Chippy from Chi Phat

Chippy from Chi Phat

Okay, he wasn't as big as the fella who sits on the outside wall of the Rising Sun pub in Phnom Penh (he is huge), but Chippy was a big 'un nonetheless and occupied his perch, upside down, on the ceiling of my guesthouse in Chi Phat near the strip-light. Solitary creatures, unless they have the urge to mate, Chippy is a Tokay Gecko who are famed for their ability to adapt to human habitation in their nocturnal search for insects and bugs. Chippy is a male and brightly coloured and if he's lucky he could live for fifteen years or more. But it's not a good idea to get too close - if they bite they often won't let go for hours at a time though you could try submerging him in water if it should happen. They are spread throughout Southeast Asia and have a distinctive and loud 'tokay' call, hence their name.