News Forum - Unique Thai village profits from hot-season tokay gecko trade exports to China

[Thaiger]

A unique Thai village is gaining lucrative income from capturing and processing tokay geckoes, generating hundreds of thousands of baht (US$2,860) per month during the hot season. In the northeast province of Nakhon Phanom, villagers from Ban Tal in Nah Wah district are seizing the opportunity to capture the amphibians that thrive in the warm … …

The story Unique Thai village profits from hot-season tokay gecko trade exports to China as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Smiler]

Firstly tokay gecko’s are not amphibians they are reptiles which do an enormous amount of good by eating cockroaches and such. Secondly what is it about the Chinese? They seem to love degrading the natural world with their primitive beliefs such as bear bile, tiger parts, pangolin scales etc none of which have any scientific facts to back them up, they seem to live in the midday ages when it comes to these persistent superstitions unfortunately they do an inordinate amount of damage and harm. 

[Karolyn]

Tokays are geckos but for that reason they aren't amphibians. They are more closely related to birds, and even humans, than to amphibians. Tokays are incidebtallyunusual for being among the most vertivorous of the geckos. 

[HolyCowCm]

I was under the impression that it is illegal to trap and kill them. I usually catch them by hand and relocate them from my house. 

[Karolyn]

1 hour ago, HolyCowCm said:

I was under the impression that it is illegal to trap and kill them. I usually catch them by hand and relocate them from my house. 

They bite hardthough, and are tremendously strong, size for size. I saw one fight for a defrosted (dead) mouse with an African bullfrog, that swallowed the mouse, and it lifted the frog and dead mouse off the ground. A very strong grip. 

[cowslip]

Amphibians???

[cowslip]

 

Tokay geckos play a role as predators.

As predators, Tokay geckos primarily feed on insects, such as crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, and moths. They consume smaller vertebrates, such as small birds, frogs, and other geckos. Their diet also includes spiders and other arthropods.

By preying on insects and other small animals, Tokay geckos help regulate the population of these species in the ecosystem. They contribute to maintaining a balance between predators and prey, which is essential for the overall health and stability of the food chain.

It's important to note that while Tokay geckos are part of the food chain in Thailand, they are not a significant component of human food consumption in the country. Their role is primarily within the natural ecosystem, where they contribute to controlling insect populations and maintaining biodiversity.

soon that village will be spending all their earnings on reducing the insect pest population.

 

[cowslip]

14 hours ago, Karolyn said:

vertivorous

what is vertiverous? - something that eats green things?

[cowslip]

As far as I can ascertain it is not legal to kill Tokays in Thailand. The Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko), also known as the Common Tokay, is a protected species in Thailand. It is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), which means that international trade in Tokays is regulated. In Thailand, it is illegal to kill, capture, or trade Tokays without a permit.

There are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, it is legal to kill a Tokay if it is considered to be a nuisance or a threat to public health. However, even in these cases, it is important to obtain a permit from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

The main reason why Tokays are protected in Thailand is because they play an important role in the ecosystem. They help to control insect populations, and they are also a food source for other animals. Additionally, Tokays are considered to be a cultural symbol in Thailand, and they are often featured in traditional art and literature.

If you are caught killing or capturing a Tokay in Thailand, you could face a fine of up to 100,000 baht (around $3,000) or up to one year in prison.

 

[Karolyn]

12 minutes ago, cowslip said:

what is vertiverous? - something that eats green things?

Eats vertebrates

[HolyCowCm]

11 hours ago, Karolyn said:

They bite hardthough, and are tremendously strong, size for size. I saw one fight for a defrosted (dead) mouse with an African bullfrog, that swallowed the mouse, and it lifted the frog and dead mouse off the ground. A very strong grip. 

Yes they do. I wear like polyester for the cold gloves and they twist and always get a mouth grip on part of my hand but not the death bite. No gloves on then it would pierce theskin for sure. Nasty mean little buggers, but I like them and find no need to kill them. Just noisy all around.

[Karolyn]

8 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Yes they do. I wear like polyester for the cold gloves and they twist and always get a mouth grip on part of my hand but not the death bite. No gloves on then it would pierce theskin for sure. Nasty mean little buggers, but I like them and find no need to kill them. Just noisy all around.

As insectivores they are friends of man, like spiders and frogs. 

[HolyCowCm]

Just now, Karolyn said:

As insectivores they are friends of man, like spiders and frogs. 

I kill rats as they come in from the rice fields and nest everywhere they can. Nothing good comes from a rats. So bye bye to rats, cockroaches, flies, certain moths inside the house and the so many variants of different kind of ants getting under and inside the house. Ants are a pain in da arse as they can live in any tiny crevice of cement or dig something out of the cement. So glad they are small with the madible power they have.

Spiders I pick up and throw out of the house, and the chingchok pick up and toss out as well. Oddly we dod get small beetles in my room somewhow andthey like to stay on the first part being of the see through curtain in he window. They get tossd out too. Bees or wasp I don't bother with, but birds like pidgeons and doves I shoe away. Noisy when nesting or getting too comfortable on or around my house.

[cowslip]

6 hours ago, Karolyn said:

Eats vertebrates

Tokays eat much more than that - they eat manly insects and a few small vertebrates

[Golden-Triangle]

1 hour ago, cowslip said:

Tokays eat much more than that - they eat manly insects and a few small vertebrates

 I eat manly food as well :) 

[cowslip]

20 minutes ago, Golden-Triangle said:

 I eat manly food as well :) 

that sounds a bit worrying.....

[Karolyn]

6 hours ago, cowslip said:

Tokays eat much more than that - they eat manly insects and a few small vertebrates

They're still unusually vertivorous for a gecko. Only some of the pygopodids eat more small tetrapods. And it isn't just a matter of size allowing for larger prey items to be taken - like frogs, geckos stuff what they can into their moutgs. Because even larger gecko species are less vertivorous than is the tokay. 

Edited June 25, 2023 by Karolyn

[cowslip]

7 minutes ago, Karolyn said:

They're still unusually vertivorous for a gecko. Only some of the pygopodids eat more small tetrapods. And it isn't just a matter of size allowing for larger prey items to be taken - like frogs, geckos stuff what they can into their moutgs. Because even larger gecko species are less vertivorous than is the tokay. 

THe tokay has particularly strong jaws - hence the shape of the head due to muscles - this enables it bite into things like beetles and also any vertibrates it may come across.  I don't know why your are resorting to natural science jargon as many people won't know what you are talking about - in fact I get the impression that you don't either and are just looking up the vocab either for fun or to obscure your answer.

What you are discussing is the kind of prey eaten by Tokays and why, but you aren't getting the answer correct as you are limiting to the few scientific jargon words you can spell. These geckos primarily eat invertebrates, including moths, locusts, grasshoppers, beetles, cockroaches, termites, crickets, mosquitos and spiders. They may also eat small rats, mice and snakes. (BTW - what species do you think is larger than the Tokay? only the Caledonian which has a similar diet)

However, none of this addresses the fact that it is illegal to harvest and sell them.

[HolyCowCm]

39 minutes ago, cowslip said:

However, none of this addresses the fact that it is illegal to harvest and sell them.

So that was exactly what I had stated that it is illegal to catch and kill them. Not sure all but the black spotted one is illegal from what I read.
 

I have caught the black spotted and the more common bigger red spotted ones. Red spotted can be a little aggressive if you ask me. You can always tell how big one is by how many times they tokay. Sone of them can literally be little monsters.