Vertebrates (pdf)

	Whatever happened to the humphead wrasse, Cheilinus undulatus, after its CITES Appendix II listing?
	Baseline study at Mabian Dafengding Nature Reserve, Sichuan
	A survey of reef fish diversity in Port Shelter
	Night safaris in Lung Fu Shan Country Park, Hong Kong
	"Man of the forest" – a visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
	Finless porpoises in Wuhan, China
	The bird fauna of Lung Fu Shan and the University of Hong Kong

Night safaris in Lung Fu Shan Country Park, Hong Kong (pdf)

by Sung Yik Hei (ENS 2)

A group of Environmental Life Science students had three 1-night safaris in early October 2005 and late May 2006 to look for amphibians and reptiles in Lung Fu Shan Country Park just behind the HKU campus. Several different streams along the jogging trail running from HKU to Queen’s Mary Hospital were visited. A total of 7 amphibians and 5 reptiles were recorded, including the locally protected Hong Kong Cascade Frog Amolops hongkongensis (Fig. 1) (Chan et al., 2005). Finding the Hong Kong Cascade Frogs in the tiny little streams in Lung Fu Shan near the campus was particularly exciting. Seeing the locally rare Short-legged Toad Xenophrys brachykolos (Fig. 2) in all three visits was also unexpected (Karsen et al. 1998). A bamboo snake was spotted (Fig. 3).

Fig.1. Hong Kong Cascade Frog Amolops hongkongensis at Lung Fu Shan

Fig. 2. Short-legged Toad Xenophrys brachykolos

Fig. 3. Bamboo snake (Trimeresurus albolabris)

Bibliography

Chan K, Cheung K., Ho, C., Lam, F., Tang, W., Lau, M.W. & Bodadek, A. (2005). A field guide to the amphibians of Hong Kong. Agricultural Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong.

Karsen, S.J., Lau, M.W. & Bogadek, A. (1998). Hong Kong Amphibians and Reptiles (2^nd). Provisional Urban Council, Hong Kong.

Table 1. Species recorded in the night safaris.

P.16-17