The Penang Butterfly Farm has just adopted an unusual but interesting looking gecko. It is known as the Tokay Gecko ( トッケイヤモリ ), the second largest species of all geckos. Originally from Southeast Asia, this creature is from a family species called Gekkonidae and the length of this magnificent creature could reach up to 35cm long. It can be found in tropical rainforest, mainly on trees and cliffs. They have very fine hairs on their toes and that allow them to stick on walls and ceilings without falling.

This gecko has an amazing body color with striking red dots and bluish background. The eyes are prominent which have vertical slits on them. Similar to most geckos, the Tokay gecko has two hidden ears. Besides its magnificent body color, the Tokay gecko is an aggressive carnivores’ reptile which has an Insectivorous diet. It is also capable of biting and has an unpredictable temperament, so do be careful!

Breeding season for this gecko species will normally last for about 4 to 5 months and during the mating process, the male gecko will hold onto the female using their mouth. In order to attract a female gecko, the male gecko makes a call and it can be heard over a wide area. This loud sound is repeated for a couple of times hoping that a female gecko will respond. The male will approach the female from the back, where the male gecko later will place its teeth on the female’s neck section to hold her in place as they move from side to side during the mating process. After mating, the female will look for a safe place to lay its eggs, and when the right location is found, she will then lay the eggs and secure them to a solid base where they will be guarded by both male and female gecko until they hatch. One of the interesting feature about this gecko is the females can lay eggs about every month.

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