Opisthotropis andersonii

Opisthotropis andersonii is not only endemic to China, but also a near-endemic to Hong Kong with a narrow geographical distribution. It has not been assessed by IUCN Redlist but no significant threat is posed to the species at the moment. It is non-venomous and very docile which rarely attempts to bite. It is commonly found in lowland streams in Hong Kong. It is not surprising to see two or more individuals in a night within the same stream.

Got a pretty nice view before night-safari.

Scincella modesta

Scincella modesta is one of the smallest skinks in Hong Kong. They move very quickly and love to hide themselves under leaf litter. They are particularly easy to see in mornings or evenings. The above photographs were taken at 17:30 in summer time.

Zhenhai Brown Frog

This individual of Rana zhenhaiensis was found in Northwestern Jiangxi during daytime in late March. It looks like a typical Rana species recognized before, having a brown overall coloration and a dark ear patch. This species was firstly discovered in Zhen Hai which is a district in Zhejiang Province. It indeed has a much broader distribution which covers most part of Southeast China. It is mainly found in agricultural fields during breeding season.

Distribution map of Rana zhenhaiensis. It is endemic to China.

Hylarana latouchii

Hylarana latouchii belongs to the family Ranidae which is distributed in South China, including Hong Kong, and Taiwan. It is a common species inhabiting forests and breeds in marshes, pools and also slow-flowing streams. It is listed as Least Concern according to the IUCN 2008 Red List which indicates that the species has a stable population with significant size.

Elaphe porphyracea nigrofasciata

Elaphe porphyracea nigrofasciata is a rat snake species that is mainly found in upland forest in Hong Kong which gives its common name, Red Mountain Racer. It is described as crepuscular but most of the individuals were found in the daytime. According to Karsen et. al. (1998), the snake is considered to has a timid and docile disposition. However, this individual attempted to bite vigorously when it was discovered and handled. It is not as docile as expected.

It is interesting to know that the whole body of a snake is covered with scales, including its eyes. Snakes do not have eyelids while its eyes are covered with a transparent scale called spectacle. This structure will turn cloudy when the snake is ready to shed its skin off, causing the snake temporarily blind!


References:
Karsen S, WN Lau and A Bogadek. 1998. Hong Kong Amphibians and Reptiles. The Provisional Urban Council, Hong Kong.

Chirixalus romeri (Previously known as Philautus romeri)

Chirixalus romeri is one of the 23 amphibians in Hong Kong which has a very narrow distribution in the world as it is endemic to Hong Kong. It is only found in the outlying islands in Hong Kong including Lantau, Lamma and Po Toi making them very susceptible to human disturbance or urban development. It is listed as endangered in IUCN red list 2008.

Recently there is a slope reinforcement work on Lamma Island that may affect a freshwater marsh holding a population of these tiny fragile frogs. Ex-situ conservation measures were conducted in order to reduce the impact on the natural population. There are several advantages for keeping them in captivity as it would not affect the gene pool and the competition of other population and it helps the scientists to know more about the ecology of the species including the breeding phenology and living conditions.

It's still unknown why Romer's Tree Frog is only distributed on the outlying islands but not Hong Kong Island and the New Terrestories. It's a matter of biogeography including plate tectonics and ice ages. However, too little is known in order to solve this complicated question.

Odorrana livida

Genus Odorrana is belonging to the family Ranidae which is comprised of 21 described species. Most of them occur in China where 16 can be found while the other 5 are in Japan. Odorrana livida is the most widespread species which is widely distributed in South-east Asia including India, China and Malaysia.

Recent study shows that Odorrana is most probably origniated at Mt. Hengduan and Plateau of western Yunnan where is the center of diversification of most fauna and flora. Odorrana is shown dispersing from the west to the east. Odorrana species occurring in the Southeast China, including O. livida, are more advanced within the genus.

Platysternon megacephalum

Platysternon megacephalum (Plastysternidae), also known as Big-headed turtle, is a medium-sized terrapin distributed in SE Asia. It mainly inhabits hill and mountain streams with fast-flowing water. It is good at climbing using its strong claws and long, tough tail. It is primarily nocturnal but can also be found during daytime on rainy days.

Big-headed turtle is carnivorous which presumably feeds on fish, frogs and invertebrates that can be found in the streams. Breeding habits in the wild are largely unknown although it is a very well-known pet species worldwide.

It is originally a common species in South East Asia including South China and Hong Kong. But it is heavily caught and sold in the pet and food markets recently which are the major threats to the species. It has been listed as endangered in the IUCN redlist since 2000. The localities of the species should be enclosed in order to cease the harvesting of the wild individuals.

Kaloula pulchra pulchra

Asian Painted Frog, Kaloula pulchra pulchra, is a common species ranged from much of South East Asia including Hong Kong. It is quite adaptable which is able to colonise the urban area and agricultural fields successfully while it is presumably originally a wetland/riverbank/forest edge species. It breeds in seasonal rain pools or ponds.

Asian Painted Frog acts like an ambush predator preying mainly on insects. It is able to expand itself when threatened and to secrete toxic substances from its body surface. It is also a tough species which survives in dry condition by burying itself in the ground and waiting for rain.

It is collected for consumption and pet trade (You can easily find a lot of caresheets for this speces in the internet) in many places in South East Asia but the threats to the species are not serious at this moment. It is listed as least concern in the 2007 IUCN redlist.

Sphenomorphus indicus

Sphenomorphus indicus and S. incognitus both occur in Hong Kong. They are very similar in appearance that S. incognitus collected in the past had been misidentified as S. indicus. There is only one clear-cut difference between the two species which is the presence of a patch of enlarged scales at the back of the thigh in S. incognitus. It seems that there is some different in habitat preference while S. incognitus prefers waterside but S. indicus is often encountered along forest paths.

S. indicus is distributed widely in South-east Asia including S. China, Bhutan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, India and west Malaysia.