ENG-1990 — Page 409

THE ENVIRONMENT

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Occasional reports are still received of sightings of less common species such as the Leopard Cat, Civet Cat, Ferret Badger, Pangolin and Barking Deer. However, the in- creasing obtrusion of human activity into the countryside means an uncertain future for these species. There are wild boars in some remote areas, occasionally causing damage to farm crops.

Snakes, lizards and frogs are plentiful in Hong Kong. There are also various species of terrapins and turtles. Most of the local snakes are not poisonous and death from snakebite is rare. The poisonous 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; the Red-necked Keelback with a red patch on the neck, and the White-lipped Pit Viper or Bamboo Snake. The Bamboo Snake is bright green and less venomous than others, but it is not easily seen and strikes readily if approached. The King Cobra, Kraits and Corals prey almost exclusively on other snakes.

Several species of sea snakes, all of which are venomous, are to be found in Hong Kong waters. However, they have never been known to attack bathers. An amphibian of special interest is the Hong Kong Newt, which has not been recorded elsewhere in the South-east Asian region.

There are more than 200 recorded species and forms of colourful butterflies, several of - which, as caterpillars, cause considerable damage to farmers' crops. These include the two commonly found species of Cabbage Whites, the Swallowtails, and the beautiful but less common Small Blue. Among the many local moths are the giant silkworm moths, including the Cynthia, Fawn, Atlas and Moon. The Atlas has an average wing span of 23 centimetres and the Moon, 18 centimetres.

Of the local plant bugs, two are especially noted for their colour and shape. They are the rare and beautiful spotted Tea Bug, which has been recorded only on hilltops, 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 giant Red-spotted Longhorn Beetle which feeds on Mountain Tallow and Wood-oil trees. Many other species of Longhorn Beetles infest living or weakened trees, including citrus and pine.

Since its introduction into Hong Kong in 1938, the African Giant Snail has become a major pest in vegetable crops and gardens. Farmers are also troubled by several types of slug. One of these, Veronicella, is a large, black slug sufficiently different from the other slugs to be placed in a separate family.

Aquatic Fauna

Hong Kong lies some 320 kilometres south of the Tropic of Cancer on the southern coast of China. Being at the junction of the two huge zoogeographical regions, Hong Kong possesses very diverse varieties of aquatic animals and plants. There are over 150 com- mercially important species of fish, crustaceans and molluscs. The types and quantities of aquatic life forms vary according to season and area.

The waters of Hong Kong can be divided into three sectors. Under the influence of the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River), the biggest river in southern China, the western sector is predominantly brackish. The area to the east is more oceanic while the central sector is