What is Tokay gecko(Ge Jie)?
Medicinally it refers to the dry body of Gekko gecko Linnaeus, the largest species in family Gekkonidae. Other common names include Tokay lizard and Ge Cko. It can be wild caught all year round. After the capture, remove the internal organs, wipe clean, unfold and make it flat and straight by bamboo chips, and dry under low temperature condition. Tokay gecko habitats are cave crevices, tree holes, and houses. It mainly feeds on insects and smaller lizards. Just like house lizard, it lost tail for life simply because it felt threatened or grabbed by the tail. Due to long-term capturing, wildlife resources is dwindling. In China, it is mainly distributed in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Fujian and Yunnan. In addition, it is also found in Bengal in west, Indochina in east, Indonesia and Philippines in south, and other places.
Gecko is about 30cm in total length. Tail length is equal or a little bit longer than body length. Head is large, slightly triangular, and with round, convex snout. Earhole is oval, about half of eye diameter. Upper lip scales are 12 to 14, the first one into the nostrils. Eyes are large and prominent. Mouth comes with many small teeth. The whole body is covered with fine grain scales, occasionally mixed with larger scales that augment into a vertical line. Larger ventral scales are slightly hexagonal. There is web between fingers and toes, which are inflated. Male has more than 20 preanal pores and bigger tail base. Back of trunk and limbs are brick gray and densely covered with orange blue gray spots. Tail has dark and pale rings. Belly is white and with pink spots.
Main chemical constituents are carnosine, choline, carnitine, guanine, protein, cholesterol, 14 amino acids, 18 kinds of trace elements, 5 kinds of phospholipid components, and 9 kinds of fatty acids. Amino acids include glycine, proline, glutamic acid, and so on. Main trace elements are calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and more. Phospholipid components are phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidic acid, and lysolecithin. Fatty acids include linoleic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, linolenic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, arachidonic acid, and more.
Tokay gecko health benefits
As mentioned in the beginning, gecko has proven itself with tons of health benefits. As a result it was held in high esteem by Li Shizhen, who said it worked like ginseng. Actually many ancient physicians believed that the combination of gecko and ginseng could greatly enhance its effect as qi tonic. In addition, as a living and emotional herb it has an obvious efficacy on supplying vital essence and marrow. Because of that in it is frequently used by modern TCM practitioners for kidney deficiency-induced Impotence, Premature Ejaculation, frequent urination, Nocturnal Emission, marked emaciation, and so on.