So I'm thinking about maybe getting some Tokays in February when the reptile show comes to Toronto. I've had Leos and AFT's for probably 5 years now and I love them but I'd like to branch out now. I know these guys are feisty and like to bite lol I'm just wondering what I need to do to get ready to bring them home. I'd like to get 2 or 3 of them can they be kept together? And how much space should I provide them? Do they bask, what's the ideal substrate? What should I look for when Im picking them out? thanks guys ^_^
Tokays are fun, spunky lizards! I had a tokay for years and he was a lot of fun - beautiful to look at, a treat to watch hunt, and full of various vocalizations. Their care is EXTREMELY easy as well, which makes them a nice captive. You can keep them in groups, 1 male to 2 females, or all females together. They generally cohabitate well, although watch for any signs of aggression, and bear in mind that you may well get breeding behavior in which case you will need to be prepared for any potential egg laying. For a trio I would go with something thats at least 3ft long and 2ft tall - height and length are more important for these geckos than floor space as they are arboreal. For substrate most recomend using comppressed coco-nut fiber (i.e bed-a-beast or eco-earth) as it holds moisture nicely, and also looks quite nice. If you are going to be purchasing young specimens then paper towels are a safe bet until they are full grown. Care should be taken to provide plenty of visual barriers - especially if you are going to house multiple geckos together. These geckos are quite large and robust so a few large peices of driftwood or corkbark that are sturdy enough to support them as well as provide shelter are important - along with various plastic (or live) plants, vines etc to help them to hide. A large water dish is needed to help keep the humidty up. These tropical geckos should be misted daily. They are noctural, but should be provided with a heat source - either a basking light or a heat pad (or both) that provides an area of the tank that gets to around 90 degrees. The cool side of the tank should be in the low 80's. I found that my tokay, even though nocturnal, did like to bask sometimes. A red light can be used to provide heat while also allowing you to see them more. The thing to bear in mind with these guys is that almost all specimens are going to be wild caught. With this in mind - make sure to pick healthy looking specimens. Look for any cuts, lumps or bumps, look around the eyes and mouth for any signs of mites or ticks. There should be no prominant bones sticking out (i.e - no hip bones or visible spine). Basically - look for stocky, robust specimens - not scrawny looking ones. With a healthy specimen these geckos are extremely hardy and relatively long lived - they are truly a great joy to have!
