tokay gecko
- Thread starter sharkey
- Start date
Chamgirl
Avid Member
Chamgirl
Avid Member
Nobody answered my question from a few posts back. Veiled chameleons are not native to Florida (and they have a bite as bad as a Tokays). Would you feel happy about someone attempting to capture (fair enough) or kill one they found in their garden? Same thing isn't it, just different lizard. I just wish Sharkey would catch the said Tokay and transport him/her to me in England as I have always fancied one as a pet (I keep other geckos).
I will always speak out if I think I can save an animal being killed and I don't apologise for that.
I will always speak out if I think I can save an animal being killed and I don't apologise for that.
jojackson
New Member
LMAO
OH please! Show me any evidence Tokays hang out anywhere waiting the chew off an unsuspecting persons fingers, or infact that that or anything like it has ever happened!
The only reason a Tokay will bite is if its threatened, same as any other lizard, aka when its caught by people too. Lets stick to the facts Laurie
Absolutely, not to mention highly arborial.
And neither should you!
The fact is despite its being exotic, they are already there in numbers as pets. If your going to so much trouble to capture the animal in the first place, then while rehoming it as a pet, through a petstore if nessesary , is an option, then there remains no reason to kill it that is not personal.
Once you capture it, you can just as easily give it to somebody who will keep it in captivity than choose to crush the life from it. Who are you to judge weather they will
never release it? The choice is yours to live with.
Syn
Avid Member
Last thing I have to say on this matter - unless there is another Tokay gecko within the vicinity, there is no way it could breed! Set up a net trap where possible, put a tub of crickets at one end.. Tokays LOVE crickets! Some people let them go in their house for a couple of minutes to get any stray crickets. I also hope to hear a happy ending with the little gecko.
ciafardo 4
New Member
hahahaha toddlers and tokays hahaha tokays are nocturnal are toddlers im not familiar with this species hahaha
ciafardo 4
New Member
We are an invasive species how come we're not randomly killed ?
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Allowing an invasive species to be released into the wild is inexcusable. Its this sort of thing that leads authorities to want to ban exotic animals.
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
Any veiled chameleons found in Hawaii ARE destroyed.
They do not seem to be having as devastating an effect in Florida and their distribution is limited there.
Jackson's have been allowed to continue living in Hawaii as it has been determined that they are not causing the harm that the veileds were.
I do not know the level of concern that should address Tokays in Florida, but I agree with capturing the animal.
-Brad
As a new tokay owner myself (the menagerie grows!), I can personally say that they are not as aggressive as many people think, as long as you leave them alone. They will not just run out and bite you; they will try their hardest to run away, THEN bite if you still insist on touching them. The bad thing is that their bite is painful, and they will ONLY let go when THEY feel like it (could be minutes, could be hours... it's up to the gecko in question)
The pet store we rescued ours from (good pet store, but his poor guy had been there for 5 months or more) had two at one point in time, but it is loose in the store somewhere. They have been trying for months to catch him in a store, and they can't do it. I would venture to say that the probability of catching one in the wild is slim, but I know nothing about where you live.
Try a butterfly net. They have long handles (you avoid being bitten), and they are soft (the gecko remains unhurt). Should you go after this guy with your hands, WEAR GLOVES! If for some reason you get bitten (likely, with tokays), grip behind the head with your other hand, much like you would a snake, then submerge your hand and the gecko in water, and he will let go!
Best of luck to you!
The pet store we rescued ours from (good pet store, but his poor guy had been there for 5 months or more) had two at one point in time, but it is loose in the store somewhere. They have been trying for months to catch him in a store, and they can't do it. I would venture to say that the probability of catching one in the wild is slim, but I know nothing about where you live.
Try a butterfly net. They have long handles (you avoid being bitten), and they are soft (the gecko remains unhurt). Should you go after this guy with your hands, WEAR GLOVES! If for some reason you get bitten (likely, with tokays), grip behind the head with your other hand, much like you would a snake, then submerge your hand and the gecko in water, and he will let go!
Best of luck to you!
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Arent there random murders and road rage killings? Perhaps some virus will wipe us all out. Until then, it doesnt hurt to attempt to minimize the harm we do to the planet.
chequepoint
New Member
Yeah gotta say.. Clearly these animals need to be taken out of the florida wild.. I'm sure any captured by the government are destroyed. They can't all be pets. So to answer your question, I'm just as comfortable with someone destroying the tokay as I am a wild veiled.
I also understand why cities trap and kill feral cats and stray dogs. In addition I'm more than willing to kill wildlife that poses a threat to my animals and way of life. Plenty of Raccoons, Opossums, and Groundhogs have met their demise at the end of a shotgun in my backyard in order to protect goats, chickens, ducks, horses, etc.
All that said, she's attempting to capture, and willing to kill, which is about the most noble position she can take. Kudos Sharkey!
jojackson
New Member
Would I be justified in the capture and killing of your dog, if I found it running wild?
Its not native, might breed. If I did, would it make a difference? 1 dog, 1 tokay, drop in the ocean. For every tokay caught by mr/mrs do-good, a million natives are crushed to death on your roads.
Whats the point? Best thing you can do is not be part of the problem.
How many chams have run away into the wild from members of this site? How many didnt you hear about?
Its not native, might breed. If I did, would it make a difference? 1 dog, 1 tokay, drop in the ocean. For every tokay caught by mr/mrs do-good, a million natives are crushed to death on your roads.
Whats the point? Best thing you can do is not be part of the problem.
How many chams have run away into the wild from members of this site? How many didnt you hear about?
Chamgirl
Avid Member
I cannot believe you have admitted to killing so many animals and talk about it so matter of factly. I'm sure if you suitably housed your animals then they wouldn't be at risk from these predators.
And as for admitting to being happy with someone killing a wild Veiled, well it beggars belief why you are part of a chameleon forum. You can't pick and chose what chameleons should be allowed to live and what should die. I would expect anti-reptile supporters to want to kill chameleons but someone who presumably owns them?? I am very disappointed indeed
jojackson
New Member
Which arnt even native, your interest is purely of personal benefaction.
Whats sad about that, is that we caused the mess ourselves, as soon as we became smart enought to become the most illogical, self destructive, and enviromentally destructive species on the planet, and deemed ourselves the right to decide what to move where and what survived or was destroyed. We meddled with things to suit ourselves, adapting our enviroment to us instead of vice versa.
We introduced species to every place they shouldnt be, everything was fine before.
Nature is like your office space, you have it 'just so', your have all your crap arranged just so, your comfortable with it and its working for you, then the janitor comes along and moves your stuff around, chucks things out etcetc, now you cant find those papers you had sitting just there. So you start looking and in the process send stuff flying all over, a paper storm, just as the boss walks in!
You were so busy trying to fix things, the more you meddled, the worse it got.
Such is life. While busy blasting
, and anything other living thing that dosent suit our whim, we're making a worse mess than ever. You cant just fix the entire enviroment by wiping stuff out, its not that simple. What relies on those Raccoons, Opossums, and Groundhogs you so busily despatch, for food? You mess with one part of the food chain, it reverberates everywhere. We still dont understand we're trying to do Natures job.
sharkey
New Member
i've been offline due to dance recital practises and bald eagle work for a few days. you people have been busy!
thanks again for all of the suggestions (minus the nasty responses). we now can't find the tokay - much to our dismay. we have all of the equipment ready to go - one we spot it again. of course my neighbor is helping - it is on his property and is therefore his right to do what he wants.
thanks again for all of the suggestions (minus the nasty responses). we now can't find the tokay - much to our dismay. we have all of the equipment ready to go - one we spot it again. of course my neighbor is helping - it is on his property and is therefore his right to do what he wants.
chequepoint
New Member
I cannot believe you have admitted to killing so many animals and talk about it so matter of factly. I'm sure if you suitably housed your animals then they wouldn't be at risk from these predators.
And as for admitting to being happy with someone killing a wild Veiled, well it beggars belief why you are part of a chameleon forum. You can't pick and chose what chameleons should be allowed to live and what should die. I would expect anti-reptile supporters to want to kill chameleons but someone who presumably owns them?? I am very disappointed indeed
Sure I can. Pets get to live. Chameleons in their native habitat get to live. Chameleons in a wild non-native location with the potential to cause damage as an invasive species are to be captured, regulated to the pet trade, or disposed of.
Show me one of these "Anti-Reptile Supporters" that want to kill chameleons??
I know people who think reptiles aren't the pet for them. I know people who think that reptiles shouldn't be kept in captivity because its cruel. I know people who feel that reptiles should be removed from the pet trade due to their potentially invasive nature. I know people who don't want to be around reptiles because they are scared of them.
I've never met a person that believes reptiles should be exterminated from the earth. I think you're fighting an imaginary villain.
chamelisa
New Member
This is a very heated thread. I am with Chamgirl and Jojackson on this. But then again, I have a chameleon rescue. I take in all chameleons in need. Not just the pretty ones.
It's cool because there are rescues for just about everything out there. If you find it and it doesn't belong in your yard or the wild, I like to spend a little time trying to find someone who cares enough to go the extra mile to help the critter out.
Being involved in the local herp society, I am often called about rattlesnakes in someone's garage or yard or whatever. They are native and can be very dangerous. Animal Control is trained to destroy them. But we will relocate.
So do what you want to do. Do what you feel is right. But if you ask me, I think doing a little search for a rescue or nice person in a Tokay (or whatever) forum might be able to help both you and the un-welcomed guest.
Best wishes... for the little guy.
It's cool because there are rescues for just about everything out there. If you find it and it doesn't belong in your yard or the wild, I like to spend a little time trying to find someone who cares enough to go the extra mile to help the critter out.
Being involved in the local herp society, I am often called about rattlesnakes in someone's garage or yard or whatever. They are native and can be very dangerous. Animal Control is trained to destroy them. But we will relocate.
So do what you want to do. Do what you feel is right. But if you ask me, I think doing a little search for a rescue or nice person in a Tokay (or whatever) forum might be able to help both you and the un-welcomed guest.
Best wishes... for the little guy.
