# Asian House Geckos



## aussie.snakes (Dec 2, 2008)

Does anyone else find it strange that in NSW the Asian House Gecko is covered by the licensing system. Are they protected like native reptiles?


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## RedEyeGirl (Dec 2, 2008)

Actually yeah i realized that 2.just had a look on the list. Wonder why? Some 1 has to send an email 2 them.


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## Rocket (Dec 2, 2008)

Hemidactylus are not protected. They can be caught and kept, or caught and killed (either fed to animals or simply killed).


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## Kirby (Dec 2, 2008)

Rocket said:


> Hemidactylus are not protected. They can be caught and kept, or caught and killed (either fed to animals or simply killed).



REALLY?

i would have thought, if they are on a licensing system, you would need a license to keep them


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## Luke1 (Dec 2, 2008)

Rocket said:


> Hemidactylus are not protected. They can be caught and kept, or caught and killed (either fed to animals or simply killed).


 
so most of em seem to be up in QLD...can we some how bring up back through a plane or is that to risky??? anyone wanna go up and get me some


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## aussie.snakes (Dec 2, 2008)

I have them everywhere in my place. I am trying to find a list of protected species in NSW but can't find one. I assume since they are in the licensing system that means they are protected and you can't catch, keep and kill them. May be easier just to email them and ask.

What do people in NSW feed their Burton's legless lizards and small elapids that won't take rodents?


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## Luke1 (Dec 2, 2008)

asian house geckos


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## horsesrule (Dec 2, 2008)

Well i know for a fact there are some in Melbourne to, i know someone who moved from Qld to Melbourne with a large colony of them and released them thinking they were native geckos. 

I dont know whether they would be able to survive the colder climate but if they can adapt there probably breeding and growing in numbers.​


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## ally_pup (Dec 2, 2008)

Rocket said:


> Hemidactylus are not protected. They can be caught and kept, or caught and killed (either fed to animals or simply killed).


 
How you would actually catch them would be interesting. The little buggers are that bloody fast


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## xenathepython (Dec 2, 2008)

SO you can keep them without a license legally?


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## RedEyeGirl (Dec 2, 2008)

Some 1 should email them!


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## Luke1 (Dec 2, 2008)

ally_pup said:


> How you would actually catch them would be interesting. The little buggers are that bloody fast


 
on dunk Island on the roofs we got a broom and knocked em off onto the pillows


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## horsesrule (Dec 2, 2008)

I think they are relatively harmless, there is no proof there actually causing any real damage to the areas the live unlike the cane toad.


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## aussie.snakes (Dec 2, 2008)

I just emailed the NPWS. Waiting for their reply. This could take a while


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## Luke1 (Dec 2, 2008)

aussie.snakes said:


> I just emailed the NPWS. Waiting for their reply. This could take a while


 
agh, i dont bother with them anymore, i have sent so many emails to them and non have had replies...


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## Herc (Dec 2, 2008)

In NSW they are on the licence system, so you can't just go to QLD and catch them to bring them back (legally). my understanding as to why they were added is due to the overwhelming numbers of them here in Oz, and there are NO exempt species for NSW


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## notechistiger (Dec 2, 2008)

horserule, they cause direct competition for all the other geckos that inhabit the same habitat. That's devastating enough.


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## aussie.snakes (Dec 2, 2008)

I have never seen a native gecko in the area I live :cry:
I guess that means they do have a bit of an effect


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## horsesrule (Dec 2, 2008)

notechistiger said:


> horserule, they cause direct competition for all the other geckos that inhabit the same habitat. That's devastating enough.


 

Dont they live primarily in urban areas? Where native bushland has been destroyed for development?

Yes they may compete with a small percentage of natives but compared to what we are doing to this country and the environmental destruction we have caused and continue to cause they are insignificant.


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## notechistiger (Dec 2, 2008)

Huh? This conversation wasn't at all about habitat destruction. Please keep to the topic at hand. 

A couple of years ago we moved into a newly built house. Within a week, we had many many Dtellas running around the place. Six months later, none. Every gecko we found from then on were Asian House geckos.

No one was talking about a comparison between us and them.


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## kandi (Dec 2, 2008)

i have them in my house they are a nuisnance well any gecko is they short out air con units and can cause expensive damage. But besides all that my house is gecko and frog friendly no matter the damage they can cause. But i would prefer the local gecko to the introduced one.


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## nuthn2do (Dec 2, 2008)

I have kept a H.frenatus on licence in *NSW* a few years ago, they are still a protected species here still as far as i know. The reason NPWS gave me was that they have been in Oz for so long they are classed as native, which is basically the same deal as a dingo.


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## aussie.snakes (Dec 2, 2008)

horsesrule said:


> Dont they live primarily in urban areas? Where native bushland has been destroyed for development?
> 
> Yes they may compete with a small percentage of natives but compared to what we are doing to this country and the environmental destruction we have caused and continue to cause they are insignificant.


 
Yes compared to us the geckos are nothing, but compared to us the cane toads, Indian Miners, foxes and rabbits are nothing. We destroy the habitat and then even after that we kill countless numbers of remaining wildlife with our cars, pets and shovels. 

The fact of the matter is that for humans to live we are always going to have an impact on the native wildlife. What we have to do is compromise and do our best to manage the environment. Introduced species shift this compromise.

Anyway the topic isn't really their impact but there status and whethe they can be caught, kept, killed and used as reptile food in NSW.


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## horsesrule (Dec 2, 2008)

Anyway getting back to my first post does anyone think they could survive in Melbourne? As i said i know someone that released a load of them after moving from Qld thinking they were australian geckos?

I did a google and i found there have been some found in Melbourne earlier this year someone posted a thread on this forum about one.


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## Fuscus (Dec 2, 2008)

I was under the impression that they are considered native because they were found west of Darwin in the 1800s but if you can work your way though this http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/fragview/inforce/subordleg+519+2006+whole+0+N?tocnav=y (pack a cut lunch) it appears that AHGs are also regulated under the NSW Non-Indigenous Animals Regulation 2006 which _*seems*_ to require a $500 fee plus $100 application fee and falls under the same category as _Naja mossambica ( _which, if I an right, spits but is a much more interesting animal)


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## aussie.snakes (Dec 8, 2008)

NPWS got back to me today. Here is what they had to say:

_"In NSW, all reptiles are protected, whether they are native to Australia or not. This is due to the wording in the Act (National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974). So yes, it would be illegal to catch and kill them from the wild. Some people may not have as good as identification skills as others, so it is best that people don’t try and catch them.

You should contact the animal welfare branch at DPI __www.dpi.nsw.gov.au__ for advice on feeding animals. It is illegal to feed live animals to other animals."_

So they are just as protected as any other reptile.


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## ryanharvey1993 (Dec 8, 2008)

who cares, just go kill them anyway, I hate the damn things!


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## ryanharvey1993 (Dec 8, 2008)

so does that mean, corn snakes are protected in the wild aswell? since asian house geckos are on class one, when can we keep corns on class 1 :lol:


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## aussie.snakes (Dec 8, 2008)

ryanharvey1993 said:


> so does that mean, corn snakes are protected in the wild aswell? since asian house geckos are on class one, when can we keep corns on class 1 :lol:


 
I was thinking about that for Red Eared Sliders (about them being protected not being kept on a class one license).

Does anyone out there owns a Burton's Legless Lizard? What do you feed them? Also what are young elapids such as yellow face whipsnake hatchlings fed?


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## horsesrule (Dec 8, 2008)

Geckos lol


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