sergé
Member
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2002
- Messages
- 650
- Reaction score
- 15
- Points
- 18
- Location
- Aalst (Waalre), The Netherlands
- Country
- Netherlands
- Display Name
- Sergé Bogaerts
Dear all,
I am posting this on behalf of Max Sparreboom. For further requests please contact Max directly on his e-mailadress below.
Cheers, Sergé
To all salamander enthusiasts:
Many salamander lovers are fascinated by salamanders of the genera Tylototriton and Echinotriton. Some species are easy to breed and make interesting pets, others have bright colouration or bizarre body forms, yet others are entirely black and lead a very secretive life. In Western Europe, the US and Japan these salamanders are frequently found in the hobby. We should not forget, however, that most of these animals reach us via the international pet trade and have been collected illegally. Most species that are imported from China are protected by law in that country and their capture and export is against the law. Over the years there have been mass imports of salamanders, especially - but not only - of Tylototriton shanjing.
Over-exploitation for medicinal purposes or for the pet trade may pose a serious threat to salamander populations and their survival. This has been emphasized more than once by concerned biologists, but law enforcement in China has thus far been insufficient to stem illegal and uncontrolled collection for export. Unfortunately, the demand for wild-caught salamanders persists, in spite of successful captive breeding projects by some zoos and individuals, and wild-caught animals continue to be imported.
With only three small populations known, the Chinhai salamander, Echinotriton chinhaiensis, probably is one of the rarest salamanders on earth and is considered critically endangered (www.iucnredlist.org). This summer (2012) two specimens of Echinotriton chinhaiensis turned up in a Japanese pet shop. They were identified by a Japanese herpetologist, who noticed that one specimen had two of its toes clipped. He concluded that these animals might well have been caught in the Ruiyansi Park area near the city of Ningbo, where Chinese researchers have been conducting research and have monitored a population for many years. This was confirmed by Chinese researchers. This population was estimated as counting less than 400 adult animals in 1999. Since that time the habitat has suffered from tourism development and storms ravishing the area, resulting in a continuing decline of the population.
The Japanese trader who offered the animals for sale (for US $ 1.400) has now been persuaded not to accept these animals anymore; Japanese researchers have obtained the two animals and will attempt captive breeding and controlled release of the larvae in the future, under the supervision of Chinese scientists. The authorities in the Ningbo area have been informed of this illegal collecting. Hopefully this will lead to measures being taken to prevent further collecting.
I should like to appeal to the salamander hobbyists to refrain from collecting or buying specimens of Echinotriton chinhaiensis if these animals should appear in the trade again, and instead inform scientists. By tracking down the imports and alerting the Chinese researchers and local authorities we may be able to prevent further imports. It would be sad if the species would go extinct. Besides that, it would do the salamander hobby no good if by irresponsible consumer behaviour, terrarium keepers were implicated in its extinction.
Max Sparreboom, Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands.
science . naturalis - Salamanders of the Old World
m-c-sparreboom(at)hetnet.nl
I am posting this on behalf of Max Sparreboom. For further requests please contact Max directly on his e-mailadress below.
Cheers, Sergé
To all salamander enthusiasts:
Many salamander lovers are fascinated by salamanders of the genera Tylototriton and Echinotriton. Some species are easy to breed and make interesting pets, others have bright colouration or bizarre body forms, yet others are entirely black and lead a very secretive life. In Western Europe, the US and Japan these salamanders are frequently found in the hobby. We should not forget, however, that most of these animals reach us via the international pet trade and have been collected illegally. Most species that are imported from China are protected by law in that country and their capture and export is against the law. Over the years there have been mass imports of salamanders, especially - but not only - of Tylototriton shanjing.
Over-exploitation for medicinal purposes or for the pet trade may pose a serious threat to salamander populations and their survival. This has been emphasized more than once by concerned biologists, but law enforcement in China has thus far been insufficient to stem illegal and uncontrolled collection for export. Unfortunately, the demand for wild-caught salamanders persists, in spite of successful captive breeding projects by some zoos and individuals, and wild-caught animals continue to be imported.
With only three small populations known, the Chinhai salamander, Echinotriton chinhaiensis, probably is one of the rarest salamanders on earth and is considered critically endangered (www.iucnredlist.org). This summer (2012) two specimens of Echinotriton chinhaiensis turned up in a Japanese pet shop. They were identified by a Japanese herpetologist, who noticed that one specimen had two of its toes clipped. He concluded that these animals might well have been caught in the Ruiyansi Park area near the city of Ningbo, where Chinese researchers have been conducting research and have monitored a population for many years. This was confirmed by Chinese researchers. This population was estimated as counting less than 400 adult animals in 1999. Since that time the habitat has suffered from tourism development and storms ravishing the area, resulting in a continuing decline of the population.
The Japanese trader who offered the animals for sale (for US $ 1.400) has now been persuaded not to accept these animals anymore; Japanese researchers have obtained the two animals and will attempt captive breeding and controlled release of the larvae in the future, under the supervision of Chinese scientists. The authorities in the Ningbo area have been informed of this illegal collecting. Hopefully this will lead to measures being taken to prevent further collecting.
I should like to appeal to the salamander hobbyists to refrain from collecting or buying specimens of Echinotriton chinhaiensis if these animals should appear in the trade again, and instead inform scientists. By tracking down the imports and alerting the Chinese researchers and local authorities we may be able to prevent further imports. It would be sad if the species would go extinct. Besides that, it would do the salamander hobby no good if by irresponsible consumer behaviour, terrarium keepers were implicated in its extinction.
Max Sparreboom, Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands.
science . naturalis - Salamanders of the Old World
m-c-sparreboom(at)hetnet.nl
