House geckos sold freely on marketplaces: what does the 2026 harvest quota mean?
A report from Mongabay Indonesia made me stop scrolling: house geckos (tokek) are being sold openly on several online marketplaces. The reporters found at least one seller offering live geckos at Rp30,500 each, with 493 in stock, along with claims that they cure stamina problems, asthma, and even cancer. The article itself does not address whether those claims are true.
On their status, the explanation from BRIN researcher Amir Hamidy was both reassuring and important. Geckos have been listed in CITES Appendix II since 2019, but that does not mean they are threatened. On the IUCN Red List they are Least Concern. The point is that trade must be legal, its origins traceable, and it must be sustainable, which requires Non-Detriment Findings based on population surveys.
For 2026, the wild harvest quota was set by Director General KSDAE Decree No. 254 of 2025: a total of 2,509,362 animals. Most of them, 2,487,750, are for consumption (dried geckos), and 21,612 are for pets. East Java receives the largest consumption quota, 480,000. A minimum harvest size is also set at 15 cm snout-to-vent length, while geckos reach sexual maturity at around 10 to 11 cm, so the animals harvested are estimated to have already reproduced at least once.
But the point I found most interesting came from Muhammad Fakhri Fauzan of IPB University. He warned that without new surveys, it is hard to confirm that wild populations remain safe once the quota is in effect, and the quota could lose its scientific basis. Amir himself admitted that enforcing the size limit in the field is not easy and that oversight still needs to be strengthened.
As someone who follows the reptile world, I see this as a reminder that even animals that seem common still need data. If you are thinking of keeping one, choose an animal with a clear origin.
Source: Mongabay Indonesia
On their status, the explanation from BRIN researcher Amir Hamidy was both reassuring and important. Geckos have been listed in CITES Appendix II since 2019, but that does not mean they are threatened. On the IUCN Red List they are Least Concern. The point is that trade must be legal, its origins traceable, and it must be sustainable, which requires Non-Detriment Findings based on population surveys.
For 2026, the wild harvest quota was set by Director General KSDAE Decree No. 254 of 2025: a total of 2,509,362 animals. Most of them, 2,487,750, are for consumption (dried geckos), and 21,612 are for pets. East Java receives the largest consumption quota, 480,000. A minimum harvest size is also set at 15 cm snout-to-vent length, while geckos reach sexual maturity at around 10 to 11 cm, so the animals harvested are estimated to have already reproduced at least once.
But the point I found most interesting came from Muhammad Fakhri Fauzan of IPB University. He warned that without new surveys, it is hard to confirm that wild populations remain safe once the quota is in effect, and the quota could lose its scientific basis. Amir himself admitted that enforcing the size limit in the field is not easy and that oversight still needs to be strengthened.
As someone who follows the reptile world, I see this as a reminder that even animals that seem common still need data. If you are thinking of keeping one, choose an animal with a clear origin.
Source: Mongabay Indonesia
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