Herpetology Notes, volume 6: 307-308 (2013) (published online on 30 July 2013)
Tokay gecko, Gekko gecko (Sauria: Gekkonidae) predation on juvenile house rats Abner Bucol1,* and Angel Alcala1
The tokay gecko (Gekko gecko Linnaeus, 1768) is widespread from northeast India to Nepal and Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Indochina, southern China, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the eastern Indo-Australasian Archipelago (Aowphol et al. 2006; Norval et al. 2011). In addition to its native range, the species has also been introduced to the United States (including Hawaii), Belize, and several Caribbean islands in the late 1980s and early 1990s (Pavia 1999; Meshaka et al., 2004; Whitmer et al., 2007). The species is widely sold in the pet trade in many parts of the world, thus, its distribution may be more extensive than currently known. Although the species commonly occurs in disturbed habitats close to human habitations, its predatory behavior on rodents is unreported. However it readily consumes any prey item (including smaller vertebrates such as birds, reptiles, and rodents) when kept as pet. Recently, one of us (A. Bucol) observed G. gecko muridophagy on five separate occasions (06 December 2012, 10 June 2012, 27 November 2012, January 16, 2013 and 08 March 2013). We later photographed this dramatic behavior (Fig. 1) on January 16, 2013 (9:30 pm) in which a single tokay gecko (ca. 20 cm snout–vent length) fed on a juvenile (8 cm body length) house rat (Rattus tanezumi Temminck 1844) in Piapi, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental Province, Philippines (09.32387° N, 123.30971° E, datum WGS84, elevation 4-7m above sea level).
Silliman University-Angelo King Center for Research & Environmental Management, 2nd Floor, SU Marine Lab Building, Bantayan, 6200 Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines *Corresponding author; email:
[email protected] 1
The gecko caught and attempted to swallow the posterior half of the body first, after which it immobilized the rat by knocking the head against the concrete wall through rapid rotational (clockwise) movement of its head for at least 20 times, thereby causing bleeding in the prey’s nostril and eventual death of the rat. When disturbed by camera flashes, the gecko subsequently dropped the prey. On 08 March 2013 at 4:45 p.m., another tokay specimen was observed to swallow a juvenile rat (body length of about 5 cm). The species was also observed (27 November 2012) to directly swallow newborn rats. These observations on tokay’s predation of rats and insects (e.g., cockroaches) suggest that they may play a role in eliminating pests associated with human domiciles. Acknowledgements. We wish to thank Dr. Arvin C. Diesmos (Philippine National Museum), Dr. Rafe M. Brown (Kansas University, USA) and Dr. Cameron D. Siler (University of South Dakota, USA) for initial reviews on an earlier draft of this manuscript.
References 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. Meshaka, W.E. Jr., Butterfield, B.P., Hauge, J.B. (2004): The exotic amphibians and reptiles of Florida. Florida, Krieger Publishing Company. 155 pp. Norval, G., Dieckmann, S., Huang, S.C., Mao, J.J., Chu, H.P., Goldberg, S.R. (2011): Does the tokay gecko (Gekko gecko [Linnaeus, 1758]) occur in the wild in Taiwan? Herpetology Notes 4: 203-205. Pavia, A. (1999): The gecko. New York, Howell Book House.126 pp. Witmer, G.W., Burke, P.W., Pitt, W.C., Avery, M.L. (2007): Management of invasive vertebrates in the United States: an overview. In: Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species: Proceedings of an International Symposium (G.W. Witmer, W.C. Pitt, K.A. Fagerstone, Eds). USDA/APHIS/WS, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO. 2007, pp. 127137.
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Abner Bucol & Angel Alcala
Figure 1. A tokay gecko specimen feeding on a juvenile house rat (Photo by A.A.B.).
Accepted by Zoltan T. Nagy
