Gecko ID?

[fallupinreverse]

So one of my friends has a gecko and he's not sure what it is. I'm pretty sure it's a Tokay gecko, and am kinda afraid that it is because since he doesn't know what it is he just has the cage in a desert setup...



The picture is rather poor quality because it was taken with my phone, but hopefully you can get the idea.

He rarely gives him any attention, and I'm considering adopting him from him due to the fact that I fear for the gecko's health.

The gecko is about 8 inches long and extremely aggressive, and that leads me to believe a Tokay, however the colors don't seem to match up very well and I really hope it isn't since I've read that Tokay are more tropical geckos and he obviously isn't in a tropical setting.

I'd really appreciate if someone could help me identify this gecko, and maybe give me tips on whether or not I should take it (Not sure how I feel about a super aggressive gecko for a pet...) and what I could do if I do take it.

[mainbutter]

I'm no expert on tokays, but that could very well be a tokay based on the pic.. Hard for me to tell because of the quality, but the body/pattern sure looks like it to me.
Tokays vary in color, I agree it doesn't look like typical tokay coloring though.. Aggressive behavior and the size described is typical though.

If your friend is no reptile expert, he probably picked up a gecko common in the reptile trade. I would say it's probably a tokay.

[jsmorphs2]

Is it tan with white spots? The pic isn't very clear.

If it is, it could be a White Spot Gecko (about the same size as a Tokay with rough skin, brown/tan).

[fallupinreverse]

It's tan with grayish spots, however from what I've seen it is too large to be a white spot gecko.

My friend got this from another friend who also didn't know what it was. It's at least 3 or 4 years old btw.

[Shock]

Looks like a golden gecko to me but im no expert. I say that because when I took one in i also dident know what kind it was and they both look similar.

[x_gilmore_x]

I would definatly say a tokay gecko. I would say you need to add humidity to the tank but I would put my money on TOKAY GECKO

[WingedWolfPsion]

Look for broad toe-pads on the gecko--if you see them, then he probably needs to be put into a high humidity tank. He could lose toes or tail tip if kept in a desert viv for long, and definitely will be seriously dehydrated. His weight and condition look good in the photo, but it is a small photo so hard to be sure. He looks like an arboreal gecko from here (should be a glass climber).

I'm not ready to say that is a Tokay. There are many other species of Gekko out there. I suggest posting the photo on a gecko-specific forum such as Geckos Unlimited or Gecko Resource Forums. You may get a better ID. This is crucial, because we could be wrong, and it could be some desert species we aren't familiar with--we can't see the feet in such a small picture.

I would say the first step is getting a real ID on the species. First, ask the friend where he got it, and take the photo to THEM--they can most likely ID it, even if your friend doesn't remember. Once you know the species, then look up care sheets. If the gecko really IS in an inappropriate environment, then yes, I think you should rescue it, and quickly. Obviously a rainforest species will perish quickly if housed in a desert. At the least, you can get it into proper conditions, and then if you don't feel up to keeping it long term, find a better home for it.

[SnakeSKIN]

I want to say that it very well looks like a Tokay, but it's hard to distinguish the patterns and the colors due to the picture (I was thinking the picture and the lighting was making it seem more tan than it really is, but I could be wrong).

Golden gecko could be a possibility, but from the golden gecko pictures that i've seen, the distinguishable patterns just don't match up. Tokays have the ability to change colors (usually from a more darker color to a lighter color), so try and see if you can catch it on some days where it is a different shade of color, and get better pictures to post and compare.

http://www.geckoweb.org/profiles is a great resource to identify your gecko, and from the Tokay picture it has on this website, the Tokay actually looks like it has more of a tan body than a bright blue (or that might be the lighting used they took when taking the picture?)

If you could provide more accurate pictures and close ups of certain details, we might be better able to identify it!