Tezpur, March 29: After Manipur, trade in tokay gecko — a lizard species — is now spreading here.

Sources said Tezpur has become a hub of illegal trade of the lizard and there are buyers who are looking for the species in big numbers.

The tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) is a nocturnal Asian lizard growing up to 40cm in length and easily identified by its orange-spotted, blue-grey skin and unmistakable vocalisations. The local name of the lizard is keko xaap.

Last year, a local court in Manipur fined two persons involved in poaching and rearing tokay geckos Rs 25,000 by invoking provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act. Police are on a massive hunt to nab the ringleaders involved in the smuggling of the rare reptile species.

The reptile has been seized in large numbers in the state, with Assam Rifles personnel launching an operation to curb the gecko trade.

According to sources, buyers are looking for bigger tokays measuring not less than 35.5cm (14 inches) in length and weighing about 200 gram. Such large specimens are said to fetch more than Rs 2 million in the international market. However, large tokays are hardly found though smaller ones are abundant in the hills.

“We have got information that some people in Balipara near Nameri National Park and Potachali are searching for the lizard species. We have alerted the wildlife staff and would take appropriate action against people involved in the trade and poaching of the gecko,” a senior forest official told this correspondent.

Narayan Mahanta, divisional forest officer, Sonitpur West, said, “The tokay gecko has an ecological value but no economic value. But there are rumours about its economic value. A major awareness is needed to preserve this reptile. Collecting, hunting, transporting and trading geckos is punishable under the Wildlife Protection Act,” he said.

A source said the hunt for tokay geckos is going on in the hills around Tezpur and in Sonitpur district. On Wednesday, some carpenters working in a house here caught a gecko but there was no report where it was taken.

The lizards have long been traded — both legally and illegally — for use in traditional Chinese medicine since they are believed to cure various maladies like diabetes, asthma, skin ailments and cancer. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has also not assessed the conservation status of the gecko, which is found in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries.