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NATURAL HISTORY
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black and white quills, is still present in parts of the New Territories and on Hong Kong Island.
Over the past decade, wild pigs were sufficiently scarce to warrant their being protected under law. But the numbers increased to such an extent that crop damage caused by wild pigs provoked bitter complaints from farmers. The legal protection was accordingly withdrawn in 1974, but an annual closed season from February 1 to September 30 was introduced. In an effort to cull the wild pig population, strictly- controlled shooting by licensed hunters is now permitted during the winter, when most damage to crops takes place.
Indigenous mammals that can no longer be found are the Large Indian Civet, the Crab-eating Mongoose, the Wild Red Dog or Dhole, tigers and leopards. The last recorded sighting of a leopard was in 1957. Chinese Leopard Cats have occasionally been seen, but the South China Red Fox and the Eastern Chinese Otter have not been reported for many years. The once plentiful Barking Deer is now rare in the New Territories and those remaining on Hong Kong Island are confined to densely-wooded
areas.
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Snakes, lizards and frogs are plentiful in Hong Kong. There also are various species of terrapins and turtles, although none is common. Most of the snakes are non- poisonous and death from snake bite is extremely rare. Apart from back-fanged snakes the local species of which are not dangerous to man the venomous land snakes are: the Banded Krait, with black and yellow bands; the Many-banded Krait, with black and white bands; Macclelland's Coral Snake, which is coral red with narrow, black transverse bars; the Chinese Cobra and the Hamadryad or King Cobra, both of which are hooded; the rare Mountain Pit Viper; and the White-lipped Pit Viper or Bamboo Snake. The Bamboo Snake is bright green and, although less venomous than others, is not easily seen and strikes readily if closely approached. The Hamadryad, Kraits and Corals prey almost exclusively on other snakes. Several species of sea snakes - all are found in Hong Kong waters, but have never been known to attack bathers. An amphibian of special interest is the Hong Kong Newt, which has not been recorded anywhere else in the region.
venomous
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Of more than 200 recorded species and forms of colourful butterflies, several in their larval forms cause considerable damage to farmers' crops. These include the two com- monly-found species of Cabbage Whites, the Swallowtails, and the beautiful but less common Small Blue. Among the many local moths are the giant silk worm moths. These include the Cynthia, the Fawn and Golden Emperor, and the Atlas and Moon moths. The Atlas has an average wing span of 23 centimetres and the Moon 18 cen- timetres. Two local plant bugs are noted for their colour and shape. They are the rare and beautifully-spotted Tea Bug, which has only been recorded on hill-tops, and the Lantern Fly, which has delicately-coloured wings and a remarkably long forehead. Dragon and damsel flies are common, as are wasps and metallic-coloured beetles. Of particular interest is the Large Spotted Batocera Long-horn Beetle, which feeds on mountain tallow trees.
Since its introduction in 1938, the African Giant Snail has become a major pest of vegetable crops and gardens. But in 1976, and again in 1977, the snails were late in emerging after the winter and were reported in much lower numbers than in previous years. The shortage of rain in the first half of 1977 also inhibited some of the six other