Okay so I have been thinking about getting a tokay for a little while now. My biggest concern is their "barking" sounds. Do they tend to make tons of noise? I would be keeping it in my bedroom, would it disturb me trying to sleep. I have fire bellies who bark a lot at night and that doesnt bother me, but are they really loud and do they constantly produce sounds or is it just every so often? I currently have four crested geckos, and I know that Tokays have one of the worst reputations and can be extremely aggressive with painful bites... But i am okay with that.. lol I currently have a bunch of extra tanks and accessories... What would be the best option? I have an empty 10 gallon tank with screen lid & lock. I have a 20L that can be placed on its side so it is tall, with a sliding/locking screen lid. The Tokay I have been interested I would say is about 8-10 inches. But I'm not really that sure, just a guess from when I had seen it before. I've also got a heat lamp that can go up to 150 watts, not sure what size bulb is in it now, but I had it turned on for only a few minutes and it reached 80 degrees about 12-15 inches below pretty quick. If either of those tanks would work, All I would need is some branches/leaves etc I think. Do they only eat insects? I have crickets, as well as waxworms (which are mainly just treats for my hedgehogs), and sometimes mealworms when they aren't scarce. Can they eat Dubia roaches, phoenix worms, or silkworms? Do they eat fruit or anything like that? Would paper towels be an acceptable substrate? Any info/advice would be very helpful. Thanks
Tokays are REALLY fun geckos. I had one for years, when i moved i gave it to my good friend, and he is still helthy as a horse and going strong! Ok - now on to the important stuff. - Noise: Males are much noiser than females, they tend to make mating calls when they are in season. I had my big male in the living room and he did used to wake me up calling in the morning. However, he definately didnt do it all the time - sometimes he would call for several days in a row, and sometimes he would be silent for days or weeks. Females dont make the same calls as much - although either sex will bark at you if they feel threatened. If you are having one in your bedroom i would go with a female. But either would probably be do able. - Tank: of the two tanks you described, the 20 long on its side would be best. However, you may find this is too narrow - especially if you have a male (my male was like 14inches long). A 20 high or a 29-30g tank would really be better. But you could make a 20 long on its side work potentially. I personally would prefer a larger tank. I also think you would have a hard time because the base would be so narrow - it would be tough to fit the branches and a large enough water dish. Personally, i think it would be too cramped - but see if you can make it work, with some creative design you may be able to. Just be prepared to buy a larger tank if your tokay seems stressed or is having a hard time moving around. - I would leave the bulb on for awhile and see how hot it gets. 150w might be a bit much. A hot spot of 85-90 degrees is sufficient. Make sure your Tokay has cooler areas to go to as well. I think i used a 60w or a 100w in my 30g, in the summer i just used a heat pad cause the tank got too hot. If you are using the 20 on its end, make sure to set the temps up first as it may be tricky to not overheat a tank that narrow. - Diet: They do eat only insects. If it moves enough to attract their attention, they will eat it. Mine ate primarily crickets, the worms didnt seem to elicit much of a feeding response due to the minimal movement. Roaches just scuttled off and hid. He did like REALLY big silkworms - but made a REALLY BIG mess with them, lol. - Attitude: They definately arent handleable lizards, as you know. But they arent "aggressive" either. A lot of people make Tokays out to be these creatures that will charge and bite you if you do near the tank. They are not like that - i was in and out of my tokays tank all the time with no issue - they only bite if they have to. If you get too close they will bark and run away (generally) if you try to capture them they will bite - and bite hard. But as long as you avoid grabbing them with your hand you will be fine. - Paper towels, shelf liner, tile, or eco-earth would be acceptable as substrates. - Other general care - lots of things for them to hide behind, feed a few times a week and mist the tank down a couple times a day to keep the humidity up. Hope this helps
thanks for the info.. i am still debating on whether or not I want to get a Tokay or a bearded dragon, granted a beardie costs a lot more...but i love both.. ahh what to do?!?!
hahaha - beardies and tokays are entirely differnet boats If you have the time and space and money to provide for a beardie - space for at least a 75gallon tank, or larger...money for all the supplies and especially the insects (young beardies will eat 30-100 crickets a day) then beardies are GREAT! I have two and i LOVE them more than anything...but they definately take more time than my other animals. If you are looking more for something thats cool to look at but pretty easy and can live in a smaller place, etc etc - then a Tokay is a much better choice!
id say 10l is too small for any tokay and the 20 l may be ok for5 a youngun, but not for an adult, the bigger and taller the better IMO
