Jimmy Ma
Tokay Guru from Gekko & Gecko
Q: How did you get started with geckos, and what attracted you to geckos?
"I think geckos are such a large and diverse group of reptiles-literally a type of gecko for everyone. I am primarily drawn to the bigger geckos-hence my preference for working with the leachies and tokays."
Q: How long have you been breeding geckos, and what is the scale of your breeding operation?
"I started seriously working with geckos about 7 years ago-mostly with Rhacodactylus leachianus and more recently with tokay geckos. However, I have been working with reptiles for more than 20 years. Currently my collection consists of roughly about 150 geckos."
Q: What types of geckos are you keeping?
"I am working with mostly tokay geckos and leachianus, but I also work with some less commonly kept species, such as the green-eyed gecko (Gekko smithii) and the white-lined gecko (Gekko vittatus).
While all species are beautiful, is there one species you’re particularly fond of and why?
The species that I am drawn to the most would be my tokay geckos. Even the normal wild-type coloration, I find to be quite stunning. I mean, who doesn’t like a large powder-blue gecko with red spots? I am also particularly drawn to the tokays and other Gekko species because of their ability to form family groups. Nothing beats looking into the cage to find a new baby Tokay with their parents."
Q: Were there any challenges you faced while keeping Tokay geckos?
When I started keeping tokay geckos, morphs were very hard to come by here in the US. Aside from the patternless and reduced pattern animals, there would be the occasional granite or pied that would show up on various reptile distributors' lists. I decided to go directly to the source and figured out how to import the tokays directly from Indonesia. Finding a reputable source was definitely a challenge, but thankfully, the people I have worked with have all been honest and good people. The next big challenge was establishing wild caught animals-some come in pretty bad shape. The key is to get them eating and hydrated first. Keep ambient humidity high but make sure the cage is not wet. If they are eating and able to put on weight, then they usually will continue to do well without much intervention from the keeper. However, if you find the animals are eating but not putting on weight, then it is best to treat them using both Panacur and Flagyl. You will need to consult a veterinarian or professional for dosing information.
Q: What morphs are you currently working with?
I am currently working with reduced pattern, platinum, diablo, paradox, candy, patternless, blueberry (blue paradox), and super reds. I am also working to prove out several other morphs such as granite, pied, T+ albino, T-albino, and a few other Dinker projects.
Q: Do you have any advice or points of caution for breeding Tokay geckos?
I would encourage all breeders of tokays to please use UVB in your enclosure with breeding pairs. This has proven invaluable with the females during the breeding season. Female tokay geckos can quickly succumb to calcium crashes. The use of daily UVB lights on breeding pairs has proven very helpful in minimizing the chances of females crashing. When housing animals together, ensure that the animals are actually getting along and not where one is bullying the other. This will become apparent really quickly if one of the animals decides to “bully” the other and prevent them from getting as much food. Tokays are relatively hardy animals and can tolerate a range of conditions, but once they go downhill, it can be hard to bring them back.
Q: How do you manage your Tokay geckos? Could you share your feeding schedule or care routine?
I feed my tokays 2-3x a week. Crickets and superworms make up the bulk of the diet. Be mindful of the amount of superworms given, as they can cause some tokays to be rather obese. In addition, I also try to use a variety of other insects such as dubia roaches and hornworms.
Q: This might be a sensitive topic, but with the current market challenges, what are your thoughts? How do you think breeders should respond?
I have found that with Tokays, it is still rather a niche market. Their attitude and tendency to bite and clamp down with their jaws is a big deterrent for many people. Also, many people still do not know about the vast number of color and pattern morphs that exist. I still get many people coming up to me during the show who are shocked to see the different morphs, such as a pied, and can’t believe that it is a tokay gecko. Another big market challenge is the fact that the genetics of many morphs are not fully understood. For example, the pied mutation is always one that catches people’s eyes but the genetics are not one that follows Mendelian genetics like other reptile morphs. Rather, it is one where the offspring will progressively turn from normal-looking animals to granites to pied and some even to full white-almost leucistic looking. Which animals will turn and which ones will not turn is still not entirely known. We do have at least one line here in the USA (Denise Whitney at Lucky Foot Geckos) that seems to consistently produce animals that consistently progress to pied animals. Given the uncertainty with the genetics of some morphs, many potential keepers are often wary of investing significant amounts of money into tokay geckos not to mention the fact that the majority of tokay geckos available today are still wild caught imports-especially morphs.
However, I have been finding that there has been a steady increase in interest in working with tokays over the past two years, and some even from overseas in Europe and Asia. I believe that as more and more morphs are established and proven in captivity, there will be an increase in demand for these magnificent animals.
Q: Finally, is there anything you’d like to say to other breeders or gecko keepers?
While it may be hard, as I think that all reptile keepers have somewhat of a hoarder mentality, I say make sure that you stay focused on what you can reasonably handle without being overwhelmed. Keep and work with animals you would enjoy working with even if they didn’t have market value. GET IN TOUCH WITH JIMMY MA!
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