Distribution

Tokay geckos are one of only a few species in their genus with a very large distribution range. They inhabit an area that extends from the northeast of India and the Andaman Islands, through eastern Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra, Java [type locality], Sulawesi, Lombok, Flores, Timor, Aru, as well as numerous smaller islands), to the archipelago of the Philippines.
They often do not inhabit the mentioned countries, regions and islands in a continuous manner, however. In many instances, they have only been found in areas near the coast. The geckos are typically absent from mountainous regions from about 1000 metres above sea level. Man’s activities caused them to become native to other habitats as well; in some cases, this was unintentional and in others rather inconsiderate. As a result, Tokays now exist in parts of Florida, Hawaii, Guam and Taiwan and appear to be establishing stable populations, reproducing on a regular basis. DE ROOIJ (1915) even reported at her time of finding Tokays on the large island of Madagascar, but this has not been corroborated by new records in the more recent past (MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997, GROSSMANN 2004).