Asian Gecko Threatened By Medicine Trade

[patekatek]

The penis of an adult Chinese male is said to provide cures for almost all maladies known to mankind. It's time that the Chinese and other believers in healing myths start harvesting these appendages and leave the tigers, elephants, and all other animals alone. I realize that it will take longer to harvest any sizable amount of these life saving cure-all items but after awhile someone will come up with an idea that will make the harvest more profitable.

[silverhawk_usa]

When I was catching them a few per night (see previous post #13), I also heard the stories of how much they were worth. Out of curiosity I did some checking. There are Tokay farms, and the farm bred are preferred to those captured in the wild. They are only interested in large, heavy, perfect specimens. Export and import is controlled. or underground, and in most cases need permits. Some countries have made the trade illegal. Finding someone that actually will pay any real money for one caught in the wild is not that easy. As I think was alluded to above somewhere, if it was that easy all the Thais would be vigorously hunting them. In reality they are not that interested. A shop near my home sells various lizards and other reptiles. I asked him about Tokays and he said no one wants them. Although I have read the stories of thousands of dollars being paid, it seems there must be more to it.

Same as a "Galoubet" posted, I too enjoyed having a couple that lived in our storage shed. But then they turned into a family, and the family turned into a colony, and there were more and more eggs being found or hatching. Enough! That is when I started my "catch and release" program.

Sadly I mentioned this topic to my Thai girlfriend. She said, why worry about them disappearing, they are only Tokays? I tried to explain about the problem of species becoming extinct, but she couldn't grasp the concept. "Yes, but why care about Tokay?".

Edited April 15, 2013 by silverhawk_usa

[Hedghog]

I have 2 of these Tokay in my outbuildings,one will come to hand if coaxed with cat food.

[galoubet]

I took this photo a few years ago at my old house in Sriracha. This chap was just growing a new tail.

[canuckamuck]

We have about 7 on average in our house. One is quite large. Just noticed some eggs in my daughters room today. so soon we will have more. If money was easily made from these guys, why is my village loaded with them?

[MESmith]

The folk who believe all this cr@p about eating the body parts of endangered species need to be convinced that it's extracts of their faeces they should be consuming, not the actual animal

[fakename]

If we could just get the Chinese to believe that rats and cockroaches are used to make viagra, then we would have one problem solved.

What are the people along the roads, with long sticks, catching? Lizards or tokay? I seen about 20 in a 10km stretch of road. Seems there are no animals safe here. Even the smallest are caught, no matter how much energy it takes to catch them. Anything and everything that moves is killed.

[ginjag]

This lovely gecko is caught locally in most villages at night--the boys search them out with the miners lamp, eaten and sold to market traders, but most are eaten.

Ladies fear them and think that bad luck will strike them-nearly the same fear as the monitor lizard--it's hated.

There are so many locals have not much time for the caring of animals.

The next door lady has a large fly swatter, and in the evening she spends much time smacking and killing the smaller Chinchook, that are on house walls eating the mozzies and other insects...amazing upbringing.

[galoubet]

If we could just get the Chinese to believe that rats and cockroaches are used to make viagra, then we would have one problem solved.

What are the people along the roads, with long sticks, catching? Lizards or tokay? I seen about 20 in a 10km stretch of road. Seems there are no animals safe here. Even the smallest are caught, no matter how much energy it takes to catch them. Anything and everything that moves is killed.

My neighbour opposite caught a large snake and was offering it for sale presumably for eating. I had a look in the sack and found he'd caught a very large reticulated python. A beautiful animal. He seemed satisfied with 100 baht (pretty cheap eh?) and I took it over to my large field at the back of my house and released it. I was hoping to get a few good photos of the creature before he made off but it scarpered at amazing speed into the neighbouring rice paddy. I did just snap this one photo as he went though.

[DLock]

How do you think the Chinese would feel if we made steaks and hamburgers out of the Giant Panda meat and made floor rugs from its hide, to the point it was on the brink of extinction?

Actually, having spent a lot of time in China...I dont think they would really care.

[Petey]

We had a family of four at our house in a forested area. My young son was fascinated by them. They would scramble to eat insects on the screen windows around our dining room, good entertainment for the boy although their croaks scared him a little. They were especially active when we'd have swarms of flying termites early in the rainy season. Then we went on a vacation leaving the house in the care of a Karen night watchman for a month. Since we returned we haven't seen or heard a single gecko. That was over two years ago. Just last week I finally heard a gecko's call from far off in the forest. I hope he finds his way to our house. We miss them. We'd heard the price was 5000 baht/kg two years ago. I wonder if the price has risen as the geckos are becoming more scarce? I don't see any solution to the problem as long as there is demand from China. People will still hunt them if there is money to be made. I hope that someone somewhere is breeding protected colonies of the geckos to be released back into the wild when the demand from traditional Chinese medicine eventually subsides.

[uptoyoumyfriend]

funny thing is i caught a really nice one and tried to sell it to any of the stores that sell lizards and snakes but none wanted to have it -they all said its illegal to trade here in chiang mai-i released it-my experience-

[Thai at Heart]

If we could just get the Chinese to believe that rats and cockroaches are used to make viagra, then we would have one problem solved.

What are the people along the roads, with long sticks, catching? Lizards or tokay? I seen about 20 in a 10km stretch of road. Seems there are no animals safe here. Even the smallest are caught, no matter how much energy it takes to catch them. Anything and everything that moves is killed.

I would hope we could convince them that mosquitoes are useful for something.

[willyumiii]

There are so many Tokays in my village it's hard to sleep at night when they start their calls " Toe- Kay" or " Ut- Oh!".

They poop on everything.

The Thais in the village do fear them.

I'd like to thin the population a bit.

I can catch them.

Do they need to be alive when you sell them?

How do I find a buyer???

I'm serious!

Edited April 16, 2013 by willyumiii

[willyumiii]

If we could just get the Chinese to believe that rats and cockroaches are used to make viagra, then we would have one problem solved.

What are the people along the roads, with long sticks, catching? Lizards or tokay? I seen about 20 in a 10km stretch of road. Seems there are no animals safe here. Even the smallest are caught, no matter how much energy it takes to catch them. Anything and everything that moves is killed.

Isn't it interesting that in a country where everyone is such a good Buddhist, they will all kill anything they see, if they can eat it or not..KILL IT!

From what I remember of the Buddha's teachings, killing or causing any pain or suffering is not part of the game....what happened to Thai Buddhist???

[ginjag]

funny thing is i caught a really nice one and tried to sell it to any of the stores that sell lizards and snakes but none wanted to have it -they all said its illegal to trade here in chiang mai-i released it-my experience-

Sick to catch it in the first place, were you that desperate for the money ??? was it to get some beer ??? sounds like it.

[uptoyoumyfriend]

funny thing is i caught a really nice one and tried to sell it to any of the stores that sell lizards and snakes but none wanted to have it -they all said its illegal to trade here in chiang mai-i released it-my experience-

Sick to catch it in the first place, were you that desperate for the money ??? was it to get some beer ??? sounds like it.

no- i don't need money for beer and i'm not sick either.just cant have it in my kitchen.i do the same with snakes scorpions etc.-when you have young children around certain things need to be done.some critters need to be relocated.

[ginjag]

funny thing is i caught a really nice one and tried to sell it to any of the stores that sell lizards and snakes but none wanted to have it -they all said its illegal to trade here in chiang mai-i released it-my experience-

Sick to catch it in the first place, were you that desperate for the money ??? was it to get some beer ??? sounds like it.

no- i don't need money for beer and i'm not sick either.just cant have it in my kitchen.i do the same with snakes scorpions etc.-when you have young children around certain things need to be done.some critters need to be relocated.

Then just relocate, take it away if it bothers you, These critters are not in the dangerous league as snakes and scorpions. I asked you why you would go to the trouble taking it to the market to sell???? that is sick.

Protect your kids, essential. these gecko's are harmless, kids need to se them and learn --In your kitchen ?? just put it out of the kitchen. my thoughts only. Your action made me frown a bit.

[hellodolly]

If any of these 'traditional' medicines can be proven to be effective then why not harvest in controlled conditions rather than at the hands of poachers? And why is it the Chinese seem to have the greatest demand for these potions and pieces of other species? Superstition and ignorance goes a long way to creating demand.

Especially when it is a centuries old one.

[hellodolly]

The folk who believe all this cr@p about eating the body parts of endangered species need to be convinced that it's extracts of their faeces they should be consuming, not the actual animal

Good idea

But this stuff has been going on for hundreds of years when these animals were not in danger of extinction.

Kind of like eating beef, pork and chicken in the west today.

What is needed is reeducation of the people and a good start would be in there Medical colleges where some of them learn this nonsense.

[ginjag]

The folk who believe all this cr@p about eating the body parts of endangered species need to be convinced that it's extracts of their faeces they should be consuming, not the actual animal

Good idea

But this stuff has been going on for hundreds of years when these animals were not in danger of extinction.

Kind of like eating beef, pork and chicken in the west today.

What is needed is reeducation of the people and a good start would be in there Medical colleges where some of them learn this nonsense.

Chinese food cafe, menu--Mermaids tit on toast, roast tiger cock, Elephants toe nail soup, braised spotted Hyena 'Nuts". interesting, Think I'll stick to haddock and chips.

[Thai at Heart]

The folk who believe all this cr@p about eating the body parts of endangered species need to be convinced that it's extracts of their faeces they should be consuming, not the actual animal

Good idea

But this stuff has been going on for hundreds of years when these animals were not in danger of extinction.

Kind of like eating beef, pork and chicken in the west today.

What is needed is reeducation of the people and a good start would be in there Medical colleges where some of them learn this nonsense.

Not really equivalent. I don't think middle aged people are birds so they could fly. They ate them because they were there. If we didn't mass produce beef or chicken today, it would be getting to a point of delicacy.