stores, or even use egg cartons and cereal boxes. building the "perfect" cage depends on your preferences and is usually a process that evolves over time, but inadequate cover that stresses your gecko can and will contribute to illness and problems feeding.

 

[billewicz]

Also, would just some oak bark work? And do I slant it in the enclosure or what? I guess however it fits right? Heheh.

You can go to Home Depot and purchase a couple of cheap slate floor tiles ($5) and lean them up against the back and side of the tank. Or, a foot long piece of 2" PVC pipe from Home Depot to lean up vertically in the back corner of the tank. (There are several good suggestions archived in this forum.)

Your Tokay needs to have a VERTICAL hiding place. Tokay live 24/7/365 on the sides of tree trunks and walls, etc. Forcing your Tokay to the ground is VERY stressful and will kill him in short order.

You can get a cork bark slab and lean it up against one of the slate tiles to create a vertical hiding place for him. See photos.



Also, an under the tank heating pad is also a good secondary heater for Tokay enclosures.
Michael's Tokay Hoard

 

[billewicz]

And maybe you guys could help me decipher if it is a female or male?

Both sexes have the dimples/pours but only males have the waxy extrusion coming out of the pours.

You can run your fingertip over the V going from the tail moving up toward the belly. If you feel any sticky stuff over the V, It's a male. If it's smooth, It's a female. This is all assuming it's older than about 8 months. First photo is a male, the second is a female.



Good luck and all the best,

Michael's Tokay Hoard
www.billewicz.com

 

[Cuppencake]

Thanks! I got some more stuff. Not sure if I posted pictures or not but he definitely loves it a lot more. I got a cork round, I set it vertical. There's also a hole at the base if he wants to climb out from there. Got a plant, and tempiture / humidity gauges. Temp is at 80f and humidity is 70% he comes out at night and runs across the top of the screen top. I swear I'm trying to do my best, and my uncle just harasses me about it. He isnt experienced in it and is one of those people who thinks he knows everything because he read a poorly written caresheet. Every time I feed him etc he's complaining how he's not supposed to be kept in a cage because it's unnatural and they hate it. Ugh. I'm trying to him to my place. Carrying a 30 gallon to my house from my parents would be dreadful.

 

[Cuppencake]

He for some reason no longer finds interest in Crickets. I may buy some mealworms and try those out. Would I also have to dust those in calcium?

 

[billewicz]

He for some reason no longer finds interest in Crickets. I may buy some mealworms and try those out. Would I also have to dust those in calcium?

Don't waist your time with the worms. Chances are good he won't touch them. Tokay do not usually forage in the dirt and under leaf litter for worms in the wild and have no instinct to eat them in captivity. (Even if he does take them, there very little nutritional value in them.)

If you have just set him up in a new enclosure, or changed/added stuff, he will need some time to adjust. If it is cooler in his enclosure, this will trigger a slow down in consumption as well. Remember the ambient room temps cause most of the enclosure to cool down in winter.

If someone near you breeds Goliath Hornworms, (or available online) he might go for those, usually with gusto. But he'll want to eat crickets in a week or so regardless.

 

[Cuppencake]

Hmm, the temp has been at a constant of the normal required temp and I haven't added anything in a few weeks.

 

[billewicz]

OK, so the next time you have a low pressure system, (raining outside), mist him heavy and then introduce your dusted crickets at dusk.

This can trigger a hunting and, this time of year, a breeding response. Which, by the way can explain his not eating right now. I have a few lone males that do this. He's lookin' for a mate. Is he calling?