Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) and species protection

The Washington Convention (WC) on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is the international agreement on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES), which is intended to ensure sustainable trade of the animals and plants listed with various levels of protection in different appendices.

At certain intervals, the contracting states meet and adapt the regulations to the ever changing circumstances. The 18th CITES Conference of the Parties took place in Geneva (Switzerland) from 17 to 28 August 2019 and one result of this meeting was the listing of the Tokay in Appendix II.

Decisive for the protection status were the gigantic trade quantities of Tokays from their distribution countries to China, where they occupy an important place in Chinese medicine. There they are traded in dried condition in the country's pharmacies and drugstores. This trade in the geckos has been going on for decades, but has increased in recent years. Reptile hobbyists all over the world now have to pay for this enormous waste.

Consequences

Since the end of 2019, the care and keeping of Tokays must be registered with the respective nature conservation authorities. This legalizes the keeping of them in terrariums. Quantity and sex of the kept specimens are registered, as well as any offspring.

 A delivery or a purchase of a Tokay can take place therefore from 2020 only with the necessary papers. It does not matter whether they are terrarium offspring or wild caught specimens. Act responsibly and refrain from buying or selling Tokays without the required papers!