Zhao Yi and others
When Shaoxing is mentioned, people will immediately think of it as a famous historical and cultural city. And foodies know that local rice wine is famous. In the cold winter, pouring a pot of freshly warm rice wine and chatting with a few friends is also pleasant. For friends who like natural museums, shaoxing can also see some amphibians and reptiles unique to China.
1. Giant salamander
Photograph: Zhao Yi
It is endemic to China and is commonly known as the baby fish. The distribution area is single and the number is small. At present, the distribution of wild salamanders has not been found in Shaoxing, and the individuals found are all artificially bred and released in the wild, or they are purchased by citizens and released in the wild.
It has a total length of about 1 meter, and the maximum can reach more than 2 meters. It lives in the mountains at an altitude of 100 to 1200 meters, prefers rivers with gentler flows, large streams, caves or deep pools, and is less active during the day and more active at night. It mainly feeds on small animals such as aquatic insects, fish, shrimp, crabs, and water snakes.
From a national perspective, although artificial species are released into the wild, populations can be increased. But without a fight against illegal capture and habitat protection, populations will decline.
2. Fat salamander of Bingzhi
It, commonly known as the water monk and the water gecko, is also endemic to China and has a single distribution area. Populations continue to decline as humans capture and habitat destruction. In Shaoxing, it is mainly distributed in Xinchang Mountain, Shengzhou Siming Mountain, Zhuji Dongbai Mountain and other areas.
The maximum body length is nearly 20 cm, and the head is slightly flattened. The dorsal and body sides are brown or yellowish brown, the dorsal side is often orange-red spots, the head and abdomen are pale with orange-red patches, and there is an orange-red light stripe from the hole to the ventral surface of the tail. It lives in a gentle mountain stream at an altitude of 50 meters to 700 meters, and prefers cool and clean water. Hide under rocks during the day and hunt in the water at night.
3. Oriental salamander
Photo: Zhu Ying
Commonly known as the Chinese fire dragon, four-legged fish, baby fish (it, also called baby fish, very strange). It is endemic to China and is widely distributed. Previously, there were large numbers, but populations were declining due to reasons such as capture and habitat destruction. It is distributed throughout Shaoxing.
Adult, maximum length 10 cm. The head is flattened, and the back and sides of the head are covered with large and scattered warts, and the torso warts are larger than those on the head. The whole body is dark brown or yellowish brown. Individuals with pigmented patches, some with dark red ridges on the dorsal ridges, some with yellow round spots on the sides and limbs of the body, orange spots on the ventral surface, and different shades and shapes; and the base of the tail is light purple.
It lives near still water and rice paddies in the mountains at an altitude of 30 to 1,000 meters above sea level. During the day, he often hides under stones or in aquatic weeds.
4. Yiwu salamander
Commonly known as the small baby fish, it is endemic to China, with a single distribution area and a small number. Due to factors such as human capture and habitat destruction, populations have declined sharply. In Shaoxing, it was only found in the mountainous area bordering Zhujidiankou Town and Xiaoshan Huantan Township, and the rest were not found.
Maximum body length 14 cm. The skin is smooth and free of warts. The underside of the body is dark brown, and during the breeding season in the aquatic grass, the body color becomes lighter, often pale grass green; the ventral surface of the body is grayish white.
It lives at an altitude of 100 to 200 meters above sea level in hilly and mountainous areas with lush vegetation. Adult salamanders often inhabit moist mud, rocks or rotting leaves, laying their eggs mainly in ponds, ponds, puddles and the edges of small reservoirs, feeding mainly on a variety of small animals.
5. Chinese salamander
Commonly known as water pike fish, baby fish, mountain monks, water geckos, it is endemic to China and widely distributed. Due to factors such as anthropogenic capture and habitat destruction, the population has shown a downward trend. It is distributed in the mountainous areas of Shaoxing, but it is rare.
Maximum body length 15 cm. The head is flattened, the skin is rough, and the back and sides of the head are covered with large and scattered warts, and the torso warts are larger than those on the head. The whole body is dark brown or yellowish brown. Individuals with pigmented patches, some with dark red ridges on the dorsal ridges, some with yellow round spots on the sides and limbs of the body, orange spots on the ventral surface, and different shades and shapes; and the base of the tail is light purple.
It lives in streams in hilly mountains at an altitude of 200 to 1200 meters. It feeds on various insects, snails and other small animals.
6. Gold wire side fold frog
Commonly known as frog field chicken, frog, it is endemic to China and is widely distributed and numerous. But now, being preyed upon by humans is causing populations to decline. In Shaoxing, it is distributed everywhere.
It is fat, with a maximum body length of 7 cm and a head length about equal to the width of the head. The green back is mixed with some black spots, with two long brown spots that extend from the end of the snout to the cloaca opening, forming a distinct green dorsal midline. There are some dark spots on the green side of the body, and there is a thick brown, white, or light green dorsal fold on each side. The skin is smooth, but there are some warts on the back and side of the body. The abdomen is smooth, yellowish-white with some brown spots. The forelimbs are slender and webbed. The hind limbs are thick and short with black transverse bands , and the inter-toed webbing is developed into a fully webbed. There are many small white spots on the inside of the thigh. Female frogs are much larger than males. The male frog has a pair of pharyngeal internal sacs, and the first finger has a marriage.
It lives in rice paddies and ponds at an altitude of 50 to 200 meters above sea level. It often inhabits the lotus leaves in rice fields, grasses or ponds, and forages day and night. The chirp is "twitter, twitter, twitter". It breeds in April-June and feeds on a variety of insects and small animals.
7. Broad-folded water frog
Commonly known as the paddy field chicken, it is endemic to China, with a wide distribution, a large number of people, and a stable population. It is found throughout Shaoxing.
It lives in plains, hills and mountains at altitudes of 30 to 1500 meters. It often inhabits paddy fields, grasses or ponds, ditches, etc., rarely in mountain streams, during the day in grass, stone caves, night hunting. Mostly breed in March and May, emitting continuous "chirping" and feeding on a variety of insects and small animals.
8. Rough-skinned frog on the roof
Photo: Yao Ye
Commonly known as leper toad, water toad, endemic to China, mainly distributed in Shaoxing Xinchang. The population is small, and the population declines due to the deterioration of capture and ecological environment.
The maximum body length is 6 cm, the body is flat, the head is almost equal in width, the snout is blunt and rounded, there is a clear light longitudinal stripe, there is no dorsal fold, the back of the body is black brown, the dorsal ventral surface is rough, the overall yellowish brown, scattered with black spots, densely covered with small warts, the ventral surface is yellowish. The subdibral tumor is clear and has an external fold. Males have vocal sacs.
It lives in hills or mountains at an altitude of 100 to 600 meters. Adults mostly inhabit the banks of more open streams, and a few live in still ponds near the streams, emitting continuous chirps of "chirps, chirps, chirps", feeding on various insects and small animals.
9. Zhenhai forest frog
Commonly known as forest frog and small frog, it is endemic to China, with wide distribution, large number and stable population. It is found throughout Shaoxing.
There is little difference in the size of male and female frogs, the maximum body length is 6 cm, the head is longer than the width of the head, the snout end is blunt and pointed; the snout edge is blunt; the cheek is sunken; the cheek is tilted outward; the nostrils are located between the kissing eyes, and the eye spacing is less than the nasal spacing; the tympanic membrane is round and obvious, which is 2/3 of the diameter of the eye; the two ends of the plough bone teeth are obliquely rowed, located behind the inner L of the inner nasal cymbal; the posterior end of the tongue is free and lacks the depth of the incision. The dorsal and lateral skin of the body is smooth, with only a few round warts arranged in a "figure eight" shape above the shoulder; the dorsal folds are thin and narrow, slightly curved above the eardrum, and then extend straight to the crotch; the jaw glands behind the corners of the mouth are narrow; and the ventral surface is smooth. The forearm and hand are less than half the length of the body, the finger end is blunt and round, the finger length order is 3, 1, 4, 2; the subdigal tumor is obvious; the hind limb is longer, the tibidal joint reaches the nasal l in front; the toe is webbed is missing the depth of the incrimina, which is 1/2 web; the end of the toe is blunt, the tumor under the joint is developed, the internal trace is oblong-oval, it is raised, and the external kneeling protrusion is inconspicuous.
The body is brown on the back; there is a distinct triangular black spot on the temporal part; dark gray stripes between the eyes; intermittent black spots on the outer edge of the dorsal fold; about 4 black stripes on each of the strands and tibia; regular gray lines on the anterior edges of the forelimbs and hind limbs; the abdomen is milky white, and there are gray spots on the throat.
It lives near trees, shrubs and grasses in mountainous areas below 1800 m above sea level, and is active in forests and weeds during the non-breeding period. Mostly breed in January and April, during which they enter the still water area to breed, feeding on various insects and small animals.
The reason why we pay attention to Shaoxing today and pay attention to the two reptiles unique to China distributed in Shaoxing is because for a long time, compared with birds, the two crawls have been paid less attention by the media for a long time. In East China, South China and other places, including Shaoxing, biodiversity has certain potential. However, due to the high number of human activities, wildlife habitats are constantly being occupied, and no action is taken, even if it is endemic to China, it will disappear in these areas.