Via Herp Digest:
Correction Volume 7, # 27 article 7, -illegal Wildlife Traders Target Endemic Geckos
The basis of the article, the dealers paying out big money for geckos as a hoax
From the April Issue of "Pets Unlimited" published in Manilla, the Philippines.
The recent surge of interest on tokay geckoes throughout the country has been linked to an internet hoax. Unknown foreign buyers are apparent willing to pay Malaysian Ringgit (MyR 25,000 to 1,000,000 (MyR1-PHP14.25 for tokay geckos weighing at least 300 grams and up to one killogram each purportedly due to its curative properties against cancer and HIV.
Enticed poachers in Luzon, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Davao Zamboanga and other provinces serched for the mythical giant-sized reptile in vain and ended up trapping geckos regardless of sizein the false belief that they can fatten the lizards in captivity to an ideal weight to sell them for lucrative prices. Fueling the hoax are individuals fraudulently claiming that they tokay geckos for sale weighing up to 1.2 killograms each. In April 2011, Manbojoc, Bohol Mayor Leonicio Evasco Jr. alarmed by the unabated pacohing of the lizard prohibited residents from collecting and trading today geckos.
Tokay Gecko is commonly found in disturbed area and forest edges throughout Asia, South China, Bangladesh, India and Nepla. It can attain 7" in snout to vent length (SVL) and almost 14" in total length. Adult Tokay geckoes typically weigh less than 150 grams.
Editor- Basically there were no dealers and Tokay Geckos don't grow as large as advertised.
Last issue I published an article on massive gecko collection for Chinese markets in China. According to Pets Unlimited, a Philapine publication it all was a hoax.
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