The infamous Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko), and what a latin name it has. This colorful and feisty species of gecko is distributed throughout Southeast Asia and is one of the largest geckos in the world. Our first night on Flores Island we had two resident Tokay geckos in the common area, one of which was much larger than I thought was possible. With some luring and fast hands, James and I managed to tease the large one down from the roof and voilá, my first Tokay gecko. Geckos are always such a treat to hold, with their velvety skin and super-adhesive toepads, even more so in this bombastic and defensive individual. Although I didn’t capture this well in a photograph, Tokay geckos have a characteristic dark black throat that they expose to predators when gaping defensively, such a noticeable contrast from the orange and bluish body. Shortly after I took this photo, it got a good bite on my hand — kind of reminded me of the turnip-tailed geckos (Thecadactylus rapicauda) in the Peruvian Amazon.
Flores Island; photographed before release [5]Lamellae on the toepad of a Tokay gecko, Flores Island; photographed before release [5]Labuan Bajo, Flores Island; photographed in situ [1]Labuan Bajo, Flores Island; photographed in situ [1]Color variation in the Tokay gecko, Rinca Island, Indonesia; photographed after capture [5]Approaching our hotel on Labuan Bajo, Flores IslandView from the top of a hill on Flores islandEn route to Komodo island from Flores…Macro of the button-like scales on a Tokay gecko, Flores Island; photographed before release [5]Flores Island; photographed before release [5]Constricted pupil, Flores Island; photographed before release [5]Dilated pupil, Flores Island; photographed before release [5]
A few other species of gecko from the Lesser Sundas:
Cyrtodactilus sp., Komodo Island; photographed in situ [1]Cyrtodactilus sp., Labuan Bajo, Flores Island; photographed in situ [1]Cyrtodactilus sp., Labuan Bajo, Flores Island; photographed in situ [1]Indopacific Tree Gecko (Hemiphyllodactylus typus), Flores Island; photographed in situ [1]House Gecko? (Hemidactylus frenatus), Komodo Island, photographed in situ [1]Flat-tailed House Gecko (Hemidactylus platyurus), Komodo Island; photographed in situ [1]Flat-tailed House Gecko (Hemidactylus platyurus), Komodo Island; photographed in situ [1]
We were surprised to see geckos and vipers active during the day on Komodo Island. Flat-tailed House Gecko (Hemidactylus platyurus); photographed in situ [1]
A huntsman spider (Sparassidae), a common predator of geckos, Komodo Island; photographed in situ [1]Huntsman spider consuming what appears to be a house gecko (Hemidactylusfrenatus), Komodo Island; photographed in situ [1]
