tokay gecko

[VI Reptiles]

Hi, has anyone ever heard of a tokay gecko eating its baby? Well it happened to me! I heard they wont and so I kept the baby with the mom and she ate the baby! When the second one hatched I took it right away and put it in a small critter keeper and its doing well now. But what i was wondering was he hasnt eaten yet after being born 5 days ago. Is this normal or should i worry?


Thanks

[Manitoban Herps]

He should eat perrty soon. You must of not had fed the adult tokay enough b/c she should not eat the hatchling.

Try to offer all types of insecst..very small ones.

[HeatherRose]

Aren't hatchlings just like big protein snacks to adult geckos? That's the way it is with cresties anyway. But tokays are evil :p

I'd say it's normal.

[DragnDrop]

Tokays are members of the Gekko group, they're known to be communal and protect their offspring. I suppose it is quite possible for an adult to eat a baby, but it's not the norm. Are you sure the other one was eaten, and isn't hiding really well or escaped?

[Manitoban Herps]

I think tokays aren't as evil as cresteds...;)

Tokays are mean to there handlers unlike cresties but tokays in pairs or trios, seem like there a big happy family. Calling at night, lapping up fruit mixture together...what do cresties..do.....:p

[VI Reptiles]

I heard their communal as well.... Im 99% sure the baby didnt escape and I know it isnt hiding cause I only have some arbutus branches for the mom to climb on. I put 10 pin head crickets in and I hope he will eat soon! I just hope the crickets dont get hungry and eat him.

Thanks

[mannannan]

This isnt the first time I hear of tokay babbies getting eaten, from what I gather it's fairly common. I know a few people that breed them, and they always cover the eggs with a plastic cup if they are glued to the glass, or if they are glued to a piece of wood / bark, move the entire thing to the incubator.
They do this, im told, because the parents 'as a rule' will eat their offspring when given the opportunity...

[dave68]

I've been keeping and breeding my tokays for over five years without any incedent. The worst thing that happened was when I introduced a new female to the group and she would eat any eggs laid. I think the big thing is to give them a lot of room and lots of plants and logs etc... for security. My terrarium is set up with a natural substrate with plants planted directly in the substrate as well as large and small pieces of driftwood and branches. I have never seperated my group, they live together communally and I have never experienced any problems. They breed regularily and produce eggs almost all year round. I leave the babies in with them as well and if anything they are very protective of their offspring, reach in for cleaning and get too close to a baby and dad is right there ready to remove offenders fingers! LOL! Just make sure you give them plenty of food, mist them regularily, and most of all give them lots of places to hide. Believe it or not you will still see them and the behaviours you witness will be much more natural. Hope this helps you a bit.

Dave

[DragnDrop]

Dave, your experiences with them sound much like what I found with Gekko smithii (a.k.a. stentor), the Green-eyed Gecko. They're closely related to tokays. I kept mine in a communal setting and witnessed the 'happy family' behaviour with them even with several males in the group. They also are very protective of their babies.

I used to know a couple of people who bred tokays, kept them in groups with several males. As long as they had a very LARGE enclosure, they protected their babies, and everyone was safe. It seems that the enclosure size is the key, many people using small enclosures (under 50-60 gallons per pair) or not providing enough hiding areas also find the adults eat the babies. It seems to me that it's not eating babies so much as protecting them gone wrong. The few tokays I saw, as well as the smithii would do whatever it takes to guard their babies, so possibly eating it was a last resort desperate protection measure.