Gekko gecko
—
Tokay Gecko
Also known as:
Tokay, Tockay
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These large and colorful geckos are plentiful in Bali and throughout southeast Asia, but you hear them much more often than you see them. They make the most fantastically unlizard-like sound whose transliteration resulted in both the word "gecko" and the word "Tokay". When you first hear it, you have to convince yourself that a lizard rather than a small child is making the sound.
These two were among a group of at least five that were munching on moths and such on the beams and roof of an open-air restaurant in Ubud. The one in the first picture still has the proportionally larger head of a youngster. The second one (which was waaaay up on the ceiling, completely upside-down) is a full-sized adult.
Printed references:
- Carmichael, P., Williams, W. 1991. Florida's Fabulous Reptiles & Amphibians
- Cox, M. J., van Dijk, P. P., Nabhitabhata, J., Thirakhupt, K. 1998. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand
- Das, I. 2010. A Field Guide to the Reptiles of South-east Asia
- Manthey, U., Grossmann, W. 1997. Amphibien & Reptilien Südostasiens
- Mckeown, S. 1996. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians in the Hawaiian Islands
- Rogner, M. 1997. Lizards
- Somaweera, R. 2017. A Naturalist's Guide to the Reptiles & Amphibians of Bali