mimagoniates microlepis , also known as the blue tetra ( a common name shared with tyttocharax madeirae , knodus borki , and possibly other characidae , as well ) , the croaking tetra ( a name also applied to mimagoniates inequalis and mimagoniates lateralis ) , the small-scaled tetra , is a species of tetra in the genus mimagoniates .

first identified by franz steindachner in 1876 and named coelurichthys microlepis , it has also been identified as coelurichthys iporangae ( miranda-ribeiro , 1908 ) , coelurichthys lateralis , and mimagoniates iporangae ( mcallister , 1990 ) besides its current taxonomic classification .

there is evidence of a variety called m. microlepis ' joinville ' which might be synonymous with paragoniates microlepis .

mimagoniates microlepis

mimagoniates microlepis schultz , 1959 : 11 ( in part , 1 specimen of m . barberi in usnm 86296 , misidentified as m . microlepis ) .
mimagoniates cf . microlepis géry , 1964 : 6 , ( discussion ; osteology of caudal and anal fins ) .
mimagoniates inequalis , known as the croaking tetra , is a species of tetra in the genus mimagoniates .
mimagoniates regan , 1907 : 402 [ type species : mimagoniates barberi regan ( 1907 : 402 ) by monotypy ] .
mimagoniates inequalis schultz , 1959 : 63 ( in part only , one specimen of m . microlepis , usnm 177704 , was misidentified as m . inequalis ) .
diagnosis . mimagoniates rheocharis may be separated from all other species of mimagoniates by the presence of sturdy hooks on some principal caudal - fin rays . among the species of mimagoniates presence of hooks on some caudal - fin rays also occurs in m . microlepis and m . pulcher , but in these species they are spiny . mimagoniates rheocharis and m . microlepis , however , have fully developed caudal - fin ray pumps ( figs . 75 and 85 ) whereas in m . pulcher the pump is only partially developed ( fig . 47 ) . additionally m . rheocharis differs from m . microlepis by the number of scale rows around caudal peduncle ( 19 to 23 vs . 15 to 18 for m . microlepis ) and scales rows between dorsal - fin and anal - fin origins ( 17 to 21 vs . 13 to 16 for m . microlepis ) .
in character descriptions below clade a outgroups refer to the taxa included in characid clade a of malabarba & weitzman ( 2003 ) . character descriptions refer comparatively to figures of each species presented along the text in this sequence : lophiobrycon weitzmani , figs . 3 - 10 ; glandulocauda melanopleura , figs . 11 - 19 ; glandulocauda caerulea , figs . 20 - 28 ; mimagoniates inequalis , figs . 29 - 35 ; mimagoniates barberi , figs . 36 - 44 ; mimagoniates pulcher , figs . 45 - 51 ; mimagoniates lateralis , figs . 52 - 62 ; mimagoniates sylvicola , figs . 63 - 69 ; mimagoniates rheocharis , figs . 70 - 76 ; mimagoniates microlepis , figs . 77 - 95 .
key words : south america , lophiobrycon , glandulocauda , mimagoniates , taxonomy , biogeography .
presence of sturdy hooks on 11 th principal caudal - fin ray ( fig . 75 ) is an autapomorphy of mimagoniates rheocharis . the caudal - fin hooks in other species of mimagoniates are spine - like .
remarks . myers , in eigenmann & myers ( 1929 : 492 ) examined the type of mimagoniates lateralis amnh 4072 , and identified it as a female m . microlepis . schultz ( 1959 : 11 ) did not examine the type but nevertheless identified the species as m . inequalis and confused specimens of both these species and m . microlepis as m . microlepis . see also discussions under m . microlepis and m . inequalis . the fine photograph of m . lateralis published in axelrod ( 1959 : 12 ) was identified as m . microlepis therein , as m . barberi in harald schultz ( 1959 : 47 ) , as m . inequalis in l . p . schultz ( 1959 : 8 ) and as m . tenuis by géry ( 1977 : 357 ) . l . p . schultz ( 1959 : 11 ) , again without examining the type specimen , identified m . tenuis actually a male of m . lateralis , as a specimen of m . microlepis .
distribution . mimagoniates microlepis is widely distributed in the coastal area from southern bahia to northern rio grande do sul and also in the upper rio iguaçu and rio tibagi , upper rio paraná basin , brazil . see figure 3 in menezes et al . ( 2008 ) .
remarks . the discussion of meristic and morphometric differences as well as possible hybrid origins involving m . microlepis , m . rheocharis and m . inequalis in menezes & weitzman ( 1990 : 416 - 421 ) are not repeated here . for further comments on relationships of m . microlepis see the
phylogeny
section .
mimagoniates sp . c , weitzman et al . , 1988 : 411 - 412 ( osteology of caudal fin ) .
coelurichthys tenuis myers , in eigenmann & myers , 1929 : 491 , 492 ( type examined and erroneously referred it to m . microlepis ) . - rachow , in holly meinken & rachow , 1950a : 755 ( followed myers , in eigenmann & myers 1929 : 491 , 492 in referring this nominal species to m . microlepis ) .
mimagoniates melanogenys schultz , 1959 : 10 ( in key ; new generic allocation ) . see below notes on type locality .
mimagoniates sp . n . menezes et al . , 2008 : 39 , 40 ( distribution ; discussion of biogeography ) .
in addition to the genera listed above under stevardiinae , weitzman ( 2003 ) listed glandulocauda and mimagoniates in his glandulocaudinae , but as discussed here , weitzman et al . ( 2005 ) restricted the use of this name to three genera , lophiobrycon , glandulocauda and mimagoniates .
the cladogram depicting the phylogenetic relationships of the genera and species of the group ( fig . 2 ) essentially confirms the results expressed in menezes et al . ( 2008 ) , the only difference being the lack of a sister group clade including mimagoniates rheocharis and m . microlepis in the cladogram herein included . the conclusions concerning the evolutionary history and present distribution of lophiobrycon , glandulocauda and mimagoniates and their respective species in that publication are here accepted and not repeated .
etymology . the name pulcher is from the latin meaning beautiful and refers to the usual blue color of the species of mimagoniates when alive .
schultz , h . 1959 . the mimagoniates species . tropical fish hobbyist , 7 ( 10 ) : 46 - 53 . [ links ]
diagnosis . mimagoniates microlepis can be distinguished from all the other species of mimagoniates except m . rheocharis by the presence of a fully developed caudal - fin ray pump and hooks on some principal caudal - fin rays . in addition to having caudal - fin hooks spiny ( vs . sturdy in m . rheocharis ) , m . microlepis differs from m . rheocharis by the number of horizontal scale rows between dorsal - and anal - fin origins ( 15 - 18 vs . 17 - 22 for m . rheocharis ) , scales around caudal peduncle ( 15 - 18 vs . 19 - 23 for m . rheocharis ) , and coloration as discussed in the diagnosis of m . rheocharis .
distribution . mimagoniates sylvicola is known from small streams in southern bahia , brazil . see figure 3 in menezes et al . ( 2008 ) .
remarks . the glandulocaudins examined and reported by schultz ( 1959 ) need critical discussion to clear up some of the confusion of the species names used in the texts and for the photographs published by axelrod ( 1958 ) , harald schultz ( 1959 ) , and l . p . schultz ( 1959 ) . the collecting trip reported by axelrod ( 1958 ) where specimens of mimagoniates were collected , was in the region near santos , in the state of são paulo . axelrod ( 1958 : 13 - 15 ) noted that mimagoniates species identifications were questionable . collections available to us from this region indicate that two species of mimagoniates occur there , m . lateralis from blackwater streams and m . microlepis from clear water streams . axelrod ( 1958 : 15 and the color photograph on page 12 ) discussed and illustrated a species of mimagoniates found in black acid waters identified as m . microlepis by harald schultz that we identify as m . lateralis . axelrod ( 1958 : 17 ) reported but did not illustrate another species , called mimagoniates barberi ( ? ) from open waters . this is possibly m . microlepis . a color photograph on page 13 , illustrates two specimens identified as m . inequalis . the fish pictured at the left is probably an adult m . inequalis because the dark stripe on the anal fin does not closely approach the distal margin of the fin , especially anteriorly . the specimen at right is most probably an immature moderate - sized specimen of m . microlepis because the dark anal - fin stripe does closely approach the distal margin of the fin . mimagoniates inequalis is unknown from the region near santos and the photograph is likely one that harald schultz made of specimens collected in rio grande do sul state . axelrod ( 1959 : 39 ) mentions collecting a species of mimagoniates on another expedition , this time to rio de janeiro state , but no photographs or comments were made about the species . this species would be been m . microlepis , the only species to occur in this state according information at hand .
nelson ( 1964a : 63 - 65 ) in part reviewed the nomenclatural history of the nominal species of mimagoniates , glandulocauda , and coelurichthys . he also examined the types of m . barberi , specimens of m . inequalis , types of m . lateralis [ which both he and géry referred to as m . tenuis ( nichols ) ] and specimens of m . microlepis . note that weitzman & fink ( 1985 : 106 , 109 ) , just as nelson ( 1964a : 64 ) , after his study was in press , concluded that m . lateralis is a senior synonym of m . tenuis because the holotypes of these nominal species are a male and a female of the same species . mimagoniates lateralis has page precedence regarding m . tenuis . nelson ( 1964a ) further placed m . microlepis and m . lateralis in coelurichthys and based his judgment on the correct observation that m . inequalis was closer anatomically to the type species of mimagoniates , m . barberi . because m . lateralis and m . microlepis are different in their caudal structures from m . barberi and m . inequalis , he considered himself justified in placing m . lateralis and m . microlepis in coelurichthys . his observations of the differences in courtship behavior of m . inequalis , m . lateralis , and m . microlepis also influenced his decision . a decision to recognize coelurichthys using nelson ' s criteria remains subjective . below we explain our reasons for rejecting coelurichthys as a valid genus .
for example , schultz ( 1959 ) used the oldest available generic name , mimagoniates , for all the species of glandulocauda and mimagoniates . in this case the generic name would be equivalent in taxonomic level to the clade including the species of these two genera ( fig . 2 ) accepted here .
menezes & weitzman ( 1990 : 416 - 421 ) discussed the possible hybrid origins of m . rheocharis from m . inequalis and m . microlepis through introgression , concluding that although such an origin might be possible , the data then available allowed sister species status between m . rheocharis and m . microlepis . in view of the phylogenetic analysis undertaken herein , however , that tentative conclusion will have to be reevaluated .
remarks . menezes & weitzman ( 1990 : 414 - 416 ) discussed statistical comparisons of meristic and morphometric data between m . rheocharis and m . microlepis . these are not repeated here . although some overlap was found in many characters , significant differences were found in most of the features compared . similar comparisons and results were made with mimagoniates inequalis in the same publication .
mimagoniates inequalis schultz , 1959 : 11 , 63 ( in part , misidentified specimens of m . lateralis , usnm 94117 , as m . inequalis ) .
inequalis , known as the croaking tetra , is a species of tetra in the genus mimagoniates . it was previously classified as glandulocauda inequalis . . . more
scales cycloid , with more radii along posterior border , including terminal scale of modified caudal - fin series than in any other mimagoniates species ( fig . 48 ) .
coelurichthys lateralis myers in eigenmann & myers , 1929 : 491 , 492 ( type examined and erroneously referred it to m . microlepis ) . - rachow in holly , meinken & rachow , 1950a : 755 ( referred species to m . microlepis following myers , in eigenmann & myers , 1929 : 491 , 492 . - schultz , 1959 : 11 ( followed myers , in eigenmann and myers , 1929 : 491 , 492 ) . - nelson , 1964a : 65 ( in part ; found female type of c . lateralis difficult to identify and could not decide whether it was c . microlepis or c . tenuis but if latter , c . lateralis would have priority because of page precedence ) .
croaking tetra ( coelurichthys microlepis ) - not often found for sale , they are an attractive fish that is worth shopping around for . like other coldwater tetras , they are easy to care for and are suitable for community tanks . more
torres , r . a . , t . s . motta , d . nardino , m . l . adam & j . ribeiro . 2007 . chromosomes , rapds and evolutonary trends of the neotropical fish mimagoniates microlepis ( teleostei : characidae : glandulocaudinae ) from coastal and continental regions of the atlantic forest , southern brazil . acta zoologica ( stockholm ) , 88 : 1 - 7 . [ links ]
lampert , v . r . , m . a . azevedo & c . b . fialho . 2003 . hábito alimentar de mimagoniates microlepis steindachner , 1876 ( characidae : glandulocaudinae ) do canal de ligação entre as lagoas emboaba e emboabinha , rio grande do sul , brasil . comunicações do museu de ciências e tecnologia da pucrs , série zoologia , 16 ( 1 ) : 3 - 16 . [ links ]
mimagoniates sp . menezes , 2007 : 38 ( listed ) . - menezes et al . , 2008 : 33 , 38 , 41 , 43 ( discussion of relationships ) .
adult males of the species of mimagoniates have 0 to 1 hooks on those anal - fin rays that bear hooks ( figs . 33 , 39 , 50 , 56 , 65 , 73 and 81 ) , except that some might have an additional very small hook on anterior most branched anal - fin ray ( see fig . 33 of mimagoniates inequalis ) .
remarks . the structure of the caudal organ of mimagoniates pulcher is more similar to that of m . barberi than to any other species of mimagoniates ( compare fig . 47 to fig . 38 ) . since fig . 47 is based on a developing male it might be possible that in mature males the caudal organ is more developed and attains a modified structure .
coalurichthys iporangae miranda - ribeiro , 1908 ( unpaginated ) ; type locality :
ribeirão das pedras , iporanga
; spelling error for generic name ; see generic synonymy for mimagoniates .
houtan , a . 1990b . mimagoniates barberi , regan . characoids , newsletter international characin association , lancashire , england , 1990 ( 6 ) : 1 - 21 . [ links ]
distribution . mimagoniates rheocharis occurs in small coastal streams and rivers from santa catarina to northern rio grande do sul , brazil . see figure 3 in menezes et al . ( 2008 ) .
data from costa ( 1987 ) indicate that m . microlepis lives near the surface and feeds mostly on terrestrial arthropods . sabino & castro ( 1990 ) found that it is primarily insectivorous and that 73 . 6 % of its diet consists of items that fall into the water , especially insects ( 63 . 15 % ) and arachnids ( 10 . 5 % ) . essentially the same results were obtained by lampert et al . ( 2003 ) who concluded that m . microlepis is insectivorous regardless of size and sex .
croaking tetra ( coelurichthys microlepis ) - easy to care for and are suitable for community tanks . guppy ( poecilia reticulata ) - many attractive variations hillstream loach es - not all of them like cool temperatures , but do well with temperatures in the upper sixties . more
croaking tetra ( coelurichthys microlepis ) - easy to care for and are fit for community tanks . guppy ( poecilia reticulata ) - many attractive variations hillstream loach es - not all of them like self - controlled temperatures , but do well with temperatures in the upper sixties . more
harald schultz ( 1959 ) discussed the species of mimagoniates and glandulocauda but seemed aware of only three species , m . barberi , m . microlepis and g . inequalis . in this publication schultz recognized m . lateralis as m . barberi ( the name often used at that time for m . lateralis in the european and american ornamental fish trade ) . the photograph labeled as of m . barberi is of m . lateralis . schultz ( 1959 ) correctly gives the range of what he designates as m . barberi as found in blackwater streams from the city of santos south to the state of santa catarina . this time he appears to have correctly identified m . microlepis and states that it is found in the coastal plains from north of rio de janeiro south to paraná and santa catarina states , a range nearly equal to that recorded below for that species . schultz ( 1959 : 52 ) found g . inequalis ( = m . inequalis of the present report ) south of the range of m . microlepis in rio grande do sul state . he found m . inequalis and m . microlepis only in clear water . interestingly in regard to menezes & weitzmann ( 1990 : 416 - 422 ) discussion of the possible hybrid origin of m . rheocharis , schultz found both m . inequalis and m . microlepis living together . ( see discussion under m . rheocharis ) . a jar of 14 specimens of m . inequalis plus one of m . microlepis , usnm 177704 ( all identified as m . inequalis by l . p . schultz , 1959 : 63 ) , and said to be collected in porto alegre might tend to confirm this overlap in geographical range . there is no information that all these specimens are from one locality near porto alegre . the lot was entered into the usnm catalog on 4 february , 1959 , and the fishes were collected sometime previous to that date .
houtan , a . 1990a . ( color photograph of live mimagoniates barberi ) . characoids , newsletter international characin association , lancashire , england , 1990 ( 4 ) : 1 - 21 . [ links ]
menezes & weitzman ( 1990 : 384 - 385 ) and weitzman & fink ( 1985 : 22 ) demonstrated that not only are the two species g . melanopleura and g . caerulea ( their g . melanogenys and g . melanopleura respectively ) distinct from the species of mimagoniates , including m . inequalis , but that the species of mimagoniates accepted by them form a monophyletic group with the two species of glandulocauda belonging to an outgroup of uncertain monophyly other than they are members of what we formerly considered to be the tribe glandulocaudini . they noted that they had no synapomorphies with testable polarity hypotheses to unite these two species in the monophyletic genus glandulocauda and left these terminal taxa in an unresolved trichotomy with a third line leading to the species of mimagoniates . weitzman & menezes ( 1998 ) considered glandulocauda as sister group of mimagoniates both genera forming clade 2 of their glandulocaudinae . more recently castro et al . ( 2003 ) included their new genus lophiobrycon in the glandulocaudini ( our glandulocaudinae ) as a sister group for the clade including glandulocauda and mimagoniates .
distribution . mimagoniates lateralis is restricted to small blackwater streams , rivers and ponds in the coastal area between santos , são paulo and santa catarina , brazil . see figure 3 in menezes et al . ( 2008 )
schultz , l . p . 1959 . generic status of mimagoniates and glandulocauda , south american characid fishes . tropical fish hobbyist , 8 ( 2 ) : 6 - 10 , 63 , 64 . [ links ]
another name for a croaking tetra is a mimagoniates inequalis source : digital fish funnel , july 27 , 2004 report as bad entry | send to a friend via email add your own definition of croaking tetra . more
anal - fin branched ray counts , number of scales ( horizontal scale rows on body , horizontal scale rows around caudal peduncle , lateral - series scales and predorsal scales ) , and number of vertebrae of mimagoniates microlepis showed significant differences among population samples of the species ( figs . 89 and 90 ) . for the purpose of comparison , the samples were grouped within the biogeographical coastal subregions defined by menezes ( 1988 : 300 ) . comparing only samples included in the north coastal subregion with the samples included in the more southern upland areas of paraná the respective ranges and medians are significantly different , with very little overlap in some cases . however , the same values for the intermediate samples included in the south coastal and in the two central coastal subregions bridge the gap . thus there is a pattern of latitudinal variation of characters than sharp differences that would justify the recognition of more than one species . the recent discovery of specimens identified as m . microlepis from the rio tibagi basin ( sant ' anna et al . , 2006 ) flowing through the upper paraná basin demonstrates that it is more widespread than previously indicated . the distribution of some isolated populations of m . microlepis is discussed by menezes et al . ( 2008 ) . until a more detailed analysis of character variation within the range of m . microlepis can be performed , we prefer for the moment to consider it a widespread species represented by isolated populations .
another sample of mimagoniates , usnm 177703 , listed as collected in porto alegre , and identified by schultz ( 1959 : 11 ) as m . microlepis , is rather m . lateralis . the known southern most locality for m . lateralis is santa catarina state , rio vermelho , barra do sul in ilha de são francisco , about 35 km from joinville , sc , 26°14 ' s 48°35 ' w , a location far from porto alegre , rs . this raises question to the locality information for usnm 177703 and 177704 .
the premaxillary teeth of mimagoniates are relatively compressed , suggesting a multicuspid incisor rather than the often thick , rounded basal portion multicuspid tooth typical of many
tetragonopterines
. in some of the smaller species of mimagoniates ( e . g . m . inequalis , approximately 30 . 0 - 35 . 0 mm sl ) the teeth on the premaxilla , are in a row . the two posterior most teeth are clearly in a single row , the next tooth inclines medially somewhat , but it is in line with the two posterior teeth . the next anterior tooth lies in the same somewhat curved plane as the two posterior most teeth . the next three teeth have their basal attachments not exactly aligned with the others , but it is difficult to characterize two rows . much larger ( 60 . 0 mm sl ) specimens of m . microlepis , for example , may have as many as 12 teeth on a premaxilla . gradations of the two arrangements just described occur in young to adult m . microlepis and many of the other species in the genus show intermediate conditions . under these circumstances we do not describe the premaxillary teeth of mimagoniates as being in two rows . we therefore consider the premaxillary teeth as forming a single unit rather than artificially divide the teeth into two rows .
mimagoniates melanopleura schultz , 1959 : 8 , 9 ( in key , generic allocation ) . - duboc & menezes , 2008 : 63 ( conservation status ; general informations ; geographic distribution ; main threats ; conservation strategies ) .
a few life color characters differentiate in fully mature males : the pelvic - fin rays and membranes of adult males are distally white whereas in m . microlepis the yellow and / or black pigment of the pelvic fins are continuous to edge of the fin where fin is bordered by a narrow band of white ; the portion of the anal fin posterior to the anterior lobe is bordered by a broad band of deep yellow pigment , with very little to no black pigment on fin ; in m . microlepis the posterior portion of the anal fin is ventrally bordered by a narrow band of black pigment , and none or very little yellow pigment .
distribution . the only available sample of mimagoniates pulcher originated from an uncertain locality in the upper rio paraguai in mato grosso , brazil ( see notes on the type locality ) . see fig . 3 in menezes et al . ( 2008 ) .
weitzman , s . h . & n . a . menezes . 1994 . as especies de glandulocauda e mimagoniates , peixes glandulocaudíneos do brasil , paraguai e nordeste do uruguai . habitat , 1 ( 1 ) : 1 - 8 . [ links ]
graphs or tables presenting the mean , standard deviation or the 95 % confidence intervals , standardly presented in systematic research , often poorly represent the structure of nonparametric data sets and thus may be misleading . to better reflect the structure of non - normal data sets we use comparative box plots of meristic data . we suggest that graphs comparing such plots are useful for identifying clines of data from a series of isolated populations that are geographically arranged in a linear fashion , for example see our treatment of the series of geographically adjacent populations of mimagoniates microlepis . comparative graphs of nonparametric meristic data sets , represented by tukey box plots of ranked data , were prepared from combined population samples of each species , and for m . microlepis , for certain geographically isolated population samples . these graphs comparatively display ranked data sets as tukey box plots laid on their sides so that geographical and / or other information could be included . the methods are explained in weitzman & malabarba ( 1999 ) .
paragoniates microlepis steindachner , 1877 : 33 ( type locality :
bäche in der nähe von rio de janeiro , rio dos macacos
; although this volume is for the year 1876 and often so cited the date of publication was 1877 ) . - eigenmann & eigenmann , 1891 : 57 ( listed ) . - eigenmann , 1910 : 441 ( listed ) .
pecio , a . & j . rafiñski . 1994 . structure of the testes , spermatozoa and spermatozeugmata of mimagoniates barberi regan , 1907 ( teleostei : characidae ) , an internally fertilizing , oviparous fish . acta zoologia , 75 : 179 - 185 . [ links ]
weitzman , s . h . , n . a . menezes and j . r . burns , 1996 . species of the glandulocaudine tetra tribe glandulocaudini : the genus mimagoniates . trop . fish hobbyist 19 ( 6 ) : 184 - 194 . ( ref . 30267 )
weitzman , s . h . , l . palmer , j . r . burns & n . a . menezes . 1996 . breeding and rearing mimagoniates species , internally fertilized tetras . tropical fish hobbyist , 44 ( 12 ) : 196 - 205 . [ links ]
glandulocaudinae eigenmann ( 1914 : 34 ) . eigenmann proposed this name for coelurichthys ( currently = mimagoniates ) , diapoma , gephyrocharax , glandulocauda , hysteronotus , microbrycon ( = pterobrycon ) , pseudocorynopoma , and stevardia ( = corynopoma ) , all of which ultimately proved to be inseminating .
principal caudal - fin rays 10 / 9 in all specimens , ( n = 77 ) . modification of some rays in association with caudal pheromone pump as in figs . 38a and b . fin rays modified more like those in m . inequalis than any other species of mimagoniates .
weitzman , s . h . , n . a . menezes & j . r . burns . 1996a . species of the glandulocaudine tetra tribe glandulocaudini : the genus mimagoniates ( part 3 ) . tropical fish hobbyist , 44 ( 6 ) : 195 - 210 . [ links ]
weitzman , s . h . , l . palmer , j . r . burns & n . a . menezes . 1996b . breeding and rearing species of mimagoniates , internally fertilized tetras . ( part 2 ) . tropical fish hobbyist , 44 ( 10 ) : 196 - 205 . [ links ]
description . table 12 presents morphometrics of the lectotype , paralectotype and topotypes . except where noted , the entire description refers to the population sample represented by specimens from rio macacu , the type locality or adjacent tributaries flowing into this river . these collections were treated statistically as one population sample in an attempt to represent the species . variations of meristic and morphometric data within the range of m . microlepis are discussed where appropriate .
diagnosis . synapomorphies 3 ( modified , hypertrophied terminal caudal peduncle squamation extending onto caudal fin from ventral region of dorsal caudal - fin lobe ) and 4 ( caudal gland cells consisting of modified club cells ) discussed above are unequivocal conditions that corroborate the hypothesis that lophiobrycon , glandulocauda , and mimagoniates form a monophyletic group .
ecology . in addition to the scarce information available in the ecological notes in menezes & weitzman ( 1990 : 421 - 422 ) , recent data from malabarba et al . ( 2008 ) indicates that mimagoniates rheocharis lives in small streams with moderate flowing and shallow clear waters , with rocks and less abundant fallen leaves , sand or mud . specimens are usually found in small numbers in still waters near the banks where the water current is slower , under the shadow of marginal vegetation . few specimens can also be found in micro - habitats among rocks and macrophytes , especially when larger portions of still water are occupied by mimagoniates microlepis . the species seems to be very sensitive to change in water quality especially with respect to dissolved oxygen and ph . feeds mainly on a variety of terrestrial insects that fall from surrounding trees and are preyed upon on the water surface . small amounts of aquatic insects and micro - crustaceans are also eaten . like other members of the glandulocaudinae , m . rheocharis is forest - dependent and survives only in streams where the marginal vegetation is preserved .
menezes & weitzman ( 1990 : 383 - 384 ) , weitzman et al . ( 1988 : 384 - 413 ) , weitzman & fink ( 1985 : 109 ) provided evidence that the species they placed in glandulocauda and mimagoniates form a monophyletic group based on male secondary sexual synapomorphies . castro et al . ( 2003 ) included their new genus lophiobrycon in the glandulocaudini ( our glandulocaudinae ) and , based on the absence of certain secondary sexual characters in the genus , suggested that the tribal diagnosis should be reformulated . géry ( 1977 : 362 ) briefly discussed mimagoniates and his concept of glandulocauda but made no comments on their possible monophyly .
presence of elongate scales at base of dorsal caudal - fin lobe extending posteriorly as a flap to loosely cover area of glandular tissue is an exclusive feature of mimagoniates . in species of this genus with more elongate caudal organ , scales are proportionally longer ( figs . 32 , 38 , 67 , 75 and 85 ) .
diagnosis . mimagoniates lateralis and m . sylvicola are the only species of the genus having a caudal fin - ray pump well developed and no hooks on caudal - fin rays ( figs . 58 and 67 ) . m . lateralis , however , has fewer lateral series scales ( 35 to 41 vs . 49 to 56 for m . sylvicola ) , fewer horizontal scale rows from dorsal - fin origin to anal - fin origin ( 13 to 15 vs . 16 to 18 for m . sylvicola ) , and fewer scale rows around caudal peduncle ( 16 to 18 vs . 19 to 20 for m . sylvicola ) . color differences between the two species are discussed in the diagnosis of m . sylvicola . mimagoniates rheocharis and m . microlepis also with a fully developed caudal - fin ray pump in mature males , have hooks on principal caudal - fin rays ( figs . 75 and 85 ) , absent in m . lateralis and m . inequalis ; m . barberi and m . pulcher has a rudimentary caudal - fin ray pump ( figs . 32 , 38 and 47 ) .
coelurichthys microlepis rachow , 1927 : 17 ( aquarium description ) . rachow in holly meinken & rachow , 1950a : 755 ( in synonymy ) . - nelson , 1964a : 62 , 63 , 68 ( anatomy ; systematics ; courtship behavior ) . - géry , 1966 : 228 , 230 ( discussion and in key ) . - géry , 1977 : 362 ( listed in discussion ) . - sterba , 1987 : 69 ( aquarium description ) .
mimagoniates pulcher is known from only one collection taken in 1934 from the northern region of the pantanal . its precise locality remains unknown and despite two attempts to recollect this species we failed to find it . the fish may now be extinct from habitat alteration due to soy bean culture and / or repeated clearing of vegetation over by fire .
the functions of the genes encoded for lactate dehydrogenase ( ldh ) in six genera of characins ( teleost ) were examined by electrophoretic and immunochemical analyses of the ldh isozymes . the characins possess the ldh a and b loci present in all vertebrates . the eyeless mexican cave fish ( anoptichthys jordani ) and other characins possessing normal eyes , e . g . , mexican tetra ( astyanax mexicanus , which is able to hybridize with the cave fish ) , blue tetra ( mimagoniates microlepis ) , sailfin tetra ( crenuchus spilurus ) , head and tail light tetra ( hemigrammus ocellifer ) , and the piranha ( serrasalmus spilopleura ) , all lack the function of a third ldh locus ( the e locus ) present in many teleosts which codes for a distinctive isozyme synthesized in the nervous system , particularly in the neural retina .
menezes , n . a . & s . h . weitzman . 1990 . two new species of mimagoniates ( teleostei : characidae : glandulocaudinae ) , their phylogeny and biogeography and a key to the glandulocaudin fishes of brazil and paraguay . proceedings of the biological society of washington , 103 ( 2 ) : 380 - 426 . [ links ]
the least complex condition is found in the species of glandulocauda ( figs . 15 and 25 ) where principal rays 11 and 12 are simply bowed ventrally and no apparent pump is present although in bending the caudal fin during courtship the bowed rays of the male may cause water currents to pass over the organized glandular tissue of males . in the most intermediate species of mimagoniates ( m . barberi , m . inequalis and m . pulcher ) these two fin rays are strongly decurved and enlarged with a groove between them . in the more derived species of the genus , m . microlepis , a complex pump chamber is present and supported by modified principal caudal rays 9 - 13 and especially 11 and 12 , which are also strongly decurved ( compare figs . 32 , 38 and 47 with figs . 58 , 67 , 77 and 85 ) .
ecology . weitzman et al . ( 1988 : 413 ) mentioned that m . microlepis occurs in clear running waters of small to large streams and is quite common and most abundant in forested areas near the shore . subsequently menezes & weitzman ( 1990 : 423 ) pointed out that it is rarely found in black acid waters . more recent collections of this species obtained from eastern and southeastern brazilian coasts , however , indicated that it is more common in blackwaters than previously thought . it has been recently collected in small black water streams with substrate consisting of clay , rocks and sand as well as in clear water streams in santa catarina . in most other places both in eastern and southern brazil , m . microlepis was caught in slow moving clear water streams and small ponds , even in areas where the original mata atlântica vegetation was removed . in the small streams the water was cool and rocks , sand , mud and twigs fallen from isolated trees were usually found on the bottom .
no date of collection of the lectotype of m . microlepis , nmw 56534 , was provided , but nmw catalog cites the collector as steindachner and the date of receipt of specimens as 1874 . likely the specimens originated near town of macacu ( also called cachoeiras de macacu , approximately 22°26 ' s 42°49 ' w ) in 1874 by steindachner during hassler expedition , 1871 - 1872 . our observations indicate that species frequently occurs in small tributaries of rio macacu and along shores of main river in emergent vegetation .
must it be the first link ? sounds kind of restricted . . . . but fun ! ! ! mimagoniates microlepis mimagoniates genus biology natural science science knowledge fact _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ( i really thought i was going to start drifting away here ) information sequence mathematics quantity property ( philosophy ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ woohoo ! ! ! modern philosophy philosophy win ! ! ! ! ! i take back my previous statement on the game . this was fun ! edit : on a second try , started on walwan dam , and reached science after 6 links . we have already seen that is a straight path to philosophy . edit : on a third try , started with ted zegwaard , and eventually reached aristotle . at this point i thought i was doomed , but it lead me to quantity . this leads to philosophy . edit : i refuse to believe there is a logical explanation to this behavior , and that either my sample size is too small , or that philosophy is simply a very cited article , or whatever reason . after 6 tries that took me straight to philosophy , i declare that the wikipedia gods are playing a mean joke on me , for disbelieving at first that this was gonna be so easy .
mimagoniates inequalis rachow , 1928 : 16 ( aquarium description ) . - schultz , 1959 : 11 ( key , in part ; only specimens from porto alegre ; listed m . lateralis as a synonym ; of specimens listed , m . inequalis usnm 94117 are m . lateralis and usnm 177704 includes 1 spm of m . microlepis ; only usnm 94310 are all m . inequalis ) . - weitzman & fink , 1985 : 106 , 109 ( listed in materials examined with evidence for placement of in mimagoniates ) . - weitzman et al . , 1988 : 404 - 419 ( discussion of relationships and biogeography ) . - malabarba , 1989 : 136 ( listed in discussion ) . - menezes & weitzman , 1990 : 384 ( in key to glandulocaudini ) . - weitzman & menezes , 1994 : 3 ( general discussion in non - systematic literature ) . - weitzman et al . , 1996 : 200 , 205 , 209 ( courtship behavior ; reproduction ; breeding ) . - weitzman , in reis et al . , 2003 : 226 ( maximum length ; distribution ; remarks ; and references ) . - menezes , in buckup et al . , 2007 : 39 ( listed in catalog ; distribution ) . - menezes et al . , 2008 : 38 - 41 ( distribution ; discussion of relationships and biogeography ) .
with respect to the condition branched versus unbranched of the anterior pelvic - fin ray we feel that in spite of the very small specimens of some species included in the clade encompassing glandulocauda and mimagoniates not having the branched condition of the adults does not alter the unique nature of this feature at the level of the phylogeny of the glandulocaudinae . for this reason character state was not coded as polymorphic .
diagnosis . males of mimagoniates barberi , m . pulcher n . sp . , and m . inequalis have a rudimentary caudal - fin ray pump ( figs . 32 , 38 , and 47 ) and in this respect differ from males of their congeners which have a fully developed caudal - fin ray pump ( figs . 58 , 67 , 75 , and 85 ) . mimagoniates barberi can be distinguished from m . inequalis by having more branched anal - fin rays ( 30 - 36 vs . 23 - 30 ) , more scales in lateral series ( 41 - 48 vs . 34 - 41 ) , fewer scale rows between dorsal - fin origin and anal - fin origin ( 13 - 15 vs . 15 - 18 ) and the mid - lateral dark stripe of adult males nearly black ( vs . lateral body stripe of adult males diffuse , poorly developed , often not apparent ) . mimagoniates barberi differs from m . pulcher by the number of branched anal - fin rays ( 30 - 36 vs . 26 - 30 ) and by the absence of spines on principal caudal - fin rays ( fig . 38 ) , present in m . pulcher ( fig . 47 ) .
mimagoniates barberi ( not of regan , 1907 : 402 ) , rachow , 1927 : 17 ( misidentification of m . lateralis for m . barberi ) . myers , 1928 : 120 ( misidentification ) . rachow , 1928 : 15 ( misidentification ) . - holly et al . , 1950 : 779 , ( misidentification ; list of aquarium and ichthyological literature mostly referring to m . lateralis prior to 1941 ) .
diagnosis . mimagoniates pulcher is apparently most similar to m . barberi and m . inequalis with respect to the modification of caudal - fin rays in association with caudal pump , but differs at once from these two species in having hooks on caudal - fin rays at least in adult male specimens ( compare fig . 47 with figs . 32 and 38 ) . additionally , from m . barberi it is distinguished in having anal - fin rays 26 - 30 ( 31 - 36 for m . barberi ) and from m . inequalis in having 43 - 46 lateral series scales ( 34 - 41 for m . inequalis ) . mature males of the remaining species of mimagoniates have principal caudal - fin rays modified to form a fully developed caudal - fin ray pump ( figs . 58 , 67 , 72 , and 80 ) .
distribution . mimagoniates inequalis is known from small streams and rivers tributaries of rio jacuí and lago guaíba , from small streams flowing into laguna dos patos , and from small isolated coastal ponds and streams flowing into the atlantic ocean in southern rio grande do sul , brazil . it was also collected in tributaries of the upper rio negro , rivera , uruguay . see fig . 3 in menezes et al . ( 2008 ) .
glandulocauda inequalis eigenmann , 1911b : 169 , plate 5 , fig . 5 , ( type locality :
porto alegre , jan . 19 , 1909
) . - eigenmann , 1914a : 42 ( listed ) . - henn , 1928 : 68 ( listed in type catalog ) . - eigenmann & myers , 1929 : 489 ( redescription based on type specimens ) . - innes , 1935 : 122 ( aquarium description ) . - holly , meinken & rachow , 1950 : 816 ( aquarium description ; citation of much aquarium and ichthyological literature previous to 1942 ) . - fowler , 1951 : 413 ( listed ) . - böhlke , 1958 : 43 ( listed ) . - nelson , 1964a : 62 , 68 , 120 , 127 ( systematics ; morphology ; courtship behavior ) . - nelson , 1964b : 129 ( courtship behavior ) . - nelson , 1964c : 527 - 533 ( courtship behavior ) . - géry , 1964 : 8 ( noted differences between m . inequalis and m . microlepis ) . - géry , 1966 : 229 ( in key to males of glandulocauda and mimagoniates ; unsure of proper generic allocation of g . inequalis ) . - géry , 1977 : 362 ( listed in a brief discussion of glandulocauda and mimagoniates ; unsure of generic allocation of g . inequalis ) . - sterba , 1987 : 68 ( aquarium description ) . - ibarra & stewart , 1987 : 39 ( listed in type catalog ) .
coelurichthys tenuis nichols , 1913 : 152 ( type locality : none , same remarks as above under m . lateralis ) . - schultz , 1959 : 63 , ( erroneously referred to m . inequalis ) . - nelson , 1964a : 62 , 127 ( considered male holotype valid species distinct from m . microlepis ) . - géry , 1966 : 320 ( questioned whether m . tenuis is synonym of m . lateralis ) . - géry , 1977 : 362 ( listed and noted that m . barberi of aquarists is apparently c . tenuis ) . - sterba , 1987 : 69 ( aquarium description ) .
description . table 9 presents morphometrics of the holotype and the population sample from cananéia , são paulo . the entire description refers to this population sample which includes a large series from immature to fully mature male and female specimens and contains the ranges of meristic and morphometric variation in within the distributional area of mimagoniates lateralis . counts and ratios of measurements for other population samples taken from other areas are given only when they differ from those of cananéia .
coelurichthys lateralis nichols , 1913 : 151 ( type locality : none ,
these two small aquarium fishes were presented to the american museum of natural history by mr . william mack , of new york . there was no accompanying data , but they are probably south american , and are referred to the genus coelurichthys of ribeiro
) . - nelson , 1964a : 65 ( found female type of c . lateralis difficult to identify and could not decide whether it was c . microlepis or same as c . tenuis , but if it were latter , c . lateralis would have priority because of page precedence ) .
remarks . lophiobrycon shares with glandulocauda plesiomorphic states of characters 9 , 10 and 11 discussed in the phylogeny section with respect to the derived conditions of these characters in mimagoniates . it was regarded by castro et al . ( 2003 : 14 ) as the sister group to the clade represented by glandulocauda and mimagoniates ( see castro et al . , 2003 , fig . 8 ) . their conclusion was based on the absence of modified scales on the upper caudal - fin lobe of lophiobrycon ( castro et al . , 2003 , fig . 4 ) . the state described as
an apparent concentration of bead - like hypertrophied glandular tissue along the borders of the proximal portions of caudal - fin rays 11 and 12 , that are slightly decurved in their distal half
would represent the most plesiomorphic state of the caudal organ in any glandulocaudine . these characters are discussed in the phylogeny section above .
the subfamily glandulocaudinae ( = the glandulocaudini of menezes & weitzman , 1990 ) consists of three genera , lophiobrycon castro et al . ( 2003 : 13 ) with one species , glandulocauda eigenmann ( 1911b : 168 ) with two species , and mimagoniates regan ( 1907 : 402 ) with seven species . lophiobrycon weitzmani castro , ribeiro , benine & melo ( 2003 ) was assigned by its authors as a basal species related to all others within the glandulocaudini of the former glandulocaudinae .
malabarba , l . r . , m . a . azevedo & n . a . menezes . 2008 . mimagoniates rheocharis menezes & weitzman , 1990 . pp . 79 - 80 . in : machado , a . b . m . , g . m . drumond & a . p . paglia ( eds . ) . livro vermelho da fauna brasileira ameaçada de extinção . brasília , mma ; belo horizonte , fundação biodiversitas , 2 : 1 - 907 . [ links ]
diagnosis . all glandulocaudine species belonging to mimagoniates have either a rudimentary or a fully developed caudal fin - ray pump ( figs . 32 , 38 , 47 , 58 , 67 , 75 , and 85 ) not present in the other two genera , in which principal caudal - fin rays 11 and 12 are not modified ( lophiobrycon , fig . 4 in castro et al . , 2003 ) or just decurved but not forming a pump ( glandulocauda , figs . 15 and 25 ) . additionally mimagoniates can be distinguished from these two genera by having the dorsal - fin origin posterior to vertical through anal - fin origin ( figs . 31 , 36 , 45 , 53 , 63 , 70 , and 78 ) . in lophiobrycon ( figs . 3 and 4 ) the dorsal - fin origin is anterior to vertical through anal - fin origin and closer to snout tip than to caudal - fin base and in glandulocauda ( figs . 11 - 12 and 20 - 21 ) the dorsal - fin origin is slightly ahead of vertical through anal - fin origin . also , in mimagoniates adult males have no more than 1 hook on anal - fin rays that bear hooks , although sometimes 2 hooks might be present on anterior most branched ray and 3 on longest unbranched anterior ray ( figs . 33 , 39 , 50 , 56 , 65 , 73 , and 81 ) whereas in glandulocauda species more than one hook are present on anal - fin rays that bear hooks ( figs . 16 and 26 ) .
ecology . field data indicate that mimagoniates lateralis is entirely confined to acid black waters ( fig . 60 ) . mzusp 53275 ( 75 specimens ) and usnm 326250 ( 66 specimens ) were collected from a black water stream near cananéia , são paulo , running in a disturbed stretch of mata atlântica . the stream was on the average 1 . 7 m wide and 0 . 4 deep and the fishes occurred in both sunlight or shaded areas over sandy - rocky bottoms covered with filamentous algae and dead leaves .
diagnosis . lophiobrycon can be distinguished from the other two genera of the subfamily by having the adipose fin long based in sexually mature males ( fig . 3 ) extending from posterior termination of base of dorsal fin to base of dorsal lobe of caudal fin , a urogenital papilla ( fig . 8 ) with a posterior opening and anus located at its base in the females , and the dorsal - fin origin closer to snout tip than to caudal - fin base . in glandulocauda and mimagoniates the males have a short based adipose fin ( figs . 11 and 20 ) , a urogenital papilla is lacking in females and the dorsal - fin origin is closer to caudal - fin base than to snout tip . also in lophiobrycon only 1 to 3 hooks ( fig . 6 ) are present on the anterior three branched anal - fin rays of adult males , contrasting with the presence of 5 to 15 hooks on the anterior three branched anal - fin rays of adult males ( figs . 16 and 26 ) in glandulocauda and mimagoniates .
in lophiobrycon , outgroup clade a and stevardiines the anterior ray of the pelvic fin is unbranched . it is distally branched in species of glandulocauda and mimagoniates ( figs . 27 , 34 , 40 , 49 , 57 , 66 , 74 and 83 ) . this ray must not be confused with the pelvic splint attached to anterior ray . the extent of the branching of anterior ray varies according to the species , the size of the specimens and / or perhaps sometimes the sex of specimens for at least one species .
mimagoniates barberi regan , 1907 : 402 ( type locality : arroyo yâcá , estación caballero , paraguay , fig . 6 ) . - myers , in eigenmann & myers , 1929 : 492 - 493 ( distinction between m . barberi and m . microlepis unclear ; uncertain of validity of m . barberi ) . pearson , 1937 : 108 ( m . barberi as endemic to paraguay basin ) . - travassos , 1952 : 93 ( listed ) . - schultz , 1959 : 63 ( designated lectotype ; recognized as a distinct species ) . - nelson , 1964a : 64 ( recognized m . barberi as valid species ) . - géry , 1964 : 6 ( recognized m . barberi as possible geographic form of m . microlepis ) . - géry , 1966 : 228 , 230 ( recognized as distinct species ) . - géry , 1977 : 362 ( recognized as distinct species ) . - weitzman & fink , 1985 : 105 ( in materials examined ) . - weitzman et al . , 1988 : 404 ( phylogeny , biogeography , figure ) . - menezes & weitzman , 1990 : 385 ( in key ) . - houtan , 1990 : 9 ( aquarium description ; color photograph ) . - vari & howe , 1991 : 30 ( listed in type catalog ) . - pecio & rafiñski , 1994 : 180 ( histological and ultrastructure of testes ) . - weitzman & menezes , 1994 : 3 ( general discussion for non - systematic readers ) . - weitzman et al . , 1996a : 209 ( courtship behavior ) . - weitzman et al . , 1996b : 203 , 204 ( breeding and rearing ) . - malabarba & weitzman , 2000 : 279 ( listed in discussion ) . - weitzman , 2003 : 226 ( maximum length ; distribution ; remarks and references ) . - britski et al . , 2007 : 68 ( diagnosis ; figure ) . - menezes et al . , 2008 : 38 - 42 ( distribution ; discussion of relationships and biogeography ) .


the tokay gecko ( gekko gecko ) is a nocturnal arboreal gecko in the genus gekko , the true geckos .

it is native to asia and some pacific islands .

the tokay gecko is known as a hokkeng in chakma , takshak in assamese , hankkok in manipuri , tuko in the philippines , tokkae in malaysia , tokek in indonesian/javanese , tắc kè in vietnamese , kokkek in zomi , ตุ๊กแก [ túkkɛː ] in thai , តុកកែ " tokkae " in khmer ( cambodian language ) sawk-khe in hmar and awke in mizo for its characteristic vocalizations .

tokay gecko

tokay gecko gekko gecko . ( l ) established on south water caye , belize
names : tokay gecko , gekko gecko , hokkeng , takshak , hankkok , and awke .
love , b . 2000 . gekko gecko ( tokay gecko ) . predation . herpetological review 31 : 174 .
means , d . b . 1996a . gekko gecko ( tokay gecko ) . herpetological review 27 : 152 .
a trio tokay geckos arrived on my doorstep . this is a quick introduction to the wonderful world of the tokay gecko .
the tokay was the first gecko to be scientifically named by linnaeus in 1758 .
complete mitochondrial genome of the red - spotted tokay gecko ( gekko gecko , reptilia : gekkonidae ) : comparison of red - and black - spotted tokay geckos .
a male leucistic tokay gecko protects these eggs . both sexes protect eggs in captivity .
yan wong changed the thumbnail image of
file : tokay gecko . jpg
.
eating tokay gecko meat is believed to cure various diseases such as cancer and hiv .
©2018 urltoken | love and care for your tokay gecko . design & development by urltoken
tokay gecko does not have many predators apart from large poisonous snakes inhabiting the asian rainforests .
we strongly urge indonesia , and other tokay gecko range countries , to immediately list the tokay gecko in appendix iii of cites and to propose a stronger listing , in appendix ii .
complete mitochondrial genome of the red - spotted tokay gecko ( gekko gecko , reptilia : gekkonidae ) : comparison of red - and black - spotted tokay geckos . - pubmed - ncbi
a tokay gecko typically lives for an average of 10 . 5 years . however , in captivity , tokay geckos can live for much longer .
tokay gecko with a mouthful of winged insects . photograph : mary - ruth low ern - lyn
scientific classification kingdom : animalia phylum : chordata class : reptilia order : squamata family : gekkonidae genus : gekko species : g . gecko subspecies : g . gecko gecko g . gecko azhari
butterfield , b . p . , and j . b . hauge . 2000 . gekko gecko ( tokay gecko ) . herpetological review 31 : 52 .
it is possible to see clear through the head of a tokay gecko through the holes in their ears .
foot of a tokay gecko , showing the subdigital lamellae . photograph : mary - ruth low ern - lyn
lacerta gecko linnaeus , 1758 , java , indonesia . two subspecies are recognized , but some populations currently included in gekko gecko gecko probably are distinct .
tokay geckos are vocal reptiles . during mating season , which can last for 4 - 5 months , male tokay geckos call to attract mates . the advertisement calls of male tokay geckos
for a look at the gecko breeds that make good pets , check out our other gecko profiles .
lalronunga , s . , zirkunga , m . c . , zothansanga , c . & vanlalhlimpuia . 2017 . gecko gecko ( tokay gecko ) death - feigning . herpetological review 48 ( 3 ) : 644 .
a contribution to the functional analysis of the foot of the tokay , gekko gecko ( reptilia : gekkonidae ) .
the tokay gecko ( gekko gecko ) , the largest species , attains a length of 25 to 35 cm ( 10 to 14 inches ) . it is gray with red and whitish spots and bands . the tokay gecko , native to southeast asia , is frequently sold in pet shops .
in thailand , people regard the cry of the tokay gecko as a sign of good fortune . when the tokay gecko calls during the birth of a child , the people regard it as a blessing ( badger , 2006 ) . indeed , the more times the gecko cries , the better .
here , we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of the red - spotted tokay gecko ( squamata : gekkonidae ) . the genome is 16 , 590 bp in size . its gene arrangement pattern was identical with that of black - spotted tokay gecko . we compared the mitochondrial genome of red - spotted tokay gecko with that of the black - spotted tokay gecko . nucleotide sequence of the two whole mitochondrial genomes was 97 . 99 % similar , and the relatively high similarity seems to indicate that they may be separated at the subspecies level . the information of mitochondrial genome comparison of the two morphological types of tokay gecko is discussed in detail .
rosamma , mathew 2005 . on the occurance of the tokay gecko ( gekko gecko ( linn ) ) ( reptilia : squamata : gekkonidae ) in meghalaya . cobra 59 : 11 - 12
some believe the tokay gecko can be used to help treat the hiv virus . ( e . r . degginger / getty images )
tokay geckos are the world’s second largest species of gecko , with males reaching lengths of up to 15 inches ( 38 centimeters ) .
english : leach ' s giant gecko ; french : gecko géant de leach , caméléon géant ; german : neukaledonischer riesengecko .
bucol , abner and angel alcala . 2013 . tokay gecko , gekko gecko ( sauria : gekkonidae ) predation on juvenile house rats . herpetology notes 6 : 307 - 308 . - get paper here
once tame , this species is reluctant to bite , and it can be handled much like a leopard gecko . a friendly captive tokay gecko is both an accomplishment and proof of your geckokeeping skills .
during the day , your tokay gecko will sleep in a head - down position , but don & apos ; t be fooled into thinking it & apos ; s inactive . at night , tokay geckos get moving .
eschment , j . 1979 . nachzucht von tokehs gecko gecko . sauria 1 ( 1 ) : 21 - 24 - get paper here
has been gutted . in singapore , it is also possible to see dried tokay geckos for sale in traditional chinese medicine stores and markets . recently , there has been a boom in the illegal trade of tokay geckos across south - east asia because of an unfounded claim that the tokay gecko can cure aids .
tokay geckos also have the ability to shed their tails through a process known as autotomy . this serves to distract or confuse potential predators and allows time for the gecko to escape . the gecko then regenerates its tail .
lacerta gecko linnaeus 1758 : 205 gekko verticillatus laurenti 1768 ( fide taylor 1963 ) gekko teres laurenti 1768 lacerta geko müller 1774 : 98 ( nomen illegitimum ) gekko aculeatus houttuyn 1782 ( non gecko aculeatus spix 1825 ) gekko perlatus houttuyn 1782 stellio maculatus schneider 1792 ( fide rösler et al . 2018 ) gekko guttatus daudin 1802 gekko verus merrem 1820 : 42 gekko annulatus kuhl 1820 : 132 platydactylus guttatus — duméril & bibron 1836 : 328 gekko tenuis [ hallowell 1857 ] gekko indicus [ girard 1858 ] gymnodactylus tenuis hallowell 1856 — boulenger 1885 : 22 gecko guttatus — stoliczka 1870 : 160 platydactylus guttatus — brühl 1886 gecko verticillatus [ sic ] — boulenger 1885 : 183 gecko verticillatus [ sic ] — boulenger 1894 : 82 gekko gecko — barbour 1912 gecko verticillatus — de rooij 1915 : 56 gekko gecko — taylor 1922 gekko gecko — taylor 1963 : 799 gekko gecko — kluge 1993 gekko gecko — rösler 1995 : 120 gekko gecko — manthey & grossmann 1997 : 231 gekko gecko — cox et al . 1998 : 82 gekko gecko — ziegler 2002 : 165 gekko df . gecko — jestrzemski et al . 2013 gekko gecko azhari mertens 1955 gekko gecko azhari — mahony et a . 2009
rocha - júnior , josé carlos 2015 . occurrence of the tokay gecko , gekko gecko linnaeus 1758 ( squamata , gekkonidae ) , an exotic species in southern brazil . herpetology notes 8 : 8 - 10 - get paper here
peng , q . k . et al . 2010 . genetic variability of the tokay gecko based on microsatellite analysis . biochemical systematics and ecology 38 : 23–28
the tokay gecko eats mostly insects it ' s considered an insectivorous species . they feed on crickets , locusts , cockroaches , centipedes and even venomous scorpions .
tokay geckoes eat pests such as cockroaches and locusts . they are sold as pets .
male tokay geckos are highly territorial and tend to attack anyone who approaches their territory .
be sure your tank has a secure lid ; tokay geckos are strong and may attempt to escape if the opportunity presents itself . you don & apos ; t want a scared tokay gecko wandering around your house , for its sake and yours .
i have always found the scientific name of the tokay gecko to be somewhat amusing because it is so repetitive . the tokay is classified in the family gekkonidae , subfamily gekkoninae , genus gekko and species gecko . is it just me , or is that kind of humorous ? ( maybe i just need to get out more . )
while tokay geckos are widespread in asia , few if any species could stand this level of off - take . it’s only a matter of time before the tokay gecko becomes yet another species on the long , and ever growing , list of species threatened with extinction .
the effective adhesive energy of the gecko ' s digit in the active dh .
bridging nanocontacts to macroscale gecko adhesion by sliding soft lamellar skin supported setal array .
multiscale modeling and simulation of the deformation and adhesion of a single gecko seta .
the tokay gecko gets its name from the mating calls it makes - a series of characteristic ' to - kay ' or ' geck - oh ' sounds . in fact , the scientific name , gekko gecko , also comes from the calls it makes .
if your nose is sensitive enough to detect this musty smell , it’s a sign that your tokay gecko needs some rest so you must put them back immediately in the terrarium .
the tokay gecko lives in tropical rain forests , on cliffs and trees , and as pets amongst human habitation . they are arboreal ( tree - dwelling and cliff - dwelling ) .
shepherd said the tokay gecko remained poorly protected by national legislation and called for the lizard to be protected under cites , the international convention on endangered species , before it becomes extinct .
aowphol , a . , thirakhupt , k . , nabhitabhata , j . , voris , h . k . ( 2006 ) . foraging ecology of the tokay gecko , gekko gecko in a residential area in thailand . amphibia - reptilia 27 : 491 - 503 .
the eyes of a tokay gecko allow it to see well even when its pupil is reduced to pinprick size due to tiny holes that focus light on the same area of the retina .
nearly all geckos survive on insectivorous diets . most small species eat only arthropods , but some larger species take small vertebrate prey . tokay geckos ( gekko gecko ) , for example , can
the tokay gecko ( gekko gecko ) is found throughout southeast asia with its range extending from india , nepal , and bangladesh to the philippines , western new guinea , and indonesia . but this lizard species as also been introduced in some areas outside its native range .
adhesion and friction force coupling of gecko seta arrays : implications for structure adhesive surfaces .
but the traffic study found that the exporting companies don’t breed tokay geckos in those commercial numbers—the logistical requirements would be too costly . instead they export wild - caught tokay geckos , dead , for the medicinal and meat trade in numbers far greater than permitted . while there’s no legal trade in dead tokay geckos from indonesia , according to traffic , indonesia exports an estimated 1 . 2 million dried tokay geckos annually .
tokay gecko information . . . the tokay gecko is the 2nd largest gecko in the world growing up to 51 cm long ( 20 inches ) . though human development is reducing it ' s range , this lizard is adapting well to living in man - made structures and it ' s common to see them sticking to the walls and ceilings ridding the place of big bugs and small rodents . tokay gecko mating call . . . tokay is an onomatopoeia for it ' s two syllable mating call
tow - kay .
american soldiers in vietnam heard something different and called it the f - you lizard . luckily that name didn ' t stick . tokay gecko bite . . . tokay geckos are quick to bite when handled and sometimes clamp on tight refusing to let go . large specimens will draw blood however the pain is surprisingly not that bad . i ' ve been bitten hundreds of times by tokay geckos with no serious issues . . . just a little broken skin and the creeps . rinse the wound off with soap and water and you should be fine . despite their eagerness to clamp down on the person that clamps down on them , tokay geckos can be taught to tame down after regular handling and work . thailand superstitions tells that if the tokay geckos call 7 times , it ' s bad luck . luckily this one called 8 .
tokay geckos have different ways to call their owners attention and express what they want . gecko owners must learn to spot these signs of communication from their pets . there are several means by which your gecko can communicate with you ; by creating sounds , body language or body chemicals .
aowphol , anchalee ; thirakhupt , kumthorn ; < br / > nabhitabhata , jarujin ; voris , harold k . 2006 . foraging ecology of the tokay gecko , gekko gecko in a residential area in thailand . amphibia - reptilia 27 ( 4 ) : 491 - 503 - get paper here
deniz martinez set
portrait
as an exemplar on
gekko gecko linnaeus 1758
.
blurry screengrab from video ' giant tokai gecko , higanteng tuko , real or fake ? ' it ' s obviously fake . poor lizard . not only has the lizard ( a varanid ? ) been given a fake tokay - like head , it ' s also been painted with a tokay - like pattern .
chiu , k . w . and maderson , p . f . a . ( 1980 ) . observations on the interactions between thermal conditions and skin shedding frequency in the tokay ( gekko gecko ) .
there are other fake giant tokay videos online . in this one ( viewable on youtube ) , what is very clearly a varanid with modified head , hands and feet is made out to be another over - sized tokay .
in parts of southeast asia , tokay geckoes are regarded as harbingers of luck , good fortune , and fertility .
one way to determine whether a tokay gecko is healthy enough to adopt is to pick it up . a healthy gecko will dislike this and will bark or attempt to bite you , so be sure your hand is behind its head . if the gecko opens its mouth , it & apos ; s getting ready to bite . do everything you can to avoid getting bitten ; not only is the bite painful , but tokay geckos can lock on and refuse to let go once they sink their teeth in .
their skin is soft and granular with a kind of velvet feel to the touch . the tokay gecko has a cylindrical and stocky body with a rather flat top and a long characteristic semi - prehensile tail .
huang , s . c . ; chen , m . y . & norval , g . 2008 . an attack of a tokay gecko ( gekko gecko ) on a palawan ratsnake ( coelognathus philippinus ) on palawan island , philippines . sauria 30 ( 3 ) : 53 - 54 - get paper here
the tokay gecko ( gekko gecko ) is a nocturnal arboreal gecko , ranging from northeast india , bhutan , to nepal and bangladesh , throughout southeast asia , philippines to indonesia and western new guinea . its native habitat is rainforest trees and cliffs , and it also frequently adapts to rural human habitations , roaming walls and ceilings at night in search of insect prey . increasing urbanization is reducing its range .
this does not necessarily mean that the tokay is not a good terrarium subject , it just means that those people who like to handle their lizards on a regular basis may prefer a gecko species that is a bit more docile , such as a leopard gecko . however , if you are interested in maintaining a species that is large , colorful and interesting to observe , then a tokay may be right up your ally .
kept as pets in homes around the world , many asian cultures also consider tokay geckos to be good luck charms . these lizards are unfortunately frequent targets of poachers in the wild since tokay geckos are used in some medicinal remedies .
calls of the tokay gecko are used for communication , finding members of the opposite sex during the breeding season , and as a means of defense ( they emit a hissing or croaking noise when being attacked ) .
the tokay gecko is a solitary animal and they are only seen together in the mating season . the breeding season starts in the spring when daylight hours begin to increase and it lasts for 4 to 5 months .
tokay geckoes are one of the largest geckoes alive today with a length of around 35 cm . the body of a
han , de - min & zhou , kai - ya 2005 . complete sequence and gene organization of the mitochondrial genome of tokay ( gekko gecko ) . zool . res . 26 ( 2 ) : 123 - 128
kento furui added an unknown common name in an unknown language to
gekko gecko linnaeus 1758
.
role of tilted adhesion fibrils ( setae ) in the adhesion and locomotion of gecko - like systems .
norval , gerrut ; simon dieckmann , shao - chang huang , jean - jay mao , hsien - pin chu and stephen r . 2011 . goldberg . does the tokay gecko ( gekko gecko [ linnaeus , 1758 ] ) occur in the wild in taiwan ? herpetology notes 4 : 203 - 205 . - get paper here
: this gecko is native to south and south - eastern asia , including malaysia and the philippines . they can also be found in the indonesian archipelago . the tokay gecko has been introduced into florida , texas , hawaii , some caribbean islands and belize , where it is becoming a threat to several of the local species .
the tokay gecko has no special status and the species has not been evaluated for the iucn red list . they are also not listed in cites , the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora .
krysko , kenneth l . and william b . love 2016 . predation by the nonnative tokay gecko , gekko gecko ( linnaeus 1758 ) , on the native carolina wren ( thryothorus ludovicianus ) and nonnative cuban treefrog ( osteopilus septentrionalis ) in florida , usa . ircf reptiles & amphibians 23 ( 1 ) : 40–45 - get paper here
don & apos ; t expect a cuddly pet if you choose a tokay gecko . they & apos ; re pretty to look at , but even those that have been in captivity for many years can become aggressive when provoked .
the tokay gecko has been available through the pet trade for decades and is one of the most popular gecko species among beginning hobbyists . because of the tokay ' s wicked temperament , it should not be the first choice for people who want to interact with their animals on a regular basis . however , i think that anyone interested in geckos should eventually try their hand at keeping these beautiful tough guys of the gecko world . as reptiles editor phil samuelson once put it ,
it ' s hard not to admire a small lizard with that much spunk !
when choosing a tokay gecko , look for one with a robust appearance . healthy tokays are bulky animals , and the spine , ribs or pelvic bones should not be visible . if the gecko is resting on the glass , look at the vent area and make sure there are no caked or smeared feces present . safely pick the gecko up and gently examine the lizard ' s body with your free hand , to make sure there are no abnormal bumps or depressions anywhere on the body , because they may indicate an infection or broken bones . when grabbing a tokay , place your hand directly ( and gently ) behind the gecko ' s head to avoid being bitten .
g . g . gecko ( linnaeus , 1758 ) : tropical asia from northeastern india to eastern indonesia .
digital behaviour of the gecko : digital gripping ( counterclockwise arrow ) and active dh ( clockwise arrow ) .
russell , a . p .
a contribution to the functional analysis of the foot of the tokay , gekko gecko ( reptilia : gekkonidae ) .
journal of zoology london 176 , no . 3 ( 1975 ) : 437–476 .
tokay geckos are known for being fierce and aggressive . they will fight until their last breath . they’re very much territorial . that’s why tokay geckos are said to be loners . they are better off alone , unlike leopard geckos which are more docile . tokays bite too hard so if you’re not used to holding tokay or your pet is untamed , make sure to use appropriate gloves .
their name arises from the call they make ; which sounds like
to - kay ! to - kay !
never house male tokay geckos together , and don & apos ; t house your gecko in your bedroom ; their barking may wake you up in the middle of the night . tokay geckos are also able to detach their tails to escape a predator .
the tokay geckoes are known for their quite unique appearance with a very attractive coloration in particular males which are more colorful than females .
demand for the tokay gecko has skyrocketed in recent years after online blogs , newspaper articles and wildlife traders extolled the consumption of the lizard ' s tongue and internal organs as a miracle cure for hiv , traffic southeast asia said in a report .
unlike the more
primitive
geckos ( such as leopard geckos ) that have movable eyelids , the tokay ' s eyes cannot close . instead , the tokay eye has a clear , protective spectacle , much like those of snakes . the gecko keeps the eye lens clean by frequently licking it . the eye has a vertical pupil that is indicative of this species ' nocturnal nature .
in indonesia , the harvest and export of wild - caught tokay geckos are subject to quotas . commercial breeding is allowed , and the government has given permission for six companies to export three million live captive - bred tokay geckos a year , specifically for the pet trade .
gecko’s eyes only see in black and white . because they are nocturnal , they have no need to distinguish colours . tokay geckos are aggressive , solitary animals . easily provoked , their powerful bite is a strong deterrent to other animals , including humans .
when a tokay gecko makes a hissing sound like air escaping out of a balloon or scream in a high pitched sound , this could mean that they are threatened . this is apparent especially to young tokay geckos which are not yet used to being handled . you must put them back on their terrarium before they become hysterical . they bite really hard so release them before they do so .
the tokay gecko is adapted to a primarily arboreal existence and possesses enlarged toe pads equipped with lamellae to aid in gripping . these adaptions allow the tokay gecko to climb virtually any surface with ease , including glass . the limbs are short and stocky , and the tail is semi - prehensile to aid in balance and maneuvering . the tail also serves as a means of defense and can be autotomized , or dropped , when the gecko feels threatened . a new tail will eventually grow back to replace the missing appendage . if the gecko feels threatened and cannot escape , it will gape its mouth , and may attempt to attack and bite a perceived aggressor . a bite can be a traumatic experience for both the lizard and the handler .
regardless of its reputation for fierceness , the tokay gecko ' s beauty , hardy nature and modest price have made it a popular
pet store
lizard . with the large numbers of imported specimens entering the united states every year , the tokay is one of the most frequently encountered gecko species in the pet market . many pet stores across the nation , even those that don ' t specialize in
exotic
animals , may have a terrarium with a few specimens for sale at any given time .
the strange eye of a tokay gecko can see only in black and white . the gecko hunts mainly by night , so has no great need for colour vision . photographed in bright light the gecko ' s vertical pupil has closed down to a narrow slit to prevent the high light intensity damaging its sensitive retina , but a series of small holes remains open . it is thought that light passes through these holes to be focused on the same area of the retina , allowing the gecko to see well even when it ' s dim .
( foy and oxford scientific films 1982 : 11 )
tokay geckoes are found in southeast asia and the malayan isles . they live in tropical rain forests , and are tree or cliff dwellers .
the tokay gecko , which has distinct orange - spotted , blue - grey skin , can grow up to 15 . 7 inches ( 40 centimeters ) in length . the reptiles feed on insects and worms , helping to regulate pests and maintain the ecosystem .
the gecko ' s call is responsible also for a slang name given to it by u . s . soldiers in
this gecko preys on dune - dwelling spiders and beetles . all water is obtained from condensed fog or from prey .
nearly all geckos have a voice , ranging from a small squeak to the deafening whistles of the african whistling gecko .
needless to say , any gecko this size would be a record - holder . the largest known gecko – the recently extinct delcourt’s giant gecko hoplodactylus delcourti ( generally thought to be endemic to new zealand , though this has been questioned ) – has / had a total length of c 60 cm , and the satria animal is more than twice as long .
as mentioned above , tokay geckos are not docile pets and may not be the best option for newbies . if you & apos ; re up to the task , you & apos ; ll want to choose a tokay gecko whose ribs and pelvic bones aren & apos ; t visible ; these are sturdy animals whose skin should be free of bumps , which may indicate a skin infection or a broken bone .
the tokay gecko is primarily a forest gecko with an arboreal lifestyle ( das , 2011 ) , but it is also closely associated with human settlements ( grismer , 2011 ) . it is a nocturnal species and has been documented to feed on insects , spiders , other geckos , and even small mammals and birds ( flower , 1899 ) . it tends to be a sit and wait forager , though it will be more active if prey abundance is high ( aowphol , 2006 ) . it is a highly territorial species and will not hesitate to bite when threatened . when tokay geckos bite , they clamp their jaws in earnest and will hold on for an extended period of time ( look at video below ) . the tokay gecko ' s defensive display involves gaping jaws which are often accompanied by warning ' barks ' . tokay geckos also moult to grow bigger , and shedding cycles are shorter if the surrounding temperature is higher ( chiu and maderson , 1980 ) .
tokay geckoes are insectivorous . in captivity , they usually feed on springtails , mealworms , cockroaches , crickets , grasshoppers , pink mice , and locusts .
pretty much like the roosters trying to outcry each other in the morning , tokay geckos do the same at dusk . it is rarely observable in captive conditions since there is not much threat of competition or threat . there may be some competition but can easily be managed or they have very little control over it so tokay geckos rarely do their distinctive vocalization . tokay geckos vocalize their “to - ko” or “to - kay” sound when declaring or marking their territory for the rest of tokay kingdom to know it is theirs . they do so to shout their might and often outcry the other barking tokay geckos in the area . this gesture secures them of territory for food supply and mate guarantee . it is also their means of courtship announcing their location to females . female tokay geckos can produce the same sound but they rarely do it . only matured tokay geckos cry this signature cry that they make , and until they could , male juveniles evade the bigger and more mature ones’ territories or at least stay out of their hunting range for the night .
while in captivity tokay geckos can live up to 18 years , but in the wild , their average lifespan is about 7 to 10 years .
zhang , q . q . ; tang , y . z . ; huang , y . c . ; and zeng , f . h . 1997 . investigation on the geographic variance of tokay , gekko gecko l . chinese journal of zoology 32 : 44 - 46 .
although there are more than 20 species of geckos listed by the iucn , the tokay gecko is not among them . they are abundant in most parts of their range , but because of their use in chinese medicine , they have declined in south china , vietnam and thailand .
inspired by the patterns of millions of nanoscale setae on the tokay gecko’s toes , bioengineer jeffrey m . karp has received patents and awards for the biodegradable , biocompatible , elastic tissue adhesive . since 2008 , karp lab of harvard - mit science and technology and bwh has been perfecting this noninvasive alternative to stitches and sutures for closing and sealing wounds and incisions . also , this surgical tape will be able to release drugs to help tissues heal . for years many other scientists have mimiced the gecko toe hairs to make gecko tape and robots that can climb . one polymer scientist using carbon nanotubes remarked , “a gecko’s foot is like a perfect post - it . ”
the ears can be seen on the outside of the gecko as small holes on both sides of the head . it is possible to see straight through the head of these geckoes through their ears . tokay geckoes have a hearing range from about 300 hertz to 10 , 000 hertz .
il mio tokay canta allegro e spensierato p . s . un mi piace non fa male . . . . giving thumbs up wouldn ' t be bad
the feet of gecko self - clean due to energetic equilibrium - - its foot has less physical attraction to dust than most surfaces .
mebert , konrad and andrew m . durso . 2014 . when predation and defense intermingle - a predation attempt by a flying snake on a tokay gecko interrupted . wenn jagdverhalten und verteidigung sich vermischen - ein unterbrochener beuteversuch einer schmuchbaumnatter auf einen tokeh . sauria 36 ( 3 ) : 41 - 46
named during the vietnam war , as the lizard ' s cry could be heard as fuck you . the fuck sound is quite clear and short in duration , followed by a pause of about half a second and the elongated you . the same sound could also be heard as tokay ( as in tokay gecko ) , as tokeh ( as in tokeh - tokeh ) , or as tuctoo , all of which are other english names of the lizard .
mckeown , sean . and zaworski , jim . 1997 . general care and maintenance of tokay geckos and related species . advanced vivarium systems . santee , ca .
an unfounded claim giving tokay geckoes the ability to cure aids also had a negative impact on the species . their natural habitat is also increasingly threatened by urbanization .
the tokay gecko ( gekko gecko ) is known for its extraordinary climbing ability [ 1 – 6 ] . the strong adhesion is mainly due to the van der waals force enhanced by the hierarchical adhesive system from the nanoscale to the macroscale . the gecko can also perform a fast transition from attachment to detachment or vice versa in around 50 ms [ 5 ] . extensive studies have been carried out to understand the strong adhesion and easy detaching mechanism of the gecko ' s adhesion system in order to fabricate biomimetic dry adhesives . these bioinspired materials have potential applications in wall - climbing robots [ 7 – 9 ] , adhesive medical skin patches [ 10 ] , adhesive clamps [ 11 ] , etc .
because tokay geckos aren’t listed under the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora ( cites ) , their international trade isn’t subject to regulation .
the vibrant and unusual - looking tokay gecko ( gekko gecko ) is a well - known , but poorly understood , species . heavy - bodied and nocturnal , these tropical animals have a reputation for being aggressive , hard to handle and apt to bite . however , they can be the ideal captive for a patient geckokeeper . they are fascinating to observe , and with a little invested time , they can be tamed into tractable little beasts .
hemidactylus frenatus : one specimen seen on a coconut tree , several heard . the gecko phyllodactylus tuberculosus could not be reconfirmed during this visit .
the phylogenetic tree above shows the possible evolutionary relationships of various species of gecko , as tested by brown et al . ( 2012 ) .
hansen wr ; autumn k . 2005 . evidence for self - cleaning in gecko setae . 102 ( 2 ) : 385 - 389 .
although not listed by the iucn , the san diego banded gecko ( c . v . abbotti ) is of special concern in california .
the above work has addressed well the issues in the gecko ' s adhesion under static / quasi - static conditions . however , the previous models failed to explain the frictional adhesion feature , which was observed in the real gecko ' s movement . furthermore , the gecko detaches with digits peeled from the distalmost end to the proximal ( named active dh ) , and attaches with digits gripped towards the surface ( named dg ) while acting repeatedly on inverted surfaces . this behaviour cannot be fully understood based on previous models . argument exists in that if the gecko can lower the pull - off force by lowering the friction and vice versa , why are the active dh and dg needed ? therefore , it is necessary to understand the mechanical behaviour of the gecko ' s adhesive system from the dynamic scenario of the gecko ' s movement .
tokay geckos are vocal , making a unique croaking or barking noise to attract mates , are arboreal , and according to some myths , are said to bring good luck .
males are very territorial , and will attack other male tokays as well as other gecko species , as well as anything else in their territory . they are solitary and only meet during the mating season . females lay clutches of one or two hard shelled eggs which are guarded until they hatch . tokay geckos feed on
a tape measure is applied to the giant ' gecko ' in satria ' s video . the animal is said to be 138 cm long .
note the long , slender tail , the five - toed foot , five - fingered hand , and the blunt tips to the digits . the animal ' s right eye might be visible in this shot . it ' s gecko - like , but not like any gecko we know .
grossmann , w . 2006 . der tokeh , gekko gecko . natur und tier verlag ( münster ) , 64 pp . - get paper here
tokay geckos are not the simple lizards some herpkeepers may think they are . seemingly aware of their surroundings and circumstances , they have proven to be high - strung due to above - average intelligence . to me , tokay geckos are similar to reticulated pythons : known to be aggressive , they are alert , high - strung and challenging to keep .
in contrast to this , if a deceased specimen is found it is often considered a sign of bad luck . injuring or killing a tokay gecko is also considered bad luck in many areas throughout its range , and the species is a welcome guest in people ' s homes because it eats pest insects such as roaches .
tokay geckos aren & apos ; t as commonly seen as pets as leopard geckos , but they are just as interesting as their cousins . they are the second - largest kind of gecko and are known for their vibrant colors and spots . they are usually a blue - gray color with bright orange and blue spots .
temperament : it is ideal to keep just one gecko in a tank due to their territorial nature . it is never recommended to keep more than one male gecko in a single tank when housing them in groups . two or more males in one tank tend to fight and kill each other .
if you have a mature tokay gecko pet , it would make the same repeated sounds at random intervals within the day . a crackling sound followed by a “to - kay” sound could mean that they are looking for a mate . this strong sound they create can be heard from a distance to call for possible nearby mates .
geckos are one of the most successful lizards around today . from gekkonidae alone , nearly 1200 species have been described , and they range throughout subtropical and tropical regions , stretching even into temperate zones ( vitt & caldwell , 2009 ) . in singapore , at least 15 species of gecko have been recorded ( ng et al . , 2011 ) . among these , the tokay gecko is one of the largest and is also one of the most distinctive . this gecko is also the best known species in the group , and studies on it have contributed much to our knowledge of general reptile biology ( rosler , 2011 ) .
mertens , r . 1955 . über eine eigenartige rasse des tokehs ( gekko gecko ) aus ost - pakistan . senckenbergiana biologica 36 : 21 - 24
over the last several days a consortium of people interested in herpetology , weird animals , animal lore , and special effects have worked together to help resolve an incredible and bizarre ‘mystery’ * . people in indonesia ( and perhaps elsewhere in tropical asia ) are modifying live monitor lizards to make them look like gargantuan tokay geckos gekko gecko .
tokay geckos may be harvested from the wild in indonesia under a quota system . however , if they are farmed , they don’t fall under that quota system . any harvest of tokay geckos from the wild outside the quota system is illegal . note that the quota in indonesia for wild - caught tokay geckos stipulates that the animals are exported live , for pets , not kiln - dried . unfortunately , tokay geckos aren’t listed in the appendices of cites , and therefore international trade isn’t regulated . we strongly recommend the species be listed in appendix ii , which wouldn’t stop trade but would put in place a mechanism through which the trade could be monitored and regulated . to do so is in the interest of conservation and sustainable trade .
rösler , h . 2001 . studien am tokeh : 1 . gekko gecko azhari mertens 1955 ( sauria : gekkonidae ) . gekkota 3 : 33 - 46
ter borg , jur 2004 . de tokkeh , gekko gecko - een eenvoudige handleiding . lacerta 62 ( 6 ) : 256 - 260 - get paper here
corl , j . 1999 .
gekko gecko
( on - line ) , animal diversity web . accessed july 12 , 2008 at [ 1 ]
while it’s often argued that captive breeding relieves pressure on endangered species by providing an alternative source for trade , the report , adding up the numbers : an investigation into commercial breeding of tokay geckos in indonesia , demonstrates that the opposite is true . rather , it finds that wild - caught tokay geckos are regularly laundered through indonesia’s captive - breeding facilities on a massive scale .
because of their ready availability and low cost , the tokay is often the first gecko that many people purchase . unfortunately , many first - time owners are rudely awakened when the lizard that the pet store staff labeled
a good beginner ' s gecko
turns out to be an animal with a personality that is pure evil ! while its true that these lizards are easy to maintain , their willingness to bite any hand that dares enter their domain should exclude them from the
pet
lizard label .
the tokay gecko has a geographic distribution extending from eastern india , nepal , bangladesh , east to southern china and south - east asia , to the philippines . it has also been introduced into florida , hawaii , martinique in the west indies , and madagascar ( das , 2001 ) . it is unclear if the lizard is native to singapore , though it has been suggested that it probably is not ( flower , 1899 ) . this gecko is uncommon in singapore ( lim & lim , 1992 ) .
global gecko association . 4920 chester street , spencer , oklahoma 73084 - 2560 usa . web site : < http : / / www . gekkota . com >
gecko guy bitten by the tokay gecko feeding video the first animal is a leopard gecko ! the tokay appears later in the video . heres a quick video of my animals being fed . please note i do not have many of these animals anymore tokay gecko care : urltoken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - social links - facebook page : urltoken instagram : g3ckoguy _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ gaming channel : urltoken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
tokay geckos exhibit great variation in color in the wild , and are known to match their body color with the substrate they are on . the time of the day can also lighten and darken
in its natural range , the tokay is found from northeast india across to southern china , throughout the malay peninsula , the andamans , the philippines and throughout much of indonesia . feral populations have also become established in sections of southern florida , hawaii and the island of martinique . they adapt well to secondary , or disturbed , environments , especially around homes , buildings and other human structures . because of their close contact with humans , they have become the objects of many superstitious beliefs . in various sections of its native range , the tokay gecko is regarded as a messenger of omens , both good and bad . depending on the situation , a tokay ' s presence or vocalization can mean good luck and prosperity for a family or individual .
tokay gecko is often erroneously believed to be venomous . but , in truth its bite is not poisonous , even though it is quite painful . however , researches show them to carry various bacteria that can cause serious health problems . so , it is crucial to take care of the bite wound as soon as possible , especially if has penetrated the skin .
: geckos are lizards , and ( due to the structure of their vertebrae ) they are considered quite primitive on the evolutionary scale . geckos are small animals with a flattened appearance . tokay geckos are one of the larger species , measuring up to 40 cm in length . tokay males are larger and more colourful than the females . they all have large eyes covered by transparent scales that act as protective lenses . a gecko seen licking its eyes after a meal of insects is actually cleaning these scales . being a nocturnal species , they have slit pupils which , in dim light , expand to fill most of their eyes . all geckos have the ability to change colour , lighter by day and darker during the night . the tokay gecko does the reverse : the colour is dark grey with orange - red spots when in light surroundings , changing to light grey with bluish spots when they are in the dark .
annandale , n . 1907 . the occurrence of the taukte lizard ( gecko verticillatus ) in calcutta . records of the indian museum 1 : 171 - get paper here
autumn k , sitti m , liang ya , peattie am , hansen wr , et al . ( 2002 ) . evidence for van der waals adhesion in gecko setae
another important feature of the tokay is its ability to cast off its tail in defense and later regenerate a new one . the cast off part will continue to move for several minutes , giving the gecko time to escape . it takes approximately three weeks for these geckoes to completely regenerate a new tail although it is usually never as long as the original tail .
as i stated before , these geckos are cantankerous , and when touched , a healthy tokay will gape its mouth and more than likely try to bite you . it may also let out a loud bark or scream in protest . if the gecko is limp , weak , or indifferent , pass on the animal and choose a different one . while it is true that there is the occasional specimen that does not seem to mind being handled , the vast majority of tokay geckos never really tame down enough to allow a handling session to be an enjoyable experience .
an important characteristic of the tokay gecko is its ability to cast off its tail in defense and regenerate a new one . the part of the tail that has been cast off will continue to move violently for several minutes until it slows down and stops , thus giving the gecko fair time to escape . the tail has several sections on it where it can break off at any given moment . it takes approximately three weeks for these geckoes to completely regenerate a new tail although it is usually never as long as the original tail .
from traffic’s southeast asia office , in malaysia , chris shepherd , coauthor of the report , explains that it’s low - profile species like tokay geckos that are often hardest hit by illegal , unsustainable trade .
to cite this page : corl , j . 1999 .
gekko gecko
( on - line ) , animal diversity web . accessed july 09 , 2018 at urltoken
tokays are one of the easiest species of gecko to keep and breed in captivity , but , ironically , most specimens offered for sale are wild - collected animals . by the time these geckos reach your neighborhood pet store , they have been captured , held in an exporter ' s facilities for days or weeks , shipped over oceans and possibly exposed to disease or parasites along the way . these stressful situations can cause a gecko to become more prone to infections or illness , so it is important to know what to look for when selecting a tokay .
the tokay gecko is the second largest gecko species , attaining lengths of about 11–20 inches ( 28–51 cm ) for males , and 7–19 inches ( 18–48 cm ) for females , with weights of only 150–400 grams ( 5 . 3–14 . 1 oz ) . they are distinctive in appearance , with a bluish or grayish body , sporting spots ranging from light yellow to bright red . the male is more brightly colored than the female . they have large eyes with a vertical slit pupil . eyes are brown to greenish brown and can be orange or yellow .
based on all of these bits of data , we seem to be seeing a lizard that has been kitted out to look like a giant tokay . it’s a lizard in some sort of ‘gecko suit’ . i must point out that this was my immediately favoured option . within a few seconds of watching the footage , and having ruled out the other contenders that came to mind ( giant salamander or genuine fat - headed giant gecko ) , i was immediately thinking “non - gekkotan lizard kitted out to look like a giant tokay” . and i’m hardly the first , or only , person to come up with this suggestion , as you can see if you look at the comments attached to the original video ( sorry , only available on facebook and not shared here ) .
tokay geckos have the ability to walk on different surfaces . a closer look at the gecko ' s foot reveals a structural hierarchy consisting of subdigital lamellae , setae and spatulas . it is postulated that the adhesion provided by the numerous spatulas works primarily through van der waals forces ( autumn et al . , 2002 ) , and capillary forces ( huber et al . , 2005 ) .
many geckos are relatively solitary , though bibron ' s gecko ( pachydactylus bibronii ) and some other species can reach very high densities and may share retreat sites . these geckos have
tokay geckos are not the easiest lizards to sex . they should have adequate conditioning first . the lizards tend to writhe and wiggle when restrained , so accurate sexing is difficult if one is unfamiliar with the process .