Vocal ability and noise level rating chart:
1. soft love music
2. upbeat symphony/parade music
3. swingin music/country western
4. mainstream pop
5. Heavy metal and highest decibel recordings to date (long term exposure
associated with hearing loss)
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Ease of keeping ratings
1. ALL EASY
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G. petricolus - normally do not eat the young, seem to tolerate, but not
necessarily guard the young. Never tested it for prolonged periods of time
(>one week). Noise level: 1
G. gecko - you summed it up well enough. Noise level: 5 (for those who
are newcomers, seasoned keepers rate it much lower, because of extensive
hearing loss. NOT recommended for spouses who are not interested in
geckos)
G. vittatus - normally do not eat the young (but will under rare
circumstances - probably associated with irregular feeding schedules,
and/or dietary deficiencies). Protect the young to a minimal degree, with
occasional cannibalism's or MIA's. Noise level: 2
G. siamensis - nearly identical to Tokay's. I believe siamensis is, in all
reality, a Tokay draped in greenish skin, replete with black and white
spots, and are excellent candidates for surprising the unwary spirit of
those which thought they were getting something "quieter than a Tokay" but
blew it. Noise level: 5+ ( + for the surprise factor. They possess all of
the gusto as Tokays, and even do that spasmodic body ripple when they sound
off - pretty cool to watch - they almost ripple right off from the wall)
G. ulikovskii - non-protected eggs = extra carb's for the adults. Noise
level: ? (never really heard much out of them). Do not protect eggs, but
perhaps in the sense that they just wait for them to hatch?
G. palmatus - no guarding of eggs or young. Young are usually tolerated,
no cannabalism (but other attacks?)
Noise level: 1
G. monarchus, G. hokouensis, and G. kikuchii: no guarding of eggs or
young. Limited experience in breeding, no problems with short term
exposure of adults with young.
Overall, it would seem that the larger species (G. gecko, G. siamensis, and
G. smithii) are, in all likelihood, very closely related. They share
similar calls, structures, and behaviors. The medium sized species such as
ulikovskii, vittatus, and petricolus, while not necessarily closely
related, share the common trait of "general tolerance towards offspring"
(with the exception species of course ulikovskii - the "who needs
contraceptives when you can just eat everything you produce" species). The
smaller species (palmatus, kikiuchii, and hokouensis) seem the least
antagonizing of the group, and the least vocal.
ps. the majority of "G. smithii" in the US and Canada are more likely G.
siamensis.
Jon
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