Tylototriton being consumed in China.

[Neil C]

I was watching an episode of "An idiot abroad" where they were in a food market in China. I'm well aware of all the crickets/scorpions etc that they sell as snacks on wooden skewers. What I was disturbed to see was that they were also doing this to some species of Tylototriton. Are they really that common/easy to collect that they can be sold as cheap fast food? That is one sure fire way to help a species onto the threatened/endangered species list if they aren't on there already.


Regards Neil

 

[Otterwoman]

Yes, that information has been posted here from time to time, including some pictures. I guess they're not as toxic as their colors make them out to be.

 

[ummi]

AW: Re: Tylototriton being consumed in China.

Yes, the heart bleeds

 

[Coastal Groovin]

You know what they say. What does 1,344,130,000 people eat? Everything.

 

[methodik]

Do they have any nutritional value at all, or a special taste?

 

[Knobtailedgecko]

No offense to anyone but I once herd from a friend from China - "the only thing Chinese people don't eat, that have legs, are chairs"

 

[TylototritonGuy]

Nearly every animal species in China and South East Asia is sold either for TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) or because they are considered a delicacy.

There's a saying in China that goes something like this "We will eat anything that has four legs, except tables; anything that flies, except for airplanes; and anything that is found on water, except boats" and another one that says "Anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to heaven is edible." Both, I think are very true...

One of the main reasons for the decline of Andrias Davidianus is the fact it's considered delicious to eat :/

 

[colinalan]

Andrias Davidianus captive production in China, Zhejiang Yongqiang Agricultural Technology Development Co., Ltd more than 500 employees, covers an area of 1000 acres, annual total salamander breeding of 500,000 and 28 recipes but I cannot buy one as a pet.

Yongqiang Agricultural Technology Development Co., Ltd.

 

[AaronK]

I didn't believe it either until I saw it in a restaurant.

 

[frogman]

Omg is that a Chinese Giant Salamander? That is evil. Their endangered too. Yikes.

 

[TylototritonGuy]

Omg is that a Chinese Giant Salamander? That is evil. Their endangered too. Yikes.

Mate, over there they're captive farmed for the purpose of eating lol One company I remember selling them about a year ago was looking for 5 grand per Salamander, all for the purpose of being used in Restaurants, apparently they do sell to private collectors and zoos but you had to buy your own CITIES Papers etc.

Away from the Caudata side of it, the Swinhoe's Giant Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) was considered very tasty and now only 3 specimens remain because the rest of its kind were rounded up and eaten and used for TCM. There were 4, but back in 2007 one that was kept in a Monastery near Shanghai died. There were claims that it was given to the Monastery by an Emperor back in the Ming dynasty making it roughly 400 years old (However there is no proof as to if thats even true) lol. There is a pair together that a Zoo are trying to breed however they have been unsuccessful so far.

Slightly scary in my opinion that this has been the same story with most Endangered Asian species :/

 

[asfouts]

Just a random side tangent off of this, I was watching a food network channel where a guy ate at a five star chinese restaraunt (in China I should add) and ordered the most bizarre things on the menu, anyway one dish came with starfish... Which is apparantly killed and cooked up for the sheer purpose of "decorating" a plate. This topic of culture is just weird though, in my opinion I dont think culture should trump animal welfare, but thats another issue altogether haha

 

[loga]

Nearly every animal species in China and South East Asia is sold either for TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) or because they are considered a delicacy.

There's a saying in China that goes something like this "We will eat anything that has four legs, except tables; anything that flies, except for airplanes; and anything that is found on water, except boats" and another one that says "Anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to heaven is edible." Both, I think are very true...

One of the main reasons for the decline of Andrias Davidianus is the fact it's considered delicious to eat :/

I am afraid that what TylototritonGuy said is true.Due to the TCM, the traditional concept of edible phenomenon in some regions of China, the consumption of wild animals is also quite common.But in recent years,some surveys show that the great decline in the proportion of public consumption of wild animals

I love my homecountry,China,and most of the people around me are very kind and educated.They resisted the wild animals are treated as food. Diversity,the good side of the Chinese food culture has also brought bad.

But in China,amphibians under threatened mainly because of the destruction and over-development of their living environment.I am just a college student,and I really hope these animals can be protected.

Thank you all for your attention to this problem.

 

[zhanggeer]

Some Chinese eat anything.

It's too bad!

 

[zhanggeer]

I didn't believe it either until I saw it in a restaurant.

this is CB F1
It's hader and harder to find them outside.

 

[zhanggeer]

Andrias Davidianus captive production in China, Zhejiang Yongqiang Agricultural Technology Development Co., Ltd more than 500 employees, covers an area of 1000 acres, annual total salamander breeding of 500,000 and 28 recipes but I cannot buy one as a pet.

Yongqiang Agricultural Technology Development Co., Ltd.

There are many Andrias Davidianus farms in China.They sell F1 of Andrias Davidianus to restaurants.The population of wild Andrias Davidianus are declining.Except for hunting for food, the disruption of environment is main reason.

Though these companies breed so many babies of Andrias Davidianus, you can never found one in pet market.I'm in Zhejiang now, but it's still hard for me to buy one from these companies.They have no interest with you.