Tokay oddneses

[The Snark]

We had a young Tokay, maybe 4 inches long, that took up residence inside the house in a hole. Since we don't need that much guano in our lives, and I was afraid he would eventually get too big for the hole and get trapped in the suspended ceiling, we managed to catch him and put him out in the carport. The next evening as we opened the door he dashed back in the house. We managed to shoo him out again. Next evening as we came home, there he was, above the door waiting for us to open it so he could sneak back inside. We chased him off. Two days later I stumble down for coffee, there he was in the kitchen. So what is with these critters? Territorial? Homing instinct?

A second less delightful incident. We heard the noises of a Tokay on the wall outside. That's pretty normal. The next day I was out in the yard and I noticed a bloody splattered swath across the wall maybe 3 foot wide by a foot tall. Of course much too high to get up and clean off. Sheesh. One rat less in our world?

 

[Aviara]

There really isn't much harm in having a Tokay gecko take up residence in your house, honestly. If you lose a lot of crickets feeding your invertebrate collection, they're actually good to have around to clean up the mess. These guys are pretty territorial, and maybe he also preferred the temperature, food source, humidity or some other variable in your house. There isn't much harm in letting him back in - they can fit through pretty small spaces so I doubt he'll get stuck, and they really don't make a big mess.
As for the carnage you found on the wall, perhaps two got into a fight and it didn't end well? Or maybe the Tokay caught a small reptile or mammal (I'm thinking more the size of a mouse, a rat would be huge for even a 14" adult Tokay) and went to town? Of course it could have been something unrelated to the Tokay, but either way it's gross, but not really a big deal.
If you do find yourself confronting the Tokay gecko, please be careful. The temperament on these guys is insane - and they prefer to stand their ground rather than running like most other gecko species. They have a mean bite, and can easily break skin. I keep a Tokay gecko in my collection, and I typically use thick welding gloves when I'm forced to handle him (although I do so as little as possible). They can be tamed down with a lot of time and patience, but are still unpredictable and somewhat dangerous (for a gecko).

 

[The Snark]

Clean up the mess. You have given me an idea. The problem in our house is the 2 dozen or so small geckos; our only resident animals aside from us. We are fed up with their poo everywhere and it isn't all that easy to clean up. I mean, putty knife time and soak the floor or wall. And so, why not keep the tokay and let it feast on the other geckos then kick him out? I'll just wait until I know he is out and about before plugging the 3/4 inch hole he hides in. Eventually his head just isn't going through there. Sounds like a plan?

Eating rats. We have a different selection from north America. In fact, I'm not sure if the common rodents are rats or mice. They are shaped like a mouse with the soft fur, have a long tail, but they get up around 6 or 7 inches long. The tokays consider them a feast and don't hesitate to hunt them.
We also have normal rats up to a foot long. While the tokays can't usually kill them I've seen several with a missing leg or tail, most likely the results of tokay battles. I saw a dying one a couple of months back that I thought was diseased until I got a closer look. It was lacerated, both new wounds and a 2+ inch old scar. While the tokays probably don't eat much of them, as you said they are territorial and I'm sure wouldn't hesitate to give anything they can get a good chomp on the laceration treatment.

In horsepower, I strongly believe the tokay is only slightly less than a crocodile. I've held a 16 inch croc and it took both hands to keep it from wriggling free. A furious 12+ inch tokay I held was pretty close.

PS Like your quote!

 

[Aviara]

Someone has a photo on another forum of a Tokay gecko (her pet) that took a chunk of her fingertip off. Just a clean bite, he didn't hold on, chew, tear or anything - that's the power of their jaws. Do be careful and wear gloves if you attempt to hold one again in the future!

Plugging the hole might work, but then again he might find another area. Is there any way he's using that hole to get in and out, or some other entrance into the house? Or do you think he's just running through the door every time? They are extremely fast - honestly I've seem mine move faster than any Old World tarantula. The tokay might clear out the other geckos, but then again you might get unlucky and he might not eat all of them up. It's worth a try though - they're naturals at that sort of thing!