Some of you may remember the article I wrote about a baby gecko which we always see in our window sill. Unfortunately, he died (or killed by our Tabby cat).
But the tukkk-kooo sound (or the tokay sound as described in Wikipedia) is persistent. We always hear that loud, big sound every night, as geckos are said to be nucturnal so they're active at night. He must be just here, somewhere near us.
I've always longed to see a big one since the first time I heard that sound some years ago. It was in a secluded beach in Samal Island for a company R & R. My colleagues and I were inside the nipa hut to rest as I was pregnant that time.
We are about to call it a night (at least for the girls) when there's this unusual loud sound! Tukkk-kooo, tukkk-kooo! It was just above us, preferably in the roof or the big tree beside our hut. One of my colleagues said that geckos jumps and when it lands on you, it will stuck like a glue and you will have a hard time removing it. 😩😲
Thus, the Filipino term kapit-tuko was derived. It is to describe someone who is annoyingly clingy. 😕
Okay, back to my story.
Last night, I was in the bedroom tucking my clingy toddler to sleep (well, he annoys me sometimes but he is such a cutie. And yes, he is kapit- tuko to me), my daughter rushed to my room excitedly, told me to grab my phone and head to the terrace. Without any clue, I followed her.
Lo and behold! I've seen this big spotted lizard, feeding on a cockroach. It was a gecko! A Tokay gecko!
He is about 10 inches long from head to tail. He just stared back, unable to move, dinner on his mouth, while we took his photos like he was a rockstar!
Finally! I come face to face with a mature gecko! The sound maker was finally revealed!
He stayed for dinner at our wall for a couple of hours, and headed to hide, maybe he was already full.
Tokay geckos which grows up to 15 inches long, are being hunted in Southeast Asia to be used as medicine for cancer (and some say including HIV). Some people are willing to pay a hefty amount just to acquire one. Since it's illegal in the Philippines to hunt geckos, some still do so and sell them in black market.
But NO. We will not do it to him. The gecko which helps eliminate pest in our surrounding. We will let him live in the wild. In his natural habitat. He will grow some more and eventually reproduce.
Hoping to see him again, tonight. 🦎
I'd rather keep my distance from them but it was nice reading your encounter with the creature :)
BTW you should check out some of the communities in ocd's incubation program. I think you would find some interesting communities to subscribe to and post in.
Hello @jznsamuel! Yes, tokay geckos tends to be aggressive and bites when it senses danger, so be very careful in dealing with them. Thanks for the notice, will try writing for other communities as well!
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Wow! Thanks