Tokay Gecko (Gekko Gekko)
Last Observed: October 2015, Lonely Beach, Koh Chang
Observed By: David Newman
Image Copyright 2015 David Newman
The Tokay Gecko is a large and aggresive lizard common across Southern and Southeast Asia. It is an fierce predator and noted for it’s loud and repetitive cries which, whilst in English are recorded Ge-Ko Ge-Ko, also are the root of the Thai name Too-Kare Too-Kare (both are onomatopoeic names – named after the sound they make).
They are very attractive creatures with their characteristic orange spotted skin. But they are almost universally reviled and demonized by the Thais, many of whom have an almost phobic reaction to them. This seems strange to non-Thais, especially in a country with no shortage of poisonous and dangerous snakes, spiders, insects, scorpions, centipedes and marine animals. Not to mention tigers. But it seems to be the Gecko that is the Thai’s most feared beast. They certainly aren’t afraid of people and I guess they would give you a bit of a bite if you really went looking for it but they have all kinds of good qualities as well. For a start they eat cockroaches, mosquitoes and all kinds of other insects, protecting people from bites, stings and disease. And they sound, and look, pretty cool.
They are the second largest species of Gecko and males can reach 51cm, that’s a pretty big lizard. The males are very territorial and a fight between two of them is a thing to see.
Image Copyright 2015 David Newman
Image Copyright 2015 David Newman
Image Copyright 2015 David Newman
