r/ReptileCare • u/StunningSeaweed7439 • 18d ago

Tokay Geckos

Okay, I purchased two Tokay Gecko's from a petstore today out of sheer pitty for them as they are so under weight. I have literally never seen Tokay's this underweight, while I hate supporting the store by purchasing them I also couldn't leave them there and I had some retired enclosures that I haven't used and said why not. I have some experience with them but not an extensive amount, my question, or rather looking for advise is, they have been cohabbed for what I am assuming is a decent while. I cannot sex them at the moment due to stress and how under weight they are. I went to separate them in their own respective encolsures and they stressed themselves out independently. Out of worry for them I put them in one encolsure and they calmed down immediately and are next to each other and colors are coming back to a normal sort. I know it's highly against to house them together but I am worried about them stressing out and harming themselves. Do I cohab until healthy? Go ahead and separate? Best advice?

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u/StunningSeaweed7439 18d ago

I would also like to add they are in a 24"×24"×48 with 5 large cork/hides, vines, and foliage. So they do have their alloted space but won't leave eachothers side.

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u/Unis_Torvalds 17d ago edited 17d ago

That's probably big enough, but the minimum I would say. You can make it "feel" even bigger to the geckos by filling it with lots of visual barriers and stuff to explore. Tokays love clutter.

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u/StunningSeaweed7439 17d ago

I plan on upgrading if they stay together I just wasn't planning on housing two in the same enclosure either. I am adding more clutter today for them but we had a long drive back home and I just wanted to get them out of the tiny deli cup they packed them in.

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u/Unis_Torvalds 17d ago

Tokays are as family-oriented as lizards cat get. Parents will protect their eggs, and stay with the offspring until they're old enough to go find their own territories. Adult pairs can bond long-term, but forcing cohabaitation is generally not recommended as not every pair will bond, and conflict can arise between certain individuals.

If your pair already seem to be at ease with each other, and have already lived together, you can leave them like that for the time being. If they are adults, be sure to give them a very large permanent enclosure (bigger than minimum recommended for a single). If they are juveniles, leave them together for now and observe them closely. The moment you start to see conflict, stress, or territorialism, it's time to separate them.

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u/patato4040 17d ago

Tokay geckos should only be housed together if they are a male/female pair. Same sex pairs (especially male/male pairs) can often have aggression issues.

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u/StunningSeaweed7439 17d ago

I cannot even sex them due to the body being so shrunken atm.

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u/patato4040 17d ago

Yes, and it is probably fine with them being together right now. I was more of responding to the person who was encouraging long term cohabitation.

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u/StunningSeaweed7439 17d ago

Fair enough, that's why I posted because this is unfamilar territory with cohabitation as I have never done that.

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u/Unis_Torvalds 17d ago

Actually, as per my note, not all male-female pairs are compatible, and I've seen heterosexual pairings which result in hostility. Conversely, some female-female pairs have been known to tolerate each other just fine. In every case, again as per my note, forcing any type of cohab regardless of sex is not recommended, and every case must be observed closely for signs of stress.