--- title: "This is why US troops in Vietnam called this gecko the ‘F*ck You Lizard’" description: "One Vietnam veteran called the diminutive Tokay Geckos the \"reception committee\" for incoming American soldiers in the country." date: "2021-03-05" modified: "2021-03-05" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/vietnam-gecko-fck-you-lizard/" categories: - "History" - "Vietnam War" - "War History" --- # This is why US troops in Vietnam called this gecko the ‘F\*ck You Lizard’ ![]() One Vietnam veteran called the diminutive Tokay Geckos the "reception committee" for incoming American soldiers in country, "the only ones in [Vietnam]() who were telling you the truth." The lizard is a true gecko, native to Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The animal is nocturnal, so its distinctive call is heard only at night. It was this sound that prompted U.S. troops to informally dub it the "F\*ck You Lizard." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2c23-1rVQs The Tokay Gecko can get pretty big for a gecko lizard, sometimes up to more than a foot in length. They were said to come out just when the jungles got pitch dark. Said another Vietnam veteran, who was stationed near the Cambodian border: "Just when everyone was dozing out. You'd hear 'em in your sleep all night. You'd wake up in the morning, with *fuckyou fuckyou fuckyou...* echoing in your head." Good news for those Americans itching to be introduced to the nighttime mating call: [someone introduced the Tokay Gecko to Florida]() and Hawaii. It's best not to approach the animals, though. Tokay geckos are described as "the meanest lizard you will ever see," "the reptilian pit bull" that will not hesitate to bite and clamp down. ![tokay gecko]() It's unlikely that Vietnam veterans are interested in being reunited with the sound. In the words of a Vietnam vet on Reddit, "The jungle was telling me something. F\*ck me. I got it." ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()