Thread: Weird Lizard

NATURE STUDY IN SATTAHIP VOL 1

Spotted this fellow the other day coming out of a crack in an old gate in the yard - it was about 30cm in length.
The wife called it a "Tukag/k" and apparently it's not a Thai favourite
Apparently if it latches on to you the suckers are very hard to remove - it might be poisonous ??


The day after this photo was taken the PIL where in a panic because a 2m long, thin green / grey snake was in the lizards nest / wood work and had bitten the tail off one of the smaller lizards (family of 4) - blood was everywhere

This larger lizard hung around for about an hour then attacked the snake which was was tossed out of the woodwork on to the he grass
The snake went rapidly towards the pool where i was swimming - FARUKE!!!
By the time I'd jumped out of the pool - which was pretty bloody quick - the Father-in-Law had clubbed the snake to death.

Does anyone know more about this Lizard??? - it kind of fascinates me the weird colours, the dehydrated piss colour eyes and the warts!!

^ Very common in Thailand Mr. Custard.

No poison but have grip. Nowt that a meat cleaver wouldn't deal with mind.

Thai folk law states if you hear these 'Tookay's' make their Tookaying sound more than 7 times you'll have good luck, if u hear them make over 10, your'll blessed for life.

I heard 11 once and I'm still waiting..

(mind you, me brand new daughter's pretty close to it , now if she could just stop crying at 3am....)

I have so many around here, I have a constant call during the night and early morning. I must be very lucky.

Anyone want to buy some? Noisy little fuckers, vicious if cornered.

They're common, especially in rural areas- although you hear them more often than see them. They're no problem, but you don't want to get bitten by one. Plunge your hand into a bucket of water and they'll let go, but I don't see how one could bite you under normal circumstances.

Make noose on a long stick and hook them around the neck and dump them out bush to get rid of them just watch out as the can move fast and bite hard they also change color

type of Gekho

The Tokay is also considered the "bulldog" of the Gecko world due to the fact that when they bite, they often won't let go for up to several hours at a time or even several days, and generally cannot be forcibly removed without causing harm to the Gecko. One way of getting a Tokay to release its hold is to submerge the animal in water, which will encourage the lizard to let go, without causing it any harm or undue stress.[3]
-Wikipedia

I catch them with my long fishing rod/ hangman's noose and let them go a couple of hundred metres down in the bush.

The Jizzybird didn't like the biggest one we have at our house and my wife is not a big fan of them either.

The snakes normally take care of the buggers where I live but this fight ended in a draw.



If left alone they don't cause any problems but having said that they shit everywhere and I would hate to have to remove one from one of the children.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

they shit everywhere and I would hate to have to remove one from one of the children.

Just use a tissue or damp cloth.

It appears I need to get out in the garden more - honestly, had never seen anything like this before in the 6 years i have lived in SE Asia
I can just about pick a spitting cobra and their characteristics from others (the small ones are the deadliest) but this little adventure has got me looking twice!!


Loy Toys pic show the species snake that was involved in the episode - so whats the advice on this one??

Originally Posted by withnallstoke

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

they shit everywhere and I would hate to have to remove one from one of the children.

Just use a tissue or damp cloth.

just leave the buggers alone and they will leave you alone.
you would have to try really hard to get bitten, eg you would have to catch it, for it to try defend itself: mostly they fukkoff as soon as they see you, and the bite is not painfull, does not draw blood, and they do not hang on that tight.
you may have to clean a few bigger turds up, but you will have fewer of the small ones, coz they eat the small gekkos, plus they eat small snakes and small rats and mice, hunting the babies in their nests.
all in all a beneficial animal to have around.
i love the sound they make, but if it bugs you at first, you soon get used to it and you will normally have only one male around doing the calling. thais are much noisier at night, so if you are used to them, these guys should be no problem.
if you want to attract them, just laeve an outside light on at night, and they will pitch up to eat the bugs, etc.
they are really quite beautiful, and great to sit and watch while relaxing with a beer, if you are lucky enough for them to get used to your presence..

Originally Posted by tsicar

they are really quite beautiful

I agree with the rest of your post mate but beautiful they are not!

Originally Posted by Humbert

they often won't let go for up to several hours at a time or even several days

Where do we get such drivel from ....Several days...my mate and I used to catch them for fun in Samui...dangerous indeed..

Thai's are notoriously ignorant about the wildlife of their own country...then again they are generally ignorant...what am I saying..

Anyway NASA is currently trying to mimic the way their feet work....then again NASA has always used the help of lower life forms!!!!! sorry Neil, Buzz etc

The snake in the photo is also totally harmless and even if it bites you'd barely know it....played with them many times as well....It's a green tree snake...


How the hell do you pick out a spitting cobra from the normal one....when it 'temporarily' blinds you??????? yes it did look like a cobra...however unless it hoods a lot of the time it maybe again a harmless rat snake they are very similar in colour...

All I can say is that you are lucky to have them....I have moved to Trang and now haven't heard a Tokay since I left Pak Chong

Originally Posted by Khun Custard

Loy Toys pic show the species snake that was involved in the episode - so whats the advice on this one??

Golden Tree snake, basically harmless. Lives on small rodents and geckos. Reasonably tame and docile. If bitten (rare) wash with antiseptic as you would with any animal bite. No toxins from this one.

E. G.

Originally Posted by Mr R Sole

my mate and I used to catch them for fun in Samui...dangerous indeed

I could never get close enough to catch one. How did you manage it?

^ Ah Cali kid..wait till night time and shine a torch in the little ones eyes....dazzled you can get close enough to catch them (gotta be quite quick as they adjust to the light)...fore fingers over the shoulders/front legs with the head in between the fore fingers...safe, and watch them..go...........TO-KAY and EEEEERRRRRRMMMMMM. Be a little careful they can draw blood depending on where they bite you...and they will let go if you just put them down on a flat surface...

Jolly good fun...
Enjoy... I did...can't find any here in Trang...some horrible thai's eat them then again they'll eat anything...rat anyone...makes me shudder..

^^ Right on man, I see them regularly around my house, I should give them names soon. I can usually get my hands to within about a foot or closer sometimes to them before they run.

Thanks for the tip. Will let you know how it goes.

^^ We had one in the house in Trang for a while. A big bugger too - used to like to hide behind the curtain near the draw strings and would scare the bollox out of me when least expecting it.

No problem tho' except the turds were bigger than the jing joks. Disappeared - wouldn't be surprised if the drunk cop next door ate him.