Taming The Tokays....

[Wolfy72]

Well after months and months of considering it, and then prepping the tanks, buying the geckos, I figured it's about time i start working with my Notorious Biting Geckos, to see if maybe i can calm them down enough to at least tolerate being handled for short periods. I have been raising Tokays for about 6 - 8 months now give or take....bought them all wildcaught , nursed all the parasites out, and other ill wanted stuff... so I now have 3 seperate tanks of Tokays ranging in size...anywhere from 5 inch to 7 inch, from half inch thick to 1.5 inch thick... some busty beauties ....anyhow... some I can safely handle without concern of being bitten......some i havent tried yet...until tonight......

Selecting my largest and healthiest looking female, I informed my wife, here we go... Taming The Tokays... (hence the post title)...so after a second or two of nerve gathering, in goes the hand,,,chase her around the tank in circles, reach , grab,, andddddd.. WWWWAAAALLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.....





the results....

 

[LeilaNami]

should've tried the small ones first :clap:

 

[Spike]

I do want to say don't be discouraged. I worked at a petco a while back and the women who was in reptiles took on this very same project. With the exception of maybe one and I think even he came around, it was a great sucess. Matter of fact I bump into her from time to time and she has some at her home that after taming have never even shown a hint of aggr/defen in while she handles. It did for the most part take alot of work though and her hands looked very similiar to yours now at first. In the end though she felt it was well worth the effort. When I was there I happened to hold one of her "subjects" and can proudly say no bites. I was on nerve too since I had heard and seen bites first hand. I do remember there were 2 things she did daily 1 let them bite here but, not freak out or let them know that it meant she would leave them alone 2 As wierd as this sounds she would rub with a finger or knuckle (a little less painful if they bite) Of course there were days when an individual was just not having a good day, and to not add stress she would just give them a day or two and try again. Good luck with your taming I really think you will have succses let us know how everything goes.

 

[Socrates]

Holy cow, Wolfy!

How long did she hold on - and how did you get her off?

I've been looking into Tokays myself, I find them to be quite gorgeous - and their temper suits me.

What did she do once she let go, scurry away or try and bite a different spot?

You are a brave, brave man. One last question: How much did/does it hurt when they latch on at that size?

---
Wendy
---

 

[Wolfy72]

I've been attempting this for awhile now, these Little beasties have just captured my heart, i love them....and as spike stated... I have found that a gentle stroke or nudge with a knuckle while they're still in the tanks tells alot....alot of my Tokays will tolerate being touched or even petted while still in the tank, It's only when you actually grab them to pick them up that they bite..........I rest assured I will not give up, I love them too much...

Now as for the bite.......

I'm kinda used to the bite, it isnt the first time i've been bitten, it IS however the first time i've been bitten by one with any size to it, typically i would just insert hand into tank and grab one.....after last nights little project i'll be a little more careful....Yes i will say the bite hurt, LIKE HELL,ea ime you moved, she just squeezed harder, the best way to get them to let go......simple....Let Them Go.......loosen or release all together your grip and they'll turn lose...after she let go the first time yea she scrambled to the floor, so i had to grab her again....and recieved a second bite on my right hand not as bad though....once i had her secure in my grip though, some gentle stroking and light belly rubbing seemed to calm her down quite a bit...she had my hand in her mouth for about 10 minutes of course while my wife who by the way was laughing hysterically...took the pics...

I'll keep ya's updated....

 

[Ewok]

Ouch! that s quite the nasty bite! I 'm not quite that brave to pick mine up yet heh heh.

Has the bitten area gotten infected at all. I read before that their bites can cause some bad infections.

 

[AneesasMuse]

I want some of these more and more... I guess you could call me "sick" a little... but every time I see a bite, I want them that much more.

If I get a couple wild caught ones, should I expect to treat them with Panacur and/or Flagyll right away?

Wolfy, how close are you to CA? I didn't take note before I started typing... sorry. Are you selling any of yours?

...off to look for some CB Tokays now...

 

[Wolfy72]

I'm in Canada, and unfortunately mine aren't breeding yet, but i'm hoping to have that soon.

And no I didn't get any infection at all, I used peroxide and alcohol to clean the bite after and covered it with Polysporin I'm a diabetic, so i have to be careful what risk i take , I dont heal as quickly as others do.
And I can't say that you actually get used to the bite, but you can get to a tolerant point, the bite (although hard) isn't as bad as it seems, as long as you don't try to actually grab and hold them they don't struggle too much, and once you let them go,,, they'll let you go...lol

 

[Stylopidae]

I've always wanted to try tokays...I'm waiting until my roach colonies get up to critical mass

 

[AneesasMuse]

Thanks Wolfy Maybe after I get my new Gargoyle (R. auriculatus) all settled in here, I'll start to look harder for a Tokay or two. They are sooo pretty! And I'm sure I can work with and/or around the "NASTY" factor.

 

[Daisey_Boo222]

well those are certainly not for me I'm used to bites from my snakes but they dont hold on! nasty bite you have there. thanks for the heads up!

best of luck,
em

 

[Wolfy72]

I've always loved the Tokays, the aggression in itself makes them worth it, not to mention they are actually a beautiful Gecko, lots of different color patterns, sizes, and attitudes... and as i stated, not ALL of my Tokays bite and not all of them will bite... they bite when you grab them and try to hold on, or frighten them, and restrain them, most people dont understand that factor, even the most docile dog,cat,bird, or whatever may be the case, will bite if it feels trapped, restrained or otherwise held back against it's will. I have found that with gentle coaxing, slow steady movements, and a calm environment, I can safely handle any and all of my Tokays, the photo's you saw were pics taken after I was actually restraining the Tokay to sex it, and inspect for unwanteds.

Although the bite is nasty, and can hurt fom a large gecko, they are NOT an overly aggressive animal, "Defensive" Yes absolutely...I love watchin them grow and play and eat,, it's such an awesome thing to see,, and my kids love them as well..

 

[SouthernStyle]

I'd have to agree with most of the posts here...I have a pretty large female and She gets to be a bit huffy when you first go into her enclosure to pick her up, but after that she's just fine...A Fat and sassy lass at that...But She's tagged me MORE than once, and by means if I had to compare them to something, I'd call them the pit bull of the reptile kingdom...WITHOUT a doubt!

 

[AneesasMuse]

Wolfy, thank you so much for that last post... it has shot me right over the edge! I am seeking out CB Tokays in full force now. I emailed the www.daygecko.com folks and a couple others. If you have a waiting list, or intend to, please add me to it for future hatchlings from your gang.

gettin' a Tokay, if it's the last thing I do...

 

[Wolfy72]

They are actually quite the common Gecko in the pet trade. the only thing is ....most pet stores wont keep them in stock due to the Bad rep they have, people wont buy the "Biting Gecko" people are lookin for somethin they can handle and play with, sorry the tokay isnt that type of gecko by any means, plus alot of pet stores can only get Wild caught Tokays, full of parsites and other unwanted pest, that's one of the many reasons i'm tryin to breed them, so that I can offer a clean healthy, and parasite free bloodline of Tokays for everyone.

Simply an amazing gecko in all aspects if ya ask me...

 

[SouthernStyle]

I have my doubts about a Tokay ALWAYS wanting to bite, Most seem to do it for show more than anything....With a little luck and maybe continual handling, You could have pretty good luck trying to tame one out!

 

[AneesasMuse]

And once again, in all my Tokay excitement, I forgot that you are in Canada and shipping to me would be ridiculous, if even possible! :?
I've been checking pet stores, reptile stores, etc. for months and the WC issue is the reason I don't have any Tokays. I am knowledgeable and equipped to deal with a parasite load... have an excellent exotics vet, too... but I really don't want to deal with it or encourage the sale of such animals. I can find them readily near me... $15 or so... but I just can't bring myself to do it. I'll keep looking for CB.

 

[Wolfy72]

I'll do some checkin to see what shipping would entail...

 

[SouthernStyle]

Well, I Hope ya Find Whatcha want! (think ya already did) But Good Luck with 'em...Remember, It NEVER HURTS to have a GOOD STURDY pair of Leather gloves! ::hums::

 

[AneesasMuse]

Funny thing... I do have a good pair of gloves that I just retired from my bout with a fiesty little rattie girl I adopted a few months ago. She is no longer slash biting, so I have the gloves put away somewhere... but I will be taking them with me to pick up my new Tokays next week And thanks, everyone!

P.s. Wolfy, if the shipping and all isn't too bad, I'd still like for you to put me on a waiting list and we can see what comes of it. I've done transhipping with fish from Thailand, so it should be possible with herps from Canada.