The Tokay Gecko may look small and innocent, but it has a reputation for being a rather aggressive reptile. You may have seen countless pictures online of the devastation their bite can cause. So, how bad is a Tokay Gecko bite?
A Tokay Gecko bite can be pretty intense. While these creatures are relatively small, they are aggressive. If they can latch onto you, then it will draw blood. It will also be tough to get the Tokay Gecko to release its grip once it has done this.
Let’s go into a bit more depth on this. We want to give you more information on how painful a Tokay Gecko’s bite can be, as well as provide some information on how you can get a persistent Tokay Gecko to release its grip on you.
How Bad Is a Tokay Gecko Bite?
A Tokay Gecko’s bite can draw blood. If you are unlucky enough to have a Tokay Gecko latch onto you, it is probably guaranteed that blood will be removed. The bites are pretty painful.
A Tokay Gecko has two things that make its bite worse:
- Powerful jaws
- Small, sharp teeth
A Tokay Gecko can move quickly. When handling a Tokay Gecko (which we do not recommend that you often do), it could be tame one minute and then quite aggressive in a flash. You won’t even know what has hit you.
The intensity of the Tokay Gecko bite doesn’t stop there, though. A Tokay Gecko isn’t a ‘one and done sort of animal. In some cases, it may give you a quick snip, but, in most cases, it will latch on to you. This means that if you try to pull yourself away from the animal, it will bite down even harder on you.
What to do
If a Tokay Gecko has latched onto you, there are a few things that you can do. You want the Tokay Gecko to release its grip as quickly as possible. Some of them will eventually do so when they no longer feel threatened, but we recommend that you use one of these methods instead:
- Dip the Tokay Gecko lightly in lukewarm water. The sensation will cause them to release the grip. You don’t want them to have their head under the water. You aren’t trying to drown them.
- Dribble 2 drops of white vinegar onto their nose. This can release the grip too.
Some people also find that releasing their grip on the Tokay Gecko will allow the Tokay Gecko to release its grip. So, if you are holding the gecko, then do that. As long as the Tokay Gecko doesn’t feel threatened, then you should be fine.
Once you have caused the Tokay Gecko to release its grip on you, you will want to clean and dress the wound appropriately. There is a good chance that you could be dealing with an infection if you don’t.
Do Tokay Geckos Have Teeth?
A Tokay Gecko has around 100 small, sharp teeth.
If you can look into a Tokay Gecko’s mouth, it doesn’t look like the teeth can do much damage to you. However, trust us. One of their teeth probably wouldn’t do all that much damage to you. However, when you have all 100 of them sinking into your skin, they will cause severe pain.
As we mentioned previously, it isn’t just the Tokay Gecko teeth that you want to keep an eye out for. The amount of pressure the Tokay Gecko can put onto its teeth. Even the slightest nip from a Tokay Gecko’s teeth is going to cause you a severe amount of pain.
Final Thoughts
A Tokay Gecko bite is pretty bad. If you are unlucky enough to have a Tokay Gecko bite you, it will draw blood. You will have around 100 tiny wounds on your hand that need to be cleaned and dressed. If you own a Tokay Gecko, you will probably have to get used to being bitten.
