Large arboreal gecko · Southeast Asia

Know whether your tokay gecko's care is actually on track.

Your tokay can't tell you the viv has dried out or the warm zone has cooled. baskr watches the pattern across your logs, temperature, humidity, weight and feeding, and shows you what needs attention before it becomes a problem.

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Doing okay

Tokay Gecko

Humidity low

Averaged 45% vs the 60–80% it needs. Increase misting for clean sheds.

Warm zone

28–30°C · 82–86°F

Ambient

24–27°C · 75–81°F

Humidity

60–80%

Ideal ranges for Gekko gecko, the same targets baskr scores your logs against.

Basking and warm figures are surface temperatures at the spot; cool and ambient are air. Measure with a probe or infrared thermometer at the animal's height.

Tokay Gecko: a few things worth knowing

Big, loud and beautiful: blue-grey with orange spots, and named for the barking 'to-kay!' call it makes at night.
One of the most defensive geckos in the hobby, it will lunge, bite hard and hold on, so it's a display animal, not a handling pet.
Strong-footed and nocturnal, it climbs anything, including smooth glass, on microscopic toe hairs.
Hardy and long-lived (10+ years) once its warmth and humidity are right.
In parts of its range its call is thought to bring good luck, and it earns its keep controlling insects.

When is your tokay gecko active?

Nocturnal

Active by night

Where tokay geckos come from

Forests of Southeast Asia

Wild climate. Warm, humid tropical forest and rocky areas of Southeast Asia; warm nights and high humidity.

Why the care is what it is. This is why baskr targets a 28 to 30°C warm zone, 60 to 80% humidity and a tall, planted enclosure, with low or optional UVB for this nocturnal climber.

What baskr watches for your tokay gecko

Logging is the input. The product is spotting when a single off reading becomes a pattern worth acting on.

Warm zone

28–30°C (82–86°F) with a cooler ambient gradient

Too cool slows a big-bodied gecko's appetite and digestion.

Humidity

60–80% with misting and a water source

Too dry brings bad sheds and dehydration; stagnant damp risks respiratory infection.

Shedding

Clean, complete sheds

Stuck shed on toes needs more humidity, watch the digits.

Feeding

Varied gut-loaded insects, calcium-dusted

Refusals warrant checking warmth and prey size.

Weight & condition

Steady

A downward trend or a thinning tail base is a red flag.

Cover & security

Dense cover and low disturbance

An exposed, over-handled tokay is stressed and more defensive.

How to set up a tokay gecko terrarium

Minimum size
A tall, planted 60×45×90 cm (2×1.5×3 ft) as an adult minimum, bigger is better. Vertical space, cork bark and dense cover suit this arboreal climber.
Temperatures
Warm zone 28–30°C (82–86°F), ambient 24–27°C, a cooler lower area, and a night drop. Nocturnal, so no fierce basking is needed.
Substrate
A moisture-holding bioactive soil mix (coir/topsoil), planted, to help hold humidity.
Hides & décor
Vertical cork tubes and bark, plus dense foliage; a tokay wants a snug, dark daytime retreat and will defend it.
Layout
Tall and densely planted: cork verticals and branches, a warm zone near the top, heavy foliage cover, and good airflow so it isn't stagnant. Handle rarely, this is a bite-first gecko.

Plants for a tokay gecko terrarium

Safe to include

  • Pothos
  • Ficus
  • Bromeliads
  • Sansevieria
  • Bamboo

Avoid

  • Pesticide-treated plants
  • Sharp or spiny species
  • Bulb plants (daffodil, tulip)

Heavy planting holds humidity and gives the dense cover this defensive gecko wants to feel secure.

What to feed a tokay gecko, and what to avoid

Staples

  • Varied gut-loaded insects: crickets, dubia, locusts
  • All dusted with calcium

Occasional / treats

  • The odd appropriately-sized pinky for large adults
  • Silkworms or hornworms

Never feed

  • Oversized prey
  • Wild-caught insects (pesticides)
  • An all-one-feeder diet

Supplements. Calcium (with D3 lightly if UVB is marginal) and a multivitamin occasionally.

Good to know. A hearty nocturnal insectivore. Keep prey varied and calcium up.

The gear that matters for a tokay gecko

The right kind of kit, pick brands you trust.

Basking / warm zone heat

A gentle heat source for a 28–30°C warm zone, on a thermostat, no fierce basking bulb needed.

UVB lighting

Optional: a low (~5%) tube can benefit a nocturnal species, but it isn't essential.

Thermostat

Controls the heat so a planted viv can't overheat.

Misting

Daily misting for 60–80% humidity, with airflow so it dries between sprays.

Thermometer + hygrometer

To track the warm zone and humidity.

Tall enclosure + secure lid

A tall, planted vivarium with a secure lid, tokays are strong climbers and escape artists.

The kind of thing baskr will tell you

Grounded in your own logs and the ideal ranges above, plain language, never a diagnosis.

Humidity averaged 45% this week, low for a tokay (target 60–80%). Increase misting, dryness brings bad sheds.

Warm zone reading 24°C, cool for a tokay. Check the heat source so appetite and digestion don't drop.

Handling logged repeatedly, then a refusal. Tokays are defensive, minimise handling and let it settle.

Is your tokay gecko's setup on track?

Enter your own readings for an instant care score, the same check baskr runs for you every day.

Enter a reading or two above to see Tokay Gecko's care score.

A quick guide, not a diagnosis. Ideal ranges vary with age, morph and setup, and individual animals differ, so confirm anything critical with an experienced keeper or a reptile vet.

More geckos

All geckos

Tokay Gecko care questions

Can you handle a tokay gecko?+

Not really. Tokays are famously defensive and bite hard. They're a striking display animal, not a hands-on pet.

Are tokay geckos loud?+

Yes, males bark a loud 'to-kay' call, especially at night. Worth knowing before you buy one.

Do tokay geckos need UVB?+

It's optional. They're nocturnal and do fine without it, though low-level UVB can benefit them. No fierce basking bulb is needed.

How big do tokay geckos get?+

Large for a gecko, around 30–35 cm. Give a tall, planted enclosure with sturdy cork and cover.

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Last reviewed August 2026. General husbandry guidance, not veterinary advice, and ranges vary with age, morph, subspecies and setup. Confirm anything critical with an experienced keeper or an exotics vet.