Paramesotriton hongkongensis habitats

[kwok]

The following picture are the Hong Kong Newt habitat (Tai Po Ar Area) I visited earlier this year. It is hard to believe a city like Hong Kong does has a nice, natural place like this.

 

[kwok]

 

[juraj]

Nice to see the habitat. Thanks for sharing this shot.

 

[TJ]

Nice pic, Kwon.

Hong Kong sure is a place of amazing contrasts

I've been there a number of times -- but not to look for newts, except at Tung Choi (a Kowloon street packed with dozens and dozens of aquarium shops, including a couple of herp shops).

Is P.hongkongensis found only on Hong Kong Island or also in Kowloon and the New Territories? How about on any of the many small offshore islands? Where is Tai Po Ar? Have you seen any newts there?

When I was last in HK in mid-2003, I searched in vain for a business that exports C.orientalis abroad to find out what I could about how they're collected and from where.

 

[TJ]

By the way, Kwok, what's that amazing-looking sal pictured on your profile page?

 

[kwok]

Tung Choi Street (Gold fish street) is a good place to go if you are looking for some common fishes, amphibians and reptiles.

P. hongkongensis can be found in several location in Hong Kong; mainly in Kowloon though. I am not sure if they are on any offshore islands or not. Tai po ar is a place in Kowloon and yes, I saw a few P. hongkongensis there, but not too many.

 

[jesse]

is that a hellbender? awesome pic for the profile!

 

[joseph]

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>kwok (Kwok) wrote on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 01:42 :</font>

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Is that the "Fish street" in Mong Kok? I've been there...its amazing! I wasn't looking for newts(mainly watching plants and rare fish) but I'm sure there were a couple mixed in.


Tim: Couldn't you ask, say, Petsmart where they get the newts, then the wholesaler, and follow the line?

 

[kwok]

Joseph,

Yes, that's the fish street in Mong Kok; goldfish street, fish street and tung choi street is the same street.

Jesse,

Thanks!

 

[kwok]

Joseph,

I am sure even the wholesaler wouldn't know where their C. orientalis comes from originally. Not even they are CB or WC.

Like most Chinese species, it is easy to find the general distribution area of them, but to know the exact distribution area is difficult.

 

[joseph]

So they have no contact with the collectors? I guess you would have to ask the people actually doing the dirty work.

 

[kwok]

Well, I believe they do have contact with the collectors, but the collectors just won't tell where the newts from.
Dirty work? You mean collecting them?

 

[TJ]

Joseph, I didn't mean I made a serious, determined investigation. I just checked the Web and asked around at shops in a low-key manner, just to get an idea. We had only two nights there and spent most of the time sightseeing

I heard there is a morning wholesale market where lots of fish and possibly newts appear, but I didn't have time to check it out. Even in Japan, I haven't yet seen a wholesaler of newts. They tend to want to keep a distance from the "end-users". Still, I'm trying to document everything and anything to do with Cynops species and so I'll keep trying.

Kwok, I think he just means the people doing the "hands-on" work of collecting from the wild. By the way, there was a 2nd floor or 3rd floor herp shop on Tung Choi with the biggest tiger salamander I have ever seen in my life! Is it still there? it was August and I hardly saw any newts at the shops. Perhaps it just wasn't the season for them. Here's a pic of one of the shops.

Anyway, I'll be sure to set aside time to visit Tai Po Ar next time I'm there

 

[kwok]

Yes, that herp shop is still there, but the giant was gone now. I don't know if it is purchased by someone or pass away. Also caudata keeping is not popular here, so most herp shops won't even have them in stock.

 

[joseph]

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Tim (Tj) wrote on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 16:03 :</font>

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Yup, absolutely right. Chances are they are just people working for low wages scooping the animals out of the rice paddies cause they have nothing better to do.

 

[TJ]

This is one of the reports I've seen on pet markets in Hong Kong and in southern China:

http://www.chinabiodiversity.com/shwdyx/technical-report-e/tech27-e.htm

 

[kwok]

Wow! That's an impressive report! I am always interested on those. Hwy! Tim. Do you have more to share?