monkey tailed skink??

[lostwithin]

Hi, just wondering what the value of a pair of monkey tailed skinks is (in canada)? I saw a couple recently and though they were great. so now im looking into the price and thought this was an easy way too do it,
Thanks
Devon

[Wuntu Menny]

I've seen prices range from $100-$300+ lately, more if they're coming from a retail outlet. Be aware though, that taking on prehensiles is becoming a very significant responsibilty as they are soon to be extirpated from their natural range. Current estimates describe they're extinction in the wild to be 20 years away or less.

WM

[reptiguy123]

That's sad.

[M_surinamensis]

WM, if you don't mind my asking, where did you get those figures?

I know that they were placed on CITES 1 for a few years, but this was because the government of the Solomon Islands refused to invest the money into a reliable population count. After the count was concluded, the species was reopened for limited collection.

They're certainly a species which needs to be watched extremely carefully, small natural range, slow reproductive rate... But I had not seen anything concrete relating to threats to wild populations, merely that the species would be have a status which alternated every few years as far as CITES went.

Not saying you're incorrect or anything, simply curious as to what sources you're using for the information.

[Wuntu Menny]

No trouble, there's all kinds of reports and published data that indicate the impending crisis. I should. perhaps, have inserted the words "all but" prior to the word "extirpated", but the general prognosis is relatively the same.

I have read many conflicting reports regarding this issue but find that the rosiest forecasts are funded by industrial interests or commisioned by organizations sympathetic to government agencies responsible for the situation in whole or in part.

Here's a few links to peruse:

http://www.american.edu/projects/mandala/TED/solomon.htm
http://archive.greenpeace.org/comms/97/forest/asian_companies_solomon_islands.html
http://www.wrm.org.uy/deforestation/Oceania/Solomon.html
http://www.wwfpacific.org.fj/solomons_background.htm
http://www.mongabay.com/20pacific.htm
http://www.gdrc.org/oceans/csevilla.html
http://www.unescap.org/drpad/vc/orientation/pngsolo_forexploi.htm

There are many other sources one can use for cross reference, but there appears to be common thread prevailing. And yes, some of these sources are prone to more inflammatory, worst case scenarios. I, for one, am more likely to lean toward erring on the side of caution rather than relying on estimates provided by government sanctioned studies.

WM