Singing Apes and Moaning Salamanders: Some of China's Colorful Animals
- bryhistory13
- Jun 7, 2023
- 14 min read
Greetings, readers! As you can tell from the title, I'm taking a break from the ongoing Civil War story of Private Francis Harris of the 12th New Jersey, in order to conclude my two-part excursion into Chinese environmental history. I encourage you to read the first one, a summary of how the modern Chinese government (the People's Republic) has treated the nation's natural environment. This post will be very different; instead of policy, I'm presenting my own selection of wildlife species, focusing on those that are likely to be unfamiliar to American readers (hence- no pandas!). Of course I can only cover a small fraction of the biodiversity for a country as big as China (tied for 3rd in land area with the U.S.). For each species, I am providing facts about population, behavior, current numbers, where they can be seen (both in the wild and in captivity). And each thumbnail includes a link to a YouTube video, so that you can get a better idea of the animal than just a still photo. I have attached two book recommendations at the end. I especially encourage you to listen to two sounds: the courtship song duets of gibbons (really haunting!), and the "baby cry" of the Chinese giant salamander!
PRIMATES:
photo taken from Susan Milius, sciencenews.org, 12/4/2015
Pygmy Slow Loris: recently placed in its own genus (2022)
biological name: Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus
-They are arboreal & nocturnal- mix of plant foods (fruit, esp. sap, shoots etc.) & insects. -Each weighs about 1 pound; they can go into torpor (a hibernation-like state) in winter (the only primate to do so outside Madagascar); it has opposable thumbs.
-“Pygmy slow lorises are the only venomous primate. Glands inside their elbows secrete compounds that mix with their saliva to deliver a toxic bite to rivals and predators. The animal care team takes special care to wear leather gloves when handling these primates. Unfortunately, pygmy slow lorises sold as exotic pets often have teeth removed to prevent venom-induced bites — this often leads to infection, malnutrition, and death.” (https://milwaukeezoo.org/about-us/our-blog/pygmy-slow-loris/)
-Mothers even coat babies in toxin when they have to leave for foraging!
current numbers:
It has declined due to extensive habitat degradation throughout its range, including north- eastern Cambodia, the Yunnan Province of s. China, and Vietnam. In Yunnan province, 90% of old-growth evergreen forests (loris habitat) have vanished, and second-growth forests have been heavily degraded.
-Due to its nocturnal, arboreal lifestyle, population data for the pygmy slow loris are scarce. The population in China has been estimated at less than 500 individuals.
-“This species is highly-trafficked in the illegal pet trade due to its distinctive look and several unique characteristics. They can be easily identified by their extremely-large brown eyes, which help them spot prey in the dark. And they’re petite, averaging less than a foot in length and only about 15 ounces.”
-They’re also killed for traditional medicine, esp. for their hair.
where to see: tropical forests of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Yunnan in China (“In China it has been recorded only from Pingbian, Hekou, Jinping, and Lüchun counties of Yunnan”- inaturalist.org)
-in captivity, about 175 worldwide, about 50 in N.Am.: National Zoo, DC; San Diego Zoo; Akron Zoo; note rescue center in Vietnam; they can live up to 20 years in captivity.
Video- (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVtapsDwtpc)- San Diego Zoo
-mother & baby Francois' langur from Omaha zoo (Wikimedia Commons)
-Francois’ langur- also called Tonkin leaf monkeys & white side-burned black langurs
biological name: Trachypithecus francoisi
-They are medium in size (slender, about 13lbs), black silky hair, white sideburns; young are reddish-orange in 1st year.
-They mainly eat leaves (have a 2-chambered stomach, need long digestive rests), also fruit & flowers. They are highly social, agile (occasionally move on the ground, but mostly swing through trees), and active in daytime. Sleep on limestone cliffs & good at climbing. They have single infants, nursed up for to 2 years.
-They are endangered, in both s. China & Vietnam- their karst habitat (rough limestone terrain) makes them difficult to study.
current numbers: Endangered- less than 2,000 left
(https://neprimateconservancy.org/francois-langur/): in past 40 years, their general population has fallen by over 50% and is likely to continue declining In China, population estimates have fallen by a full 70%—from 6,000–7,000 individuals down to 1,600.
-These monkeys are prized targets of illegal poaching. Occasionally hunted for their meat, they are most often killed for traditional Chinese medicine— being the vital ingredient to produce a concoction known as “black ape wine" made from their bones. Poaching is especially severe in China. They are also imported illegally from Vietnam, bringing high prices.
-Another threat comes from fires set by subsistence farmers, which destroy their sleeping & feeding sites.
where to see: in national reserves in south China- Nonggang Nature Reserve (has 75) and the Fusui Nature Reserve in Guangxi, and Mayanghe (has c.700) in Guizhou
Captive populations (can live up to 25 years)- about 140 overall, 60 in N.Am. & 40 in Europe- San Francisco Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, L.A. Zoo, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Nat. Zoo in DC, etc.- do reproduce in captivity.
-view of breeding pair of Gray Snub-Nosed Monkeys in Beijing Zoo (https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/gray-snub-nosed-monkey-rhinopithecus-brelichi.636902/)- see more at end of section
-Gray snub-nosed monkey: also known as Brelich's snub-nosed monkey, Guizhou snub-nosed monkey, and Guizhou golden monkey
biological name: Rhinopithecus brelichi- they were named in 2003
-relatively little research (esp. in wild)- 1st living one not found until 1967!
-They're active in daytime, semi-terrestrial, live in mixed hardwood mountain forests (with heavy rain & snow).
-They eat a wide variety of plant foods, especially leaves (in the winter largely feed on the buds of a particular kind of magnolia!), and insect larvae; changing with the seasons; leaves are digested in their multi-chambered stomachs.
-Gray snub-nosed monkeys are larger than most of their immediate relatives. They stand at 25-29 inches tall, with a tails up to 38 inches. Males are almost twice as heavy as females, weighing in at about 33 pounds on average, compared to the average female weight of 17.6 pounds. They have pale blue faces, mixed-color fur, and a white patch on the neck.
current numbers: they are critically endangered- single population of about 200, in just 4 groups, only found in s.w. China (Guizhou), in an area of just 10.5 square miles, with frequent disturbance by tourists. Their numbers are difficult to estimate due to their living in constant fog & in steep terrain. Difficult to maintain in captivity.
-Part of the problem is their slow reproduction- their births are every 2-3 years, reaching puberty at 3 years; their small population means low genetic variability.
where to see: Fanjingshan Nature Reserve in Wuling Mts. Reserve has small captive group. Also in Beijing Zoo (baby in 2019). Feb ’23: “Shi-Tou and A-Jing, the gray snub-nosed monkey breeding pair in Beijing Zoo. The pair and their three children make up almost half of the whole R. brelichi captive population. The rest of the population lives in the breeding center in Mount Fanjing Reserve, which consists of another breeding pair, their three offsprings and an old female.” (zoochat.com)
adult Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon, brachiating through trees- from "A New Hope" by Keith Olbermann, biographic.com
-Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon: discovered in southwest China in 2017- debate about whether named from Chinese mythology or from “Star Wars” franchise!
-also called Gaoligong hoolock (member of “lesser apes”- distinctive white eyebrows
biological name: Hoolock tianxing
-They are the easternmost of the group of hoolock gibbons- and live in the coldest known gibbon habitat- in the mountains of s.e. end of Himalayas, in s.w. China.
-use 36 species, esp. for fruit (figs best- important seed distributors) & some insects & eggs; sing songs (duets up to 30min, carry for miles!), “in the hope of attracting a mate, to identify individuals within and outside of a family group, and to intimidate interlopers from entering their home range. Songs are usually performed from their sleeping trees, 1 to 2.5 hours after dawn”. (neprimateconservancy.org)
-They are active in daytime; sleep sitting up in very tall trees; are monogamous; and are skilled at swinging quickly through treetops.
-Adult males weigh about 15 pounds; females are more petite, weigh 13 pounds when full grown. Average height is 32 inches (81 cm).
current numbers: Now consists of less than 150 individuals in China; now restricted to three counties (Baoshan, Tengchong, and Yingjiang).
-They are threatened by hunting and habitat destruction (for cultivation of cardamom)
-“Humans kill these primates for their flesh (“bushmeat”), desired for its culinary yewei or “wild flavor.” The gibbons are also killed (poached) for medicinal use; some indigenous people of the Gaoligong region believe that the brain of hoolock gibbons can be used to cure childhood epilepsy and headaches.” (https://neprimateconservancy.org/skywalker-hoolock-gibbon/)
-"Scientists enamored with this mystical gibbon are experimenting with telephony to save the species from extinction. Broadcasting recorded Skywalker songs through the jungle, first by satellite telephones and then speakers and microphones at two distanced locations, the scientists have “hooked-up” lovelorn single Skywalkers by allowing them to sing to and find one another, and, optimistically, procreate. This innovative conservation plan is the brainchild of two unlikely collaborators: Beijing pop star musician Xingyu Lee and Skywalker hoolock gibbon scientist/expert/researcher/discoverer, credited with naming the Skywalker hoolock gibbon, Professor Pengfei Fan.” (neprimateconservancy.org)
-for human matchmaking by cell phone pairing, see (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QROZxXiaJ18)
-folklore: “While some indigenous peoples actively hunt the gibbons, citizens of the Lisu community (a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group of the mountainous regions of Myanmar, southwest China) who live around one of the three gibbon clusters in Yunnan do not. Their culture maintains strong generational taboos against the practice: The Lisu people believe that gibbons are primate gods who can forecast the weather or even death through their singing; thus, killing gibbons would bring misfortune to a hunter’s family or to a whole village.” (neprimateconservancy.org)
where to see: Gaoligongshan Nature Reserve on Myanmar border; mountains. of e. Myanmar (separated by Chindwin R.); mostly unprotected in Myanmar; only TWO in captivity (both males!)!
-for more information, see long article (https://www.biographic.com/a-new-hope/)
Video (in addition to cell phone one above): (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz7H6Am-EJM&t=25s)
FELINES:
Leopard Cat in wild (in Sundarbans forest of east India), from Wikipedia
-Leopard Cat:
-They are widespread from India to north China (the most widespread of world wild felines), and are not endangered.
biological name: Prionailurus bengalensis
-They are “also known as the "money cat" in China because the spots on its body resemble the Chinese copper coins” (cgtn.com, 10/21/22).
-They are the size of a domestic cat, but more slender; the first cat species domesticated in Neolithic China about 5,000 years ago to hunt mice on farms- but no evidence of heritage in Chinese domestic today.
-They live in many types of habitats, but especially forests (even live inside Beijing), and eat a variety of small prey (they are agile climbers).
-They are solitary except in breeding season, and nocturnal; they live up to 15 years.
current numbers: appear to be relatively common and widespread
-up to 1980s, heavily hunted for fur, but Chinese exports of leopard cat furs halted in 1993.
-there is a domestic Bengal cat breed, a US hybrid of domestic cat with leopard cat (begun in 1960s)
where to see: western deserts and mountains of China, as well as south and southeast Asia. Because they aren't endangered, they are in relatively few zoos.
CANINES:
Group of Dholes in Dublin Zoo ((https://www.dublinzoo.ie/animal/dhole/)
Dholes: Up to 11 subspecies of widespread wild dogs; once ranged over all of North America, Europe, and Asia, but since 12,000 years ago they have been reduced to their current habitat of eastern and southern Asia; now found in only six western and southern Chinese provinces: Gansu, Yunnan, Tibet, Sichuan, and Xinjiang. The subspecies there is the Tian Shan Dhole.
-About the size of a German Shepherd dog, but it more closely resembles a fox; the closest relative is the African Wild Dog. They are one of the least studied social carnivores in the world.
biological name: Cuon alpinus
-Preys on a wide variety of animals: deer, antelope, and wild boar. They can eat up to 6.5 pounds of meat at a time, and an adult can eat 2.2 pounds of meat in four seconds. It will later regurgitate it to feed other members of its pack. They are pack hunters active in daytime, and great jumpers and leapers. Dholes are able to run at speeds of up to 45mph.
-But Dholes also eat fruit & other plant food more than other canids (especially mountain rhubarb in the summer in the Tian Shan Mts.!)
-Dhole packs have killed leopards and tigers, and they have even been known to attack Asiatic black bears.
-They are social, living in large groups without the dominance hierarchies found in wolves; they have a wide range of vocalizations & a complex body language.
current numbers: Once very widespread, they have been rapidly declining (from habitat destruction and human hunting of their prey species); one estimate for China is that there are only 2,500 adults left in the wild. They are also vulnerable to diseases found in domestic dogs.
where to see: in the wild, in remote reserves on the far western border of China (as well as in Tibet and India; the latter has the largest population).
-Because of their skittish and high-strung temperament, dholes are tricky to breed and maintain in zoos. They can be seen a the Minnesota Zoo, at The Wilds in Ohio, at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and there is a pack at the Bronx Zoo.
-There are at least 233 in 38 zoos worldwide, and they can live in captivity up to 15-16 years.
Video: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkTcgkxPTIA) in wild in China
FISH:
Chinese Sturgeon (in Beijing Aquarium), from DHTravel, found at (https://chinaenv.colgate.edu/)
CHINESE STURGEON:
-Chinese Sturgeon:
-one note- a different species, the smaller Dabry’s sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus), confusingly also called “Yangtze sturgeon”, has been declared extinct in the wild in 2022, though hatchlings have been released into the wild.
biological name: Acipenser sinensis- the sturgeon lineage is one of the oldest of all fish- 140 million years old! Sturgeons, especially the Caspian species, are best known for their caviar (their eggs, a global delicacy).
-In common with sharks, their skeletons are made of cartilage rather than bone. They are gray-black on top and have white bellies.
-They are the 2nd largest fish species in China (the largest is the Chinese paddlefish); they were originally found in China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula, but have now disappeared from most regions and are now one of the most endangered species in China.
-They can grow up to 5 meters (over 16 feet) in length and weigh between 200 to 500 kilogrammes (440 to 1,100 pounds) – making it the largest sturgeon in the world.
-They are anadromous, like salmon: that is, they live for much of their life cycle in the ocean, but migrate upriver to spawn in freshwater. They originally had the longest migration route of any sturgeons (over 2,000 miles in the case of the Yangtze!). Unlike salmon, these sturgeons can return to spawn, three or four times in a lifetime. Each female can carry up to a million eggs.
-As well as in the South China Sea, they are still found in parts of 4 major rivers in central and southern China: the Yangtze, Pearl, Min, and Qiantang.
-Chinese sturgeon are apex freshwater ambush predators: the adults consume any aquatic animal that can be swallowed, while the young feed on aquatic insects, fish larvae, and plankton.
current numbers and threats:
-As recently as the 1970s, there were still about 2,000 in the Yangtze alone (and 10,000 overall, but they have now been reduced to a few hundred in the Yangtze and about 2,500 in the wild as a whole. In effect the species is only surviving in the wild due to constant releases of hatchlings by the government (with a survival rate of only about 1%!).
-The species is classified as a ‘national treasure’ and is strictly protected by the Chinese government.
-The greatest threat, besides chemical pollution, is the loss of access to spawning grounds since 1981. In particular the construction of the Gezhouba Dam on the Yangtze, in itself, cut the breeding population by a quarter, by blocking the migration of sturgeons upriver. This species is also easily disturbed by boat noise, and is vulnerable to being struck by boat propellers. Warming water temperatures, due to climate change, may also be decreasing spawning success.
where to see:
There is a Chinese Sturgeon Museum located on the small island of Xiaoxita in the city of Yichang in the Yangtze watershed; they are also in the Beijing City Aquarium and the Ocean Park Aquarium in Hong Kong.
AMPHIBIANS:
Photo of Chinese Giant Salamander, taken by Peter Hamernik in Prague Zoo in 2017 (Wikipedia)
Chinese Giant Salamander:
biological name: Andrias davidianus
-These are one of the largest amphibians in the world. Adults are most usually 3.8 feet long and weigh between 55-66 pounds, though larger ones have been known in the past. There are two related species in China (the South China giant salamander, which may be extinct in the wild, and a rare species, Andrias jiangxiensis, only discovered in 2022, which doesn’t have a common name).
-They have a dark, mottled, loose, and wrinkled skin, lidless eyes, and a large flat head.
-They are native to rocky mountain lakes & streams in the upper part of the Yangtze River basin, living in water about 3 feet deep or in freshwater caves.
-They breed in late summer, when the water warms to a specific temperature; then the females deposit hundreds of eggs in a spawning pit, each guarded by a male (these salamanders are generally solitary and extremely territorial). They reach adulthood after age 5, and live for 60 years or more.
-They are a nocturnal apex predator (with lots of tiny teeth): they eat insects, amphibians (including each other!), crustaceans, small mammals like Asiatic water shrew, fish, worms & millipedes; they have poor eyesight (instead they rely on nodes on their sides pick up vibrations); they inhale their prey by suction.
-One of the oddest facts about them is that they are also called “infant fish,” as they make a noise like a baby’s cry (as well as hissing, whistling, and barking!).
-These salamanders, like other relatives, secrete a substance that deters predators (and which is seen as medicinal in Chinese traditional belief).
current numbers:
-They are critically endangered due to habitat loss, pollution, and over-collection. Their flesh is considered a delicacy. Their wild population has dropped by more than 80% since the 1950s. There are probably about 50,000 in the wild.
-Chinese Giant Salamanders are now internationally protected. Their main reason for survival, though, is that they are being farmed by the millions in China (which leads to problems with disease and loss of genetic diversity).
where to see: There are now 14 nature reserves dedicated to their protection scattered across southern China (though there is little prime habitat). They are currently being bred in the San Diego Zoo, and are also in the Brookfield Zoo (Chicago) and Los Angeles Zoo.
Video (with “baby sound”): (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_IBHPpVRfk)
REPTILES:
Chinese Alligator, taken in wild by Shizhao in 2008 (from Wikipedia)
Chinese (Yangtze) Alligator:
biological name: Alligator sinensis
-They are much smaller than the only other alligator, the American (and both are significantly different from crocodiles).
-Their male adult length is between 5-6 feet (slightly smaller for females), and average weight about 88 pounds. By comparison, male American alligators can reach 15 feet and 1,000 pounds!
-They live in burrows in wetlands and next to slow-moving bodies of fresh water.
-An opportunistic predator- has blunt teeth that are good for crushing shells- mostly eats snails, crustaceans, insects and fish, but will eat waterfowl and rodents.
-The Chinese alligator's wild range, once including Japan, is now restricted to the lower Yangtze River watershed, in part of the province of Anhui just northwest of Shanghai on the east-central coast, as well as possibly the nearby provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. As a wild species, it is considered one of the most endangered species in the crocodilian family”.
Folklore: The alligator has featured in Chinese literature for thousands of years; it probably was the root inspiration for the Chinese dragon (a powerful and positive symbol, included in the Chinese zodiac, representing good luck, strength, health, and the male Yang in the Yin/Yang spiritual duality). Their name in Chinese, “yowlung,” means “dragon.” It was first mentioned by a European by Venetian traveler Marco Polo (in the 1200s).
Current numbers and threats:
Only about 150-300 are left in the wild, with 20,000 in captivity. The biggest threat has been habitat destruction (the draining of wetlands for agriculture and construction). Farmers have come into conflict with them because of alligators taking their ducks, and because they burrow into rice fields. Unlike their American cousins, they have not been killed for their skins.
Where to see: In the wild, at the Anhui Chinese Alligator National Nature Reserve in Changxing, and a few in the Dongtan Wetland Park in Shanghai. The good news is that there are many captive breeding programs, including two large-scale government-run facilities with thousands at Xuancheng in Anhui and and nearby at Changxing. From these, some have been released back into the wild. Wild alligators can live up to 50 years, and captive alligators to about 70. In the U.S., they are widespread; they can be found, for example, at the St. Louis Zoo, the Cincinnati Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, the Santa Barbara Zoo, the Oklahoma City Zoo, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, the Detroit Zoo, the Milwaukee County Zoo, the Louisville Zoo, and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington.
RESOURCES:
There are two in-depth books on Chinese environmental history (which covers millennia!):
Mark Elvin, "The Retreat of the Elephants" (2004), and Robert Marks, "China: Its Environment and History" (2012).
If you're interested in donating for the preservation of any of these species, or of others that are endangered globally, I recommend the World Wildlife Fund (the WWF- the largest such organization, and one big enough to make a real difference through hiring rangers, etc.). There are also smaller organizations dedicated to preserving particular species (such as dhole.org).
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