Tokay Gecko

Description:

A large gecko that frequents the walls and ceilings of many homes in the Philippines, especially those without screens on their windows. They can be 20 inches long, and quite aggressive, with a very powerful and painful bite. At night you can hear them calling with a loud "Tu-ko!" over and over. They are very capable of catching and eating the huge flying cockroaches, with a loud satisfying "crunch"! (Given the choice between nasty roaches and a mean lizard, I will choose the mean noisy lizard any day!)

Habitat:

Wild habitat would be rainforests, although they are quite common in rural homes or any homes with vegetation around.

Notes:

I can remember our cook, when she'd hear the "tuko" singing, would go "Ulan? Dili! Ulan? Dili! Ulan?" (Rain? No! Rain? No!) with each outburst of the gecko, until the singing stopped. Whatever she stopped on, she'd declare that was the weather for tomorrow. Or "Halok? Dili!" (kiss? no! kiss? no!) if she found out I was going on a date... She would tease me mercilessly if it landed on Halok!