Examine individual changes

'{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} [[File:Lightmatter panda.jpg|thumb|right|The [[giant panda]] is [[Endemism|endemic]] to China, where it is an [[List of endangered and protected species of China|endangered and protected species]].]] [[File:Goldstumpfnasen (Rhinopithecus roxellana).jpg|thumb|right|The [[snub-nosed monkey]], another endangered and endemic species]] [[China]]'s [[geography of China|vast and diverse landscape]] is home to a profound variety and abundance of wildlife. As of one of 17 [[megadiverse countries]] in the world,<ref name="Ref_2009a">{{cite web |url= http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2001/publications/theme-reports/biodiversity/biodiversity01-3.html |title= Biodiversity Theme Report |publisher= Environment.gov.au |date=2009 |access-date= 27 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081208141905/http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2001/publications/theme-reports/biodiversity/biodiversity01-3.html |archive-date= 8 December 2008 }}</ref> China has, according to one measure, 7,516 species of [[vertebrates]] including 4,936 fish, 1,269 bird, 562 [[List of mammals of China|mammal]], 403 reptile and 346 [[amphibian]] species.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=http://www.statista.com/statistics/301623/china-vertebrate-species-by-type/|title=China: vertebrate species by type 2015 - Statistic|website=Statista.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> In terms of the number of species, China ranks third in the world in mammals,<ref name="IUCN mammals">[http://www.iucnredlist.org/initiatives/mammals/analysis/geographic-patterns IUCN Initiatives – Mammals – Analysis of Data – Geographic Patterns 2012]. IUCN. Retrieved 24 April 2013. Data does not include species in Taiwan.</ref> eighth in birds,<ref>[http://rainforests.mongabay.com/03birds.htm Countries with the most bird species]. Mongabay.com. 2004 data. Retrieved 24 April 2013.</ref> seventh in reptiles<ref>[http://rainforests.mongabay.com/03reptiles.htm Countries with the most reptile species]. Mongabay.com. 2004 data. Retrieved 24 April 2013.</ref> and seventh in amphibians.<ref name="IUCN amphibians">[http://www.iucnredlist.org/initiatives/amphibians/analysis/geographic-patterns#diversity IUCN Initiatives – Amphibians – Analysis of Data – Geographic Patterns 2012]. IUCN. Retrieved 24 April 2013. Data does not include species in Taiwan.</ref> Many species of animals are [[Endemism|endemic]] to China, including the country's most famous wildlife species, the [[giant panda]]. In all, about one-sixth of mammal species and two-thirds of amphibian species in China are endemic to the country.<ref name="IUCN mammals"/><ref name="IUCN amphibians"/> Wildlife in China share habitat with and bear acute pressure from the world's largest population of [[human]]s. At least 840 [[List of endangered and protected species of China|species are threatened, vulnerable or in danger of local extinction]] in China, due mainly to human activity such as habitat destruction, pollution and poaching for food, fur and ingredients for [[traditional Chinese medicine]].<ref>[http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/infographic-top-20-countries-with-most-endangered-species Top 20 countries with most endangered species IUCN Red List]. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2013.</ref> Endangered wildlife is protected by law, and as of 2005, the country has over 2,349 [[Protected areas of China|nature reserves]], covering a total area of {{convert|149.95|e6ha|sqmi|0|abbr=off|lk=on}}, about 15 percent of China's total land area.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nature Reserves |url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/Brief/193257.htm |publisher=China.org.cn|access-date=2 December 2013}}</ref> {{TOC limit|limit=4}} ==Mammals== {{main|List of mammals in China}} ===Primates=== China is home to 21 [[primate]] species including [[gibbon]]s, [[macaque]]s, [[leaf monkey]]s, [[gray langur]]s, [[snub-nosed monkey]]s and [[loris]]es. Most of China's primate species are [[List of endangered and protected species of China|endangered]]. Both apes and monkeys, [[Monkeys in Chinese culture|particularly gibbons and macaques are prominently featured in Chinese culture, folk religion, art and literature]]. [[Monkey (zodiac)|Monkey]] is one of the 12 animals of the [[Chinese zodiac]]. {{multiple image |align=right |image1=Hoolock hoolock 001.jpg |caption1= [[Western hoolock gibbon]]s |width1=126 |image2 = Gibbon à mains blanches (Zoo de Lille Nord).jpg |caption2=A female [[lar gibbon]] |width2=175 |image3=Nomascus leucogenys at the Denver Zoo-2012-08-24-IMG 0100.jpg |caption3=A female [[northern white-cheeked gibbon]] grooming a male |width3=244}} The only [[apes]] native to China are the [[gibbon]]s. Gibbons are [[Arboreal|tree-dwellers]], using their long arms to [[Brachiation|swing from branches]]. Gibbons can be recognized by their loud calls, with mating pairs often singing together as a duet. The [[Hainan black crested gibbon]] is among the rarest and [[The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates|most endangered apes]]. Endemic to the [[Hainan Island|island of Hainan]], there are fewer than 30 individuals left in the [[Hainan Bawangling National Nature Reserve|Bawangling National Nature Reserve]].<ref name=GibbonConservation>[https://tech.sina.com.cn/roll/2020-05-30/doc-iirczymk4289728.shtml] Accessed May 30th, 2020 </ref> Like many other gibbons, male Hainan black crested gibbons are black in color while females are golden brown. The [[eastern black crested gibbon]] is nearly as rare with only 20 or so in the [[Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region]] along with 30 in neighboring Vietnam.<ref name=GibbonConservation/> About 99% of this ape's habitat in China has been lost.<ref name=GibbonConservation/> The [[black crested gibbon]] is found across a greater swath of [[southwestern China]]. The [[Yunnan lar gibbon]], a subspecies of the [[Lar gibbon|lar or white-handed gibbon]], might be extinct in China.<ref name=YunnanLar>[https://archive.today/20140629164315/http://xingcishan.com/bbs/simple/?t234.html%E7%99%BD%E6%8E%8C%E9%95%BF%E8%87%82%E7%8C%BF%E5%9C%A8%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E7%81%AD%E7%BB%9D%EF%BC%8C%E4%BF%9D%E6%8A%A4%E7%83%AD%E5%B8%A6%E9%9B%A8%E6%9E%97%E5%8A%BF%E5%9C%A8%E5%BF%85%E8%A1%8C] 18 August 2010</ref> The animal was last observed by [[zoologists]] in 1988 and its call was last heard by locals in 2002.<ref name=YunnanLar/> A survey in November 2007 in the Nangunhe National Nature Reserve yielded no sign of this gibbon.<ref name=YunnanLar/> The [[northern white-cheeked gibbon]] is nearly extinct in the wilderness of southern [[Yunnan]] where they are hunted by local people as charms of good luck and for their bones which are made into weaving instrument and [[chopsticks]].<ref name=GibbonConservation/> As of 2008, a captive population of eight [[northern white-cheeked gibbons]] was living in the Mengyang Nature Reserve.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The northern white-cheeked gibbon (''Nomascus leucogenys'') is on the edge of extinction in China|author=Fan Pengfei & Huo Sheng|journal=Gibbon Journal |date=2009|volume= 5 |pages=44|url=http://www.gibbonconservation.org/05_projects/2009xishuangbanna_en.pdf}}</ref> Two of the individuals were released into the wild but still relied on tourists for food.<ref>Fan & Peng (2009) at 49</ref> The [[eastern hoolock gibbon]], which are distinguished by white tufts of hair above the eyebrows, are found in western Yunnan, along the border with [[Myanmar]]. The [[western hoolock gibbon]] might be found in southeastern Tibet. All gibbons in China are Class I protected species. {{multiple image | align=right | image1 = Mt emei 3.JPG| width1 = 122| caption1 = [[Tibetan macaque]] | image2 = Macaca mulatta in Guiyang.jpg| width2 = 114| caption2 = [[Rhesus macaque]] | image3 = Macaca arctoides.png| width3 = 218| caption3 = An alpha male [[stump-tailed macaque]] eats as other members of his troop watches | image4 = Formosan macaque.jpg| width4 = 213| caption4 = [[Formosan rock macaque]]s | image5 = Northern pig-tailed macaque in Khao Yai.JPG| width5 = 107| caption5 = [[Northern pig-tailed macaque]]}} The most commonly found [[monkey]]s in China are [[macaques]], which have oversized cheeks to store food and live in large troops. The range of the [[rhesus macaques|rhesus or common macaque]] extends from as far north as the [[Taihang Mountains]] of Shanxi and down to Hainan.<ref>[http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/rhesus_macaque Cawthon Lang KA. 2005 July 20. Primate Factsheets: Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) Taxonomy, Morphology, & Ecology]. Retrieved 1 July 2014.</ref> [[Tibetan macaques]] are often seen at tourist sites such as [[Mount Emei]] and [[Huangshan]]. [[Stump-tailed macaque]]s have distinct red faces and live throughout southern China. The [[Formosan rock macaque]] is endemic to Taiwan. [[Assam macaque]]s are found in higher elevation areas of southern Tibet and the [[Southwestern China|Southwest]], and the [[northern pig-tailed macaque]] in Yunnan. Macaques are Class I protected species in China but their numbers have fallen sharply. [[Monkey brains (cuisine)|Monkey brain]] is a delicacy in parts of Guangxi and Guangdong, and macaques are often hunted for food.<ref name=Monkey>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com.cn/GB/huanbao/1074/2399589.html|title=中国境内非法贩卖猴子调查--环保--人民网|website=People.com.cn|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> The [[Monpa people|Monpa]] and [[Lhoba people|Lhoba]] people of southern Tibet eat Assam macaques.<ref name=Monkey/> From 1998 to 2004, the number of rhesus macaques in China fell from 254,000 to about 77,000.<ref name=Monkey/> Over the same period, the Tibetan macaque population fell by 83% from about 100,000 to only about 17,000.<ref name=Monkey/> {{multiple image| align=right |image1=Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys, Qinling Mountains - China.jpg|width1=117 |caption1=[[Golden snub-nosed monkey]]s |image2=FrancoisLangur2 CincinnatiZoo.jpg |width2=225 |caption2=[[François' langur]]s |image3=Trachypithecus pileatus.JPG| width3= 125|caption3= [[Capped langur]]}} [[Snub-nosed monkeys]] are so named because they have only nostrils and virtually no nose. Four of the five species in the world are found in China, including three that are endemic. All live in mountainous forests at elevations of 1,500–3,400 m above sea level. The [[golden snub-nosed monkey]] is most famous and most widely distributed, with subspecies in Sichuan, Hubei and Shaanxi. The [[gray snub-nosed monkey]] is the most endangered, with about 700 individuals, found only in Guizhou. The [[black snub-nosed monkey]] has about 1,700 individuals living in 17 identified groups in Yunnan and eastern Tibet. A small population of Myanmar snub-nosed monkey was found in western Yunnan in 2011. Other [[Old World monkey]]s in China include the [[François' langur]], [[white-headed langur]], [[Phayre's leaf monkey]], [[capped langur]] and [[Shortridge's langur]], which are collectively categorized as [[Trachypithecus|lutung]]s and the [[Nepal gray langur]], which is considered a [[Semnopithecus|true langur]]. All of these species are endangered. Lutungs, also called leaf monkeys, have relatively short arms, longer legs and long tails along with a hood of hair above their eyes. [[François' langur]] is found only in southwest China and northern Vietnam. The range of the white-headed langur is much smaller—only in southern Guangxi and [[Cát Bà Island]] in Vietnam. Phayre's leaf monkey is native to Yunnan and a larger swath of Indochina. The capped and Shortridge's langurs live along the Yunnan-Myanmar border. The Nepal gray langur is larger than the lutungs and found in southern Tibet. {{multiple image|align=right | image1=Nycticebus pygmaeus 001.jpg| width1= 168| caption1=[[Pygmy slow loris]] | image2=Captive N. bengalensis from Laos with 6-week baby.JPG| width2= 75| caption2=[[Bengal slow loris]]}} Whereas apes and monkeys are grouped as [[Haplorhini|haplorhine]] or "dry nose" primates, [[loris]]es are [[Strepsirrhini|strepsirrhine]] or "wet nose" primates. Lorises have big eyes, tiny ears, live in trees and are active at night. The [[pygmy slow loris]] and [[Bengal slow loris]] are both found in southern Yunnan and Guangxi and are Class I protected species. ===Carnivores=== ====Cats==== [[File:2012 Suedchinesischer Tiger.JPG|thumb|right|A [[South China tiger]] at the [[Shanghai Zoo]]]] China's [[big cat]] species include the [[tiger]], [[leopard]], [[snow leopard]] and [[clouded leopard]]. The [[Tiger (zodiac)|tiger]] is one of the 12 animals of the [[Chinese zodiac]], and figures prominently in [[Tiger in Chinese culture|Chinese culture]] and history. Tiger bones are used in [[traditional Chinese medicine]] and tiger fur is used for decoration. The animal is vulnerable to [[poaching]] and habitat loss. Four tiger populations were native to China. All are critically endangered, protected and live in nature reserves. The [[Siberian tiger]] occurs in the [[Northeast China|Northeast]], along the border with [[Russia]] and [[North Korea]].<ref name=iucn>{{Cite iucn |author1=Goodrich, J. |author2=Lynam, A. |author3=Miquelle, D. |author4=Wibisono, H. |author5=Kawanishi, K. |author6=Pattanavibool, A. |author7=Htun, S. |author8=Tempa, T. |author9=Karki, J. |author10=[[Yadvendradev Vikramsinh Jhala|Jhala, Y.]] |author11=Karanth, U. |title=''Panthera tigris'' |volume=2015 |page=e.T15955A50659951 |publisher=[[IUCN]] |date=2015 |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15955/50659951 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T15955A50659951.en |access-date=23 October 2018}}</ref> The [[Caspian tiger]] was last seen in the [[Manasi River]] Basin of the [[Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region]] in the 1960s, where this population is now [[extinct]].<ref>{{cite iucn |publisher=[[IUCN]] |last1=Jackson |first1=P. |last2=Nowell |first2=K. |date=2011 |title=''Panthera tigris'' ssp. ''virgata'' |page=e.T41505A10480967 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T41505A10480967.en |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41505/10480967}}</ref> The [[South China tiger]] is an endemic population whose habitat is now confined to the mountain regions of [[Jiangxi]], [[Hunan]], [[Guangdong]] and [[Fujian]]. A few [[Indochinese tiger]]s were known to live in [[Yunnan]] where six nature reserves have been established for their protection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dugoogle.com/shijiezhizui/shengwu-9391/|title=最凶猛的陆地哺乳动物 印度虎 — 度哥世界之最|website=Dugoogle.com|access-date=6 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714222335/http://www.dugoogle.com/shijiezhizui/shengwu-9391/|archive-date=14 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{multiple image| align=right |image1 = Panthères de Chine.JPG |caption1=[[Amur leopard]]s |image2= Doué 21 06 2010 02 Uncia uncia 1.jpg | caption2=[[Snow leopard]]}} Three leopard [[subspecies]] are thought to occur in China: *Leopards recorded in [[Qomolangma National Nature Preserve]] in southern [[Tibet]] are subsumed to the [[Indian leopard]].<ref name=Laguardia17>{{cite journal |author1=Laguardia, A. |author2=Kamler, J. F. |author3=Li, S. |author4=Zhang, C. |author5=Zhou, Z. |author6=Shi, K. |year=2017 |title=The current distribution and status of leopards ''Panthera pardus'' in China |journal=[[Oryx (journal)|Oryx]] |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=153–159|doi=10.1017/S0030605315000988 |doi-access=free }}</ref> *The [[Indochinese leopard]] occurs in [[Yunnan Province]] of southern China, where the [[Pearl River (China)|Pearl River]] is thought to form a barrier to leopard populations farther north.<ref name=Miththapala1996>{{cite journal |author1=Miththapala, S. |author2=Seidensticker, J. |author3=O’Brien, S. J. |year=1996 |title=Phylogeographic subspecies recognition in leopards (''Panthera pardus''): molecular genetic variation |journal=Conservation Biology |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=1115–1132|doi=10.1046/j.1523-1739.1996.10041115.x }}</ref> Camera-trap surveys conducted between 2002 and 2009 in 11 nature reserves in southern China recorded leopards only in [[Changqing National Nature Reserve]] in the [[Qinling]] Mountains, but not in [[Sichuan Province|Sichuan]]'s [[Wolong Nature Reserve]] and other protected areas in Sichuan.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal |authors=Li, S., Wang, D., Lu, Z. & Mc Shea, W.J. |year=2010 |title=Cats living with pandas: The status of wild felids within giant panda range, China |journal=Cat News |volume=52 |pages=20–23}}</ref> *The [[Amur leopard]] is native to northern China including the [[Jilin]] province along the border with Russia and North Korea, where it has been recorded by [[camera-trap]]s in Hunchun National Nature Reserve.<ref name="Xiaoetal2014">{{cite journal |author1=Xiao, W. |author2=Feng, L. |author3=Zhao, X. |author4=Yang, H. |author5=Dou, H. |author6=Cheng, Y. |author7=Mou, P. |author8=Wang, T. |author9=Ge, J. |year=2014 |title=Distribution and abundance of Amur tiger, Amur leopard and their ungulate prey in Hunchun National Nature Reserve, Jilin |journal=Biodiversity Science |volume=22 |issue=6 |pages=717–724|doi=10.3724/SP.J.1003.2014.14184 }}</ref><ref name="Yanetal2018">{{cite journal |author1=Yang, H. |author2=Zhao, X. |author3=Han, B. |author4=Wang, T. |author5=Mou, P. |author6=Ge, J. |author7=Feng, L. |year=2018 |title=Spatiotemporal patterns of Amur leopards in northeast China: Influence of tigers, prey, and humans |journal=Mammalian Biology |volume=92 |pages=120–128|doi=10.1016/j.mambio.2018.03.009 }}</ref> Leopards cross between China, Russia and North Korea across the [[Tumen River]] despite a high and long wire fence marking the international boundary.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Nam, S.|year=2005|title=Ecosystem Governance in a Cross-border Area: Building a Tuman River Transboundary Biosphere Reserve|journal=China Environment Series|volume=7|pages=83–88|url=http://mercury.ethz.ch/serviceengine/Files/ISN/138665/ichaptersection_singledocument/8b8d680e-fa64-4ee4-91d2-8b38e5c6c6d9/en/CEF_07_2_Commentary7.pdf|access-date=13 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003172558/http://mercury.ethz.ch/serviceengine/Files/ISN/138665/ichaptersection_singledocument/8b8d680e-fa64-4ee4-91d2-8b38e5c6c6d9/en/CEF_07_2_Commentary7.pdf|archive-date=3 October 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Contemporary records of leopards exist from protected areas in [[Hebei Province|Hebei]], [[Henan Province|Henan]] and [[Shanxi Province]]s, and [[Ningxia|Ningxia Autonomous Region]], but not from [[Gansu Province]]. Whether leopards still occur in [[Qinghai Province]] is uncertain. The species has probably been extirpated in [[Hunan province|Hunan]], [[HuBei province|Hubei]], [[Zhejiang Province|Zhejiang]], [[Fujian Province, Republic of China|Fujian]], [[Guangxi province|Guangxi]] and [[Jiangxi province]]s. It is listed as nationally Critically Endangered, but receives little attention from Chinese wildlife biologists and conservationists.<ref name=Laguardia17/> Fragmented leopard populations in central China have been subsumed to the Amur leopard, as there is no notable geographical barrier to northern China that would have prevented [[gene flow]] in the past.<ref name=CatSG2017>{{cite journal |author1=Kitchener, A. C. |author2=Breitenmoser-Würsten, C. |author3=Eizirik, E. |author4=Gentry, A. |author5=Werdelin, L. |author6=Wilting, A. |author7=Yamaguchi, N. |author8=Abramov, A. V. |author9=Christiansen, P. |author10=Driscoll, C. |author11=Duckworth, J. W. |author12=Johnson, W. |author13=Luo, S.-J. |author14=Meijaard, E. |author15=O’Donoghue, P. |author16=Sanderson, J. |author17=Seymour, K. |author18=Bruford, M. |author19=Groves, C. |author20=Hoffmann, M. |author21=Nowell, K. |author22=Timmons, Z. |author23=Tobe, S. |year=2017 |title=A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group |journal=Cat News |issue=Special Issue 11 |pages=73–75 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y}}</ref> The range of the [[snow leopard]] extends across the [[Himalayas]], [[Tibetan Plateau]], [[Karakorum Mountains]], and [[Tian Shan]] in western China.<ref>{{cite iucn |author=McCarthy, T. |author2=Mallon, D. |author3=Jackson, R. |author4=Zahler, P. |author5=McCarthy, K. |page=e.T22732A50664030 |title=''Panthera uncia'' |date=2017 |volume=2017 |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22732/50664030 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T22732A50664030.en}}</ref> {{multiple image |perrow=1 |image1=Clouded Leopard SanDiegoZoo.jpg |caption1=Clouded leopard |image2=Chinese Mountain Cat (Felis Bieti) in XiNing Wild Zoo.jpg |caption2=Chinese mountain cat}} The [[clouded leopard]] occurs in forest regions south of the [[Yangtze River Delta|Yangtze River]]. It became locally extinct in Taiwan in 1972.<ref>{{cite iucn |author1= Grassman, L. |author2= Lynam, A. |author3= Mohamad, S. |author4= Duckworth, J. W. |author5=Borah, J. |author6= Willcox, D. |author7=Ghimirey, Y. |author8= Reza, A. |author9= Rahman, H. |name-list-style=amp |title=''Neofelis nebulosa'' |year=2016 |page=e.T14519A97215090 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T14519A97215090.en |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/14519/97215090}}</ref> The [[Chinese mountain cat]] is endemic to China and lives on the north-eastern edge of the [[Tibetan Plateau]]. It was recorded only in eastern [[Qinghai]] and north-western [[Sichuan]].<ref name=He2004>{{cite journal |author = He L., Garcia-Perea R., Li M., Wei F. |year=2004 |title=Distribution and conservation status of the endemic Chinese mountain cat ''Felis bieti'' |journal=Oryx | volume = 38 | pages = 55–61 | doi=10.1017/s0030605304000092|doi-access=free }}</ref> It was photographed by a camera-trap for the first time in 2007.<ref name=Yin2007>{{cite journal |authors=Yin Y., Drubgyal N., Achu, Lu Z., Sanderson J. |year=2007 |title=First photographs in nature of the Chinese mountain cat |journal=Cat News |issue=47 |pages=6–7}}</ref> One individual was observed and photographed in May 2015 in the [[Ruoergai]] grasslands.<ref>Francis, S., Muzika, Y. (2015). Chinese Mountain Cat in the Ruoergai Grasslands. [http://www.smallcats.org/files/SWCCN_2015_01_01.pdf Small Wild Cat Conservation News 1 (1)]: II.</ref> {{multiple image |align=right |image1=Cat_Survival_Trust_Octocolobus_manul_portrait_03.jpg |caption1=[[Pallas's cat]] |width1=170 |image2=Asian Golden cat.jpg |caption2=[[Asian golden cat]] |width2=198 |image3=Stavenn_Felis_bengalensis_00.jpg |caption3=[[Leopard cat]] |width3=155}} The range of the [[Eurasian lynx]] includes the [[Greater Khingan]] in [[Inner Mongolia]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Guo, K.|last2=Liu, H.|last3=Bao, H.|last4=Hu, J.|last5=Wang, S.|last6=Zhang, W.|last7=Zhao, Y. |last8=Jiang, G. |year=2017 |title=Habitat selection and their interspecific interactions for mammal assemblage in the Greater Khingan Mountains, northeastern China |journal=Wildlife Biology |pages=1–8}}</ref> The [[Pallas's cat]] occurs at high altitudes on the [[Tibetan Plateau]] and in western China.<ref>{{cite iucn |publisher=[[IUCN]] |title=''Otocolobus manul'' |author=Ross, S. |author2=Barashkova, A. |author3=Farhadinia, M. S. |author4=Appel, A. |author5=Riordan, P. |author6=Sanderson, J. |author7=Munkhtsog, B. |name-list-style=amp |date=2016 |volume=2016 |page=e.T15640A87840229 |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15640/87840229 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T15640A87840229.en}}</ref> The [[Asiatic wildcat]] is confined to three regions of southern [[Xinjiang]], [[Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture|Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Oblast]], [[Aksu Prefecture|Aksu]] and [[Hotan Prefecture|Hotan]]. It is declining rapidly in its natural habitat in the Xinjiang desert region of China mainly because of excessive hunting for pelt trade followed by shrinkage of its habitat due to cultivation, oil and gas exploration and excessive use of [[pesticides]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Abdukadir, A. |last2=Khan, B. |last3=Masuda, R. |last4=Ohdachi, S. |year=2010 |title=Asiatic wild cat (''Felis silvestris ornata'') is no more a 'Least Concern' species in Xinjiang, China |journal=Pakistan Journal of Wildlife |volume=1|issue=2|pages=57–63 |url=http://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/49688/1/Issue%202%20Article%204%5B1%5D.pdf}}</ref> The [[Asian golden cat]] and [[leopard cat]] have been recorded in the [[Changqing National Nature Reserve]] in the [[Qinling]] Mountains and in the Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve in the [[Min Mountains]]. The leopard cat also occurs in the [[Wolong Nature Reserve]] and other protected areas in the [[Qionglai Mountains]] and [[Daliang Mountains]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> {{Clear}} ====Wolf, dhole, fox==== The [[canidae]] family has several members in China including the [[gray wolf]], [[dhole]], [[red fox]], [[corsac fox]], [[Tibetan sand fox]] and [[raccoon dog]]. The gray wolf, the largest of the canids, has two subspecies in China—the [[Eurasian wolf]], which is found across [[Xinjiang]], Inner [[Mongolia]] and Heilongjiang in the northern fringe of the country, and the [[Tibetan wolf]], which lives on the [[Tibetan Plateau]]. Some of the earliest [[dog]]s may have been domesticated in East Asia, and several Chinese dog breeds including the [[shar-pei]] and [[chow chow]] are among the [[Ancient dog breeds|most ancient]] in terms of DNA similarity to the gray wolf. The dhole is closely related to [[jackals]] and [[coyotes]] and found throughout China. The red fox, the largest fox species, can be found in every part of China except the northwest. The corsac fox is found in [[Northeast China|northeastern China]] and the [[Tibetan sand fox]] in Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan. The raccoon dog, one of the few canids that can climb trees, is native to eastern and northeastern China. {{multiple image | align = center | image1 = Canis lupus lupus Tiergarten Worms 2011.JPG | width1 = 120 | caption1 = [[Eurasian wolf|Eurasian gray wolf]] | image2 = Cuon.alpinus-cut.jpg | width2 = 201 | caption2 = [[Dhole]] | image3 = Vulpes corsac 2010.JPG | width3 = 213 | caption3 = [[Corsac fox]] | image4 = Raccoon Dog01.jpg | width4 = 245 | caption4 = [[Raccoon dog]] }} Foxes (including the non-native [[Arctic fox]]) and raccoon dogs are farmed for their fur.<ref name=fur>[http://www.careforthewild.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/furreport05.pdf Hsieh-Yi, Yi-Chiao, Yu Fu, Mark Rissi and Dr Barbara Maas FUN FUR? A report on the Chinese fur industry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327062436/http://www.careforthewild.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/furreport05.pdf |date=27 March 2014 }}. Careforthewild.com. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> As many as 1.5 million foxes and about the same number of raccoon dogs were raised on Chinese farms in 2004.<ref name=fur/> ====Pandas, bears==== The [[giant panda]], perhaps China's most famous wildlife species, lives in six patches of highland valleys of the Min, [[Qionglai City|Qionglai]], Liang, [[Daxiangling]], Xiaoxiangling and Qinling Mountains of the upper [[Yangtze River]] basin, which are spread over 45 counties in [[Sichuan]], [[Gansu]] and [[Shaanxi]]. Only about 1,600 live in the wild (80% in Sichuan) along with about 300 in captivity in Chinese breeding centers and zoos. The animal is rare and elusive. Though classified as an omnivore, the giant panda's diet is over 90% bamboo. Its black and white coloration provides a degree camouflage in the dense forests, but the adult animal has no natural predators. Giant pandas are notoriously difficult to breed; they have short mating periods, and give birth to only one or two cubs per year. The giant panda cub is the smallest baby, compared in proportion to the parents, of any placental mammal.<ref>''Guinness World Records 2013'', Page 050, Hardcover Edition. {{ISBN|9781904994879}}</ref> The giant panda is considered to be a national treasure<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/china-plans-panda-preserve-times-size-yellowstone-park-46485424|title=ABC News|first=ABC|last=News|website=ABC News|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> and is an endangered species protected by state law. Since the 1970s, giant pandas have been given or lent to foreign zoos as [[Panda diplomacy|gesture of diplomatic goodwill]]. Other more common bears in China include the [[Asiatic black bear]] and the [[brown bear]] which are found across much of the country. Sub-species of the brown bear include the [[Himalayan brown bear]] and the [[Tibetan blue bear]] in Tibet, and the [[Ussuri brown bear]] in [[Heilongjiang]]. The [[sun bear]] is found in Yunnan. Bears, especially black bears, are also raised in captivity to harvest their [[bile bear|bile]] for use in traditional Chinese medicine. The [[red panda]] - which unlike the giant panda is not a bear and more closely resembles a raccoon - is from a separate family by itself (Ailuridae), and is found in Sichuan and Yunnan. ====Viverridae and Herpestidae==== The [[viverrid]] and [[mongoose]] families of small carnivores are represented by numerous members occurring in southern China, including [[binturong]], [[large Indian civet]], [[small Indian civet]], [[Owston's palm civet]], [[masked palm civet]], [[Asian palm civet]], [[small-toothed palm civet]], [[crab-eating mongoose]] and [[small Indian mongoose]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Wozencraft, W. C. |chapter=Family Viverridae, Family Herpestidae |pages=404–415 |editor1=Smith, A. T. |editor2=Xie, Y. |title=A Guide to the Mammals of China |year=2008 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=9781400834112 |location=Princeton }}</ref> ====Otter, badger, weasel, marten, wolverine==== {{multiple image | align = right | image3 = Zibellino del Barguzin (1).jpg | width3 = 222 | caption3 = [[Sable]] | image4 = Steinmarder Wildpark Alte Fasanerie Klein-Auheim Juni 2012.JPG | width4 = 109 | caption4 = [[Beech marten]] | image5 = Martes flavigula, yellow-throated marten.jpg | width5 = 217 | caption5 = [[Yellow-throated marten]] }} The [[Mustelidae|largest family]] of [[Carnivora|carnivorous mammals]] belongs to the [[otters]], [[badgers]], [[weasels]], [[martens]], and [[wolverines]], all of which are found in China. All of these [[mustelids]] are short, furry animals with short, rounded ears and thick fur, but they differ markedly in size, habit and habitat. The [[sable]], a species of marten, is prized for its fine fur, which along with ginseng and deer antler velvet, are known as the "three treasures of Manchuria." The sable is found in Manchuria (also called the Northeast) and Altai region of northern Xinjiang. The [[beech marten]] of western China and [[yellow-throated marten]] of southern China are closely related to the sable. The [[Siberian weasel]], known locally as the "yellow rat wolf," is the most common weasel in China. It is found throughout [[China Proper]] and [[Manchuria]], and known to steal poultry from farmers but helps to control the rodent population. Hair from the tail of the Siberian weasel is used to make [[ink brush]] for traditional Chinese calligraphy. Other weasel species include the [[least weasel]] and [[stoat]] in the north, [[yellow-bellied weasel]] and [[back-striped weasel]] in the south, and [[mountain weasel]] in the west. The [[steppe polecat]] is bigger than the Siberian weasel and found across northern China. {{multiple image | align = center | image1 = Mustela sibirica dd winter 2002.jpg | width1 = 102 | caption1 = [[Siberian weasel]] | image2 = Mustela erminea upright.jpg | width2 = 104 | caption2 = [[Stoat]] (ermine) | image5 = Mountain Weasel (Mustela altaica).jpg | width5 = 200 | caption5 = [[Mountain weasel]] | image4 = Mustela eversmannii 3.jpg | width4 = 183 | caption4 = [[Steppe polecat]] | image3 = Mustela nivalis -British Wildlife Centre-4.jpg | width3 = 170 | caption3 = [[Least weasel]] }} In Chinese, the wolverine is called "sable bear" because it is bigger than a sable and smaller than a bear and resembles both animals. The animal lives in caves and dens, which they do not dig but take from other animals such as bears, foxes and [[Bobak marmot]]s. Wolverines are fierce creatures that will fight bears and wolves for food. They are found in the Greater Khingan range of Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia and the Altai Mountains of northern Xinjiang, and number only about 200. {{multiple image | align = center | image1 = Gulo gulo 01.jpg | width1 = 193 | caption1 = [[Wolverine]] | image2 = European otter 02.jpg | width2 = 190 | caption2 = [[European otter]] | image3 = Will do tricks for fish...O).jpg | width3 = 190 | caption3 = [[Oriental small-clawed otter]] | image4 = Smooth-coat-otter.JPG | width4 = 193 | caption4 = [[Smooth-coated otter]] }} The [[European otter]] is found throughout much of Eurasia and China. It is nearly extinct on Taiwan though some have been found on the island of [[Kinmen]], off the coast of Fujian. The [[Oriental small-clawed otter]] is the smallest otter species and lives in mangrove and freshwater swamps of southern China and Taiwan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.ifeng.com/gundong/detail_2014_04/03/35449667_0.shtml|title=金门发现两只濒临绝种的"欧亚水獭"幼兽|website=news.ifeng.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> The [[smooth-coated otter]] is confined to parts of Yunnan and Guangdong. Like sable and martens, otter fur is also used make [[fur clothing|clothing]]. Sables and wolverines are Class I protected species. Martens and otters are Class II protected species. [[File:Melogale moschata (male) Praha zoo 02.2011 01.jpg|thumb|right|[[Chinese ferret-badger]]]] [[Badgers]] have distinctive white stripes on their faces with one long stripe that extends from nose to tail. The [[Asian badger]] is found throughout China Proper and the eastern Himalayas. The [[hog badger]] has a pig-like snout and has a slightly smaller range than the Asian badger. [[Ferret-badger]]s are the smallest badgers and two species live in China. The [[Chinese ferret-badger]] is found across much of southern China south of the Yangtze River and the [[Burmese ferret-badger]] along Yunnan's border with Laos and Vietnam. ====Seals, sea lions==== [[Pinniped]]s are also classified as carnivores and are divided between [[earless seal|earless or true seals]] and [[eared seals]]. True seals do not have ears and cannot get their hind flippers underneath their bodies to crawl. Eared seals, which include sea lions, in contrast, have protruding ears and can "walk" with all four limbs on land. {{multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | image1 = PhocaLargha.jpg | width1 = 200 | caption1 = [[Spotted seal]] | image2 = Northrer fur seal close up callorhinus ursinus.jpg | width2 = 200 | caption2 = [[Northern fur seal]] | image3 = Steller sea lion bull.jpg | width3 = 200 | caption3 = [[Steller sea lion]] }} True seals in China include the [[bearded seal]] which is found along the coast of Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong in the [[East China Sea|East]] and [[South China Sea]], the [[ringed seal]]<ref>{{Cite journal|first=Kaiya |last=Zhou |year=1986 |title=The ringed seal and other pinnipeds wandering off the coast of China |url=http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-SLXX198602006.htm |journal=Acta Theriologica Sinica |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=107–113 |access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> in the [[Yellow Sea]], and [[spotted seal]], which is primarily found in the [[Bohai Gulf]] and the northern Yellow Sea, but have been seen as far south as Guangdong. All seals are Class II protected animal. [[Sea lion]]s have Class I protection. The '''spotted seal''' is the only seal species that breeds in China. Its breeding grounds are found along the rim of [[Liaodong Bay]] in the Bohai Gulf, including the estuary at the mouth of the [[Shuangtaizi River]] near [[Panjin]] and [[Changxing Island (Dalian)|Changxing Island]] near [[Dalian]],<ref name=GreenKorea/> and [[Baengnyeongdo]] sanctuary in Korean EEZ.<ref>[http://ecotopia.hani.co.kr/?mid=media&??%C3%82%C2%AEdocument_srl=13361&page=30&document_srl=212624 한겨레 환경생태 전문 웹진 – 물바람숲 – 멸종위기 물범, 왜 백령도로 올까]. Ecotopia.hani.co.kr. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> These seals have been poached for its fur and genitals, which were utilized to make an [[aphrodisiac]].<ref name=GreenKorea/> Their habitats have also been heavily damaged by land reclamation, fish farming, and petroleum development.<ref name=GreenKorea/> A South Korean NGO has been trying to increase public awareness and support for the protection of the seals in China, [[North Korea]] and [[South Korea]].<ref name=GreenKorea>[http://green-korea.tistory.com/14 Green Korea United : Poaching for 1000 Spotted Seals, Wailing of Spotted Seals]. Green-korea.tistory.com. Retrieved on 15 September 2011.</ref> Protection stations have been set up to monitor the breeding grounds and wildlife protection authorities compensate fisherman who turn in live seals caught in their nets. In April 2011, the construction of an express highway along the coast was halted due to its adverse impact on the seal breeding ground.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://env.people.com.cn/GB/211746/218189/|title=要高速公路还是要斑海豹？--要高速公路还是要斑海豹？--人民网|website=env.people.com.cn|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> Satellite trackings revealed that not only within Yellow Sea,<ref>[http://www.newshankuk.com/news/content.asp?news_idx=201512211425451401 정부, 황해 점박이물범 살리기 나선다y]. Newshankuk.com (21 December 2015). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> but also seals can migrate even between [[Primorsky Krai]] in Russia to Yellow Sea, exceeding 3,300&nbsp;km in total.<ref>[http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/local/2014/01/14/0802000000AKR20140114076600051.HTML 점박이물범, 연해주서 중국 발해만까지 이동]. yonhapnews.co.kr</ref> Recoveries and recolonizations have been observed recently, such as along [[Shandong]]in 1999, and [[Changdao County|Miaodao Islands]] in [[Bohai Bay]] since 2000s.<ref>[http://www.bioon.com/popular/2/100895.shtml 海豹群现身渤海湾庙岛群岛附近水域] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605033352/http://www.bioon.com/popular/2/100895.shtml |date=5 June 2016 }}. Bioon.com (19 April 2005). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> The [[northern fur seal]], an eared seal, occasionally appears off the coast of eastern and southern China and southern Taiwan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cites.org.cn/database/?action=item&cid=81|title=濒危物种数据库-中华人民共和国濒危物种科学委员会|website=Cites.org.cn|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> The largest of the eared seals is the [[Steller sea lion]], who lives primarily in the Arctic but is also seen along the Yellow Sea coast in Jiangsu and Bohai Gulf in Liaoning. Among Yellow sea – adjacent areas within Korean EEZ, occurrence can be on locations such as at [[Jeju Island]].<ref>[http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/bulletin/2012/02/17/0200000000AKR20120217174400004.HTML '멸종 선언' 바다사자의 안타까운 죽음]. yonhapnews.co.kr</ref> The [[Japanese sea lion]], which became extinct in 1974, once inhabited the Yellow Sea and Bohai Gulf. These sea lions were once considered to be a subspecies of the [[California sea lion]] until 2003 when taxonomists reclassified them as a distinct species. South Korea has proposed a joint effort with North Korea, Russia and China to reintroduce California sea lions to the waters of Northeast Asia. ===Whales, dolphins, porpoises=== China has [[cetacean]] species that live in both freshwater and the sea. The nearly extinct [[baiji|baiji dolphin]] and [[Chinese white dolphin]] are Class I protected species. All other cetaceans in China are Class II protected species. In total, 22 species of smaller cetaceans inhabit within Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong's, and Macau's waters including Baiji.<ref name=SmallCetaceansChina /> Although being not officially recognized, the presence of [[Irrawaddy dolphin]]s have been questioned. In ancient China, inscriptions of the whales varied and inscriptions of whales and sharks were occasionally mixed. During the [[Qing Dynasty]], certain knowledge on whales had been deepened with the establishment of whaling industries in Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan although both oceanic and freshwater dolphins had been classified as different animals from whales. It is said that climate change during the dynasty caused small fish to flourish within Yellow and Bohai Seas and drew large numbers of whales into the basins.<ref>沙大禹, 2012, [http://cdmd.cnki.com.cn/Article/CDMD-10423-1012505957.htm 清代地方志中的鲸鱼资源研究], [[Ocean University of China]], S932.4;K29</ref> The [[Republic of China (1912–49)|Republic of China]] was one of the early signatories of the [[International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling]]. The [[People's Republic of China]] signed convention in September 1980 and banned domestic whaling in 1981, and also signed in the [[Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals]]. Until recently, observing live cetaceans nonetheless of any species including [[minke whale]]s and smaller dolphins and porpoises are very rare in [[Bohai Sea|Bohai]] and [[Yellow Sea]]s within Chinese side,<ref>[http://ln.sina.com.cn/news/lnyw/2012-04-14/26286.html 大连马栏河入海口现疑似海豚 市民伸长杆捞(图)_新闻频道_新浪辽宁_新浪网]. Ln.sina.com.cn. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref name=LiveMinke/> however, increases in confirmation of minke whales and other species<ref name=JiaozhouBay/><ref name=ChanghaiWhales/> have been confirmed in larger part of Yellow Sea basin<ref name=DalianMuseum /> especially around [[Changhai County]] due to improves in water quality and productivity achieved by fishery regulations and creating ocean farms on Zhangzi Island, and local industries have been considered to operate whale watching tours as a future prospect.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151003120146/http://www.ln.chinanews.com/html/2015-09-14/1185287.html 獐子岛附近海域现鲸鱼 摄影爱好者航拍下(图)]. chinanews.com (14 September 2015)</ref><ref name=ZhangziFarmResult>[http://www.ccstock.cn/gscy/gongsi/2015-07-23/A1437615686137.html 獐子岛海洋牧场生态环境持续优化] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624191529/http://www.ccstock.cn/gscy/gongsi/2015-07-23/A1437615686137.html |date=24 June 2016 }}. Ccstock.cn (23 July 2015). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> Modern distributions of cetaceans both on continent and oceanic islands including Taiwan are largely biased on toothed whales due to severe declines of baleen whales.<ref>[http://econgisdw.forest.gov.tw/Download/book/1/14_%E9%AF%A8%E8%B1%9A.pdf 鯨豚 – Whales and Dolphins]. (PDF) . Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.ktnp.gov.tw/upload/report/20110210_085901.85313.pdf å¢¾ä¸åœ‹å®¶å ¬åœ’æµ·åŸŸå“ºä¹³é¡žå‹•ç‰©ç›¸èª¿æŸ¥ã€€]. (PDF) . Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.ktnp.gov.tw/upload/report/20100524_183625.49837.pdf 墾丁國家公園鄰近海域鯨豚類生物調查研究]. (PDF) . Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.imece.ntou.edu.tw/ks/images/chou_handou.t.pdf 黑潮鯨豚 – 海洋環境與生態研究所] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407064613/http://www.imece.ntou.edu.tw/ks/images/chou_handou.t.pdf |date=7 April 2016 }}. (PDF) . Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> ====Baiji==== {{multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | image1 = Qiqi, a Chinese River Dolphin (Baiji) 11.jpg | width1 = 200 | caption1 = Qiqi the last captive individual | image2 = Lianlian and Zhenzhen, two Chinese River Dolphins.jpg | width2 = 200 | caption2 = Lianlian and Zhenzhen | image3 = Baiji conservation efforts map.png | width3 = 200 | caption3 = Baiji dolphin reserves }} The [[baiji]] dolphin's habit historically covered much of the Yangtze River and its tributaries and lakes, from Yichang to Shanghai. It is mentioned in historical records going back 2,000 years. According to legend, the baiji dolphin is the reincarnation of a princess and called the "Goddess of the Yangtze." As recently as the 1950s, there were as many as 6,000 baiji dolphins in China, but their number fell to the hundreds by the 1980s, under 100 in the 1990s and fewer than a dozen since 2000. The Yangtze River catchment area is one of the most densely populated areas in China and the world. The river, China's longest, is also a major highway for ships. Water and noise pollution, commercial fishing, and large propellers of ships are all major threats to the baiji. The building of the [[Gezhouba Dam]] in the 1970s and the [[Three Gorges Dam]] in the 1990s blocked the access of the dolphins upstream, altered the seasonal flow of the river, and enabled large oceangoing ships to sail on the river. By 1997, a survey of the river found only 13 baiji. A [[Yangtze Freshwater Dolphin Expedition 2006|Sino-Swiss joint survey of the river]] from Yichang to Shanghai in 2006 found no animals and declared the species to be [[functionally extinct]], that is, even if a few individuals continued to survive, their numbers are too few to reproduce. The last sighting confirmed by zoologist was in 2004 when a dead baiji dolphin washed ashore near [[Nanjing]]. Nature reserves to protect the baiji dolphin were established along the Yangtze in [[Hunan]], [[Hubei]] and [[Anhui]] province, along with observation and captive centers. The longest living baiji dolphin in captivity, Qiqi, lived in a [[dolphinarium]] in [[Wuhan]] from 1980 to 2002. The [[Tian-e-Zhou Oxbow Nature Reserve]], created out of an [[oxbow]] bend in the Yangtze was designed as a captive breeding area for the baiji. One baiji was sent there in 1995 but died in 1996. The reserve is now a breeding ground for the [[finless porpoise]]. {{multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | image1 = | width1 = 200 | caption1 = [[Finless porpoise]] }} ====Finless porpoise==== [[File:Yangtze finless porpoise, 10 November 2006.jpg|thumb|[[Narrow-ridged finless porpoise]]s]] [[File:Yangtze finless porpoise, 13 August 2011.jpg|thumb|Finless porpoises in [[Lake Dongting]]]] At least two subspecies of [[finless porpoise]] are known to inhabit coastal waters such as off [[Dalian]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forum.chinaso.com/thread-50141-1-1.html|title=大连：十余江豚水中撒欢 被海钓者拍个正着-乐游天下-国搜社区]. Forum.chinaso.com (2015-08-28). Retrieved on 2016-08-29. 南京成群江豚拜新年 吸引各地游客来拍摄|website=Forum.chinaso.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[Nanjing]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.jstv.com/a/20160214/107885.shtml|title=南京成群江豚拜新年 吸引各地游客来拍摄|website=news.jstv.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref>[[:zh:南麂列岛|Nanji Islands Marine Sanctuary]],<ref name=保护宣言 /> [[:zh:韭山列岛|Jiushan Chain Islands]]<ref>2007. [http://www.xiangshan.gov.cn/art/2007/8/22/art_111_14619.html 省级海洋生态自然保护区韭山列岛]</ref>[[Weizhou Island]],<ref>许海鸥. 2012. [http://news.qq.com/a/20120130/000396.htm 幼鲸数次搁浅北海海滩 游客和民警接力营救(图)]. [[:zh:南国早报|南国早报]]. Retrieved on 2 April 2017</ref> and at [[Matsu Islands]].<ref>{{cite journal|authors=Jefferson A.T., Wang Y.J.|year=2011|title=Revision of the taxonomy of finless porpoises (genus ''Neophocaena''): The existence of two species|journal=Journal of Marine Animals and Their Ecology |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=3–16 |url=http://www.oers.ca/journal/volume4/issue1/Jefferson_Galley.pdf |access-date=5 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|authors=Wang Y.J., Yang C.S., Wang L.B., Wang S.L.|year=2010|title=Distinguishing between two species of finless porpoises (''Neophocaena phocaenoides'' and ''N. asiaeorientalis'') in areas of sympatry|journal=Mammalia | volume = 74| issue = 3 |pages =305–310|doi= 10.1515/mamm.2010.029|s2cid=84577975|url=http://www.degruyter.com/dg/viewarticle/j$002fmamm.2010.74.issue-3$002fmamm.2010.029$002fmamm.2010.029.xml;jsessionid=3E2DD6F084AB8CBE9E0CFF035F846B69|access-date=5 January 2015}}</ref> A freshwater subspecies lives in the Yangtze, [[Gan River (Jiangxi)|Gan]] and [[Xiang River]]s. Unlike dolphins, they lack a dorsal fin. The freshwater porpoise faces the same threat as the baiji. In April 2012, twelve were found dead in [[Dongting Lake]] in a span of 44 days.<ref name=finlessporpoise/> Construction of the [[Poyang Lake Dam]] may cause severe damages on remaining population.<ref>Chen S.. 2017. [http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2112556/water-scheme-threatens-yangtze-river-porpoises-extinction Water scheme threatens Yangtze River porpoises with extinction, scientist warns]. [[South China Morning Post]]. Retrieved on 28 September 2017</ref> As of 2012, the Tian-e-Zhou Oxbow Nature Reserve had about 40 finless porpoises with another 85 in Dongting Lake and 300–400 in [[Poyang Lake]].<ref name=finlessporpoise>{{Cite web |url=http://www.china.com.cn/info/pet/2012-04/18/content_25169422.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=10 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150105072001/http://www.china.com.cn/info/pet/2012-04/18/content_25169422.htm |archive-date=5 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The freshwater finless porpoise, a Class II protected species, is rarer than the giant panda.<ref name=finlessporpoise/> They are also well present in [[Gulf of Tonkin]].<ref>{{cite book|authors=Qian Zhu Q., Tadasu K. Yamada, Peilie Wang|year=2004|chapter=Biodiversity and Conservation of Cetaceans in China|chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258316831 |title=Proceedings of the 5th and 6th Symposia on Collection Building and Natural History Studies in Asia and the Pacific Rim, National Science Museum Monographs 24 |editor1=S. Akiyama S.|chapter-format=PDF|access-date=6 January 2015|display-editors=etal}}</ref> In recent years, small concentrations have been confirmed at the estuaries on the mouth of [[Yellow River]] in [[Lijin County]].<ref>[http://news.sohu.com/20070428/n249760190.shtml “渤海河神”再现黄河口 山东利津刁口港出现成群海猪(图)-搜狐新闻]. News.sohu.com. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> Stable numbers of porpoises, two subspecies being involved, have been found recently along [[Chongming Island]]<ref>Meiping Y.. 2017. [http://www.shanghaidaily.com/metro/society/Scientists-find-rare-finless-porpoise-pod/shdaily.shtml Scientists find rare finless porpoise pod]. The [[Shanghai Daily]]. Retrieved on 25 July 2017</ref> where the local waters show drastic recovery<ref>Jian Y.. 2017. [http://www.shanghaidaily.com/metro/society/Songjiang-water-so-much-cleaner/shdaily.shtml Songjiang water so much cleaner]. Shanghai Daily. Retrieved on 25 July 2017</ref> thanks to efforts to improve water quality.<ref>Jian Y.. 2015. [http://www.shanghaidaily.com/metro/environment/Work-starts-on-cleaner-water-for-city-suburbs/shdaily.shtml Work starts on cleaner water for city suburbs]. Shanghai Daily. Retrieved on 25 July 2017</ref> {{multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | image1 = Chinese white dolphin.jpg | width1 = 210 | caption1 = Sousa in special sanctuary on [[Lantau Island]] in Hong Kong | image2 = Sousa chinensis (4) by Zureks.jpg | width2 = 160 | caption2 = [[Chinese white dolphin]]}} ====Oceanic dolphins==== [[File:Hualien - panoramio (4).jpg|thumb|[[Spinner dolphin]]s off [[Hualien City]], Taiwan]] [[File:弗氏海豚 雌性 Fraser HYYU.jpg|thumb|[[Fraser's dolphin]]s off [[Hualien City]], Taiwan]] Sousa, the [[Chinese white dolphin]] (locally called the [[Mazu (goddess)|Matsu's]] fish<ref>{{cite journal|title=Tall-fins and tale-ends in Taiwan: cetacean exploitation, oil refineries, and Moby-Dick |author=Ralph, Iris |journal= Journal of Ecocriticism |date=2014 |volume=6 |issue = 1 |pages=1 |url=http://ojs.unbc.ca/index.php/joe/article/download/553/482}}</ref>) that was previously considered to be a subspecies of the [[Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin]], lives in the waters off southern China including [[Wanshan Archipelago]],<ref>{{cite journal|authors=廖伟群, 张加恭, 黄慧萍|year=2000|title=万山群岛的旅游资源及其开发利用研究|url=http://159.226.115.21/rddl/CN/article/downloadArticleFile.do?attachType=PDF&id=792|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604081912/http://159.226.115.21/rddl/CN/article/downloadArticleFile.do?attachType=PDF&id=792|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 June 2016|journal=热带 地理 – Tropical Geography|volume=20|issue=12|pages=1–6|format=PDF|access-date=8 May 2016}}</ref> Nanji Islands,<ref name=保护宣言>2011. [http://www.soa.gov.cn/bmzz/jgbmzz2/gjhzsgatbgs/201211/t20121107_14954.html 中国南部沿海生物多样性保护宣言] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306034502/http://www.soa.gov.cn/bmzz/jgbmzz2/gjhzsgatbgs/201211/t20121107_14954.html |date=6 March 2017 }}</ref> the [[Pearl River Delta]], and [[Hong Kong]], [[Gulf of Tonkin]]<ref name=BeibuSurvey/> [[Hainan Island]] such as around [[Sanya Bay]],<ref>2016. [http://www.hnfjz.com/about-op-con-gid-182148398614.html 海南海洋生态保护良好，成为大型珍稀海洋动物的“乐园”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305201126/http://www.hnfjz.com/about-op-con-gid-182148398614.html |date=5 March 2017 }}. Retrieved on 7 March 2017</ref> [[Leizhou Peninsula]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guangdong.kaiwind.com/gdzc/201309/26/t20130926_1117297.shtml|title=近千头中华白海豚栖息广东湛江雷州湾|website=Guangdong.kaiwind.com|access-date=6 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211080851/http://guangdong.kaiwind.com/gdzc/201309/26/t20130926_1117297.shtml|archive-date=11 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Paracel Islands]], and on [[Penghu]] Islands to along western coasts of Taiwan, mainland coasts along [[Formosa Strait]] such as at [[Xiamen]] and [[Xiapu County]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qzcns.com/2015/0612/352498.html|title=福建霞浦海域现6只神秘动物 专家称是中华白海豚(图)_中新网泉州新闻|website=Qzcns.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cebxmucom.s719.000pc.net/shownews.asp?id=904|title=中华白海豚 -国家海洋局第三海洋研究所鲸豚馆|website=cebxmucom.s719.000pc.net|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref><ref name=CHWTW>{{cite thesis|last1=Chen |first1=H.-H. |last2=Lee |first2=D.-J.|year=2011|title=The study on institutionalization of Chinese White Dolphin conservation in Taiwan|publisher=Institute of Marine Affairs – National Sun Yat-sen University |type= Master Thesis}}</ref> and [[:zh:南澎列岛|Nánpēng Islands]] Marine Sanctuary in [[Nan'ao County]],<ref name="Nánpēng">2016. [http://www.xinchaoshang.com/News/Info-42718.html 汕头南澎青罗湾保护区：“美人鱼”和精灵们的海域]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moa.gov.cn/sydw/nhyzj/gzdt/200811/t20081114_2110564.htm|title=中华人民共和国农业部|website=Moa.gov.cn|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> and [[:zh:三娘湾|Sanniang Bay]] dolphin sanctuary in [[Qingzhou]]. The Chinese white dolphin is a symbol of [[Hong Kong]], and special sanctuary has been declared to protect the species with approaches to co-exist with sustainable [[whale watching|dolphin watching]], although the local population is in serious peril. Other oceanic dolphin species include the [[Pacific white-sided dolphin|Pacific white-sided]], [[Spinner dolphin|spinner]], [[striped dolphin|striped]], [[short-beaked common dolphin|short-beaked common]], [[long-beaked common dolphin|long-beaked common]], [[Fraser's dolphin|Fraser's]], [[Pantropical spotted dolphin|pantropical spotted]], [[rough-toothed dolphin|rough-toothed]], [[common bottlenose dolphin|common bottlenose]], [[Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin|Indo-Pacific bottlenose]], and [[Risso's dolphin]].<ref>{{Cite journal|authors=李树青, 林平|year=1999|title=中国沿海的黎氏海豚|url=http://cpfd.cnki.com.cn/Article/CPFDTOTAL-ZGDX199900001029.htm|journal=《中国动物科学研究——中国动物学会第十四届会员代表大会及中国动物学会65周年年会论文集》1999年|page=CNKI – The China National Knowledge Infrastructure|access-date=8 September 2015}}</ref><ref name=AMB12/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.qq.com/a/20140925/021565.htm|title=福建古雷海域现数百只海豚海面"跳芭蕾"(图)_新闻_腾讯网|website=news.qq.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> Risso's dolphins are one of the most commonly observed cetacean along east coasts of Taiwan.<ref>[http://tour.taitung.gov.tw/en-us/Tourist/Experience/Whale Taiwan's Treasure – Things to do – Whale Watching]. Tour.taitung.gov.tw (18 July 2016). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> ====Whales==== [[File:Nieuhof-Description-générale-de-la-Chine-1665 0874.tif|thumb|Engravement of a [[sperm whale]] and various fish ashore on Chinese coast]] Whales were historically abundant along Chinese and Taiwanese waters especially in winter and spring seasons where they come to coastal areas to breed and calve while especially [[baleen whale]]s other than those migrated from outer pacific and [[Sea of Japan]] swam northward to feed in Yellow and Bohai basins during warmer seasons.<ref name=DalianMuseum>[http://www.hilizi.com/newsnew/2012-01/09/content_464098.htm 世界唯一双胞胎鲸鱼标本藏身大连] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610002650/http://www.hilizi.com/newsnew/2012-01/09/content_464098.htm |date=10 June 2016 }}. Hilizi.com (9 January 2012). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> Most of large whales in Taiwan were recorded prior to 1952.<ref name=CHWTW /> In imperial times, villages along the coast of the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong hunted whales and made offerings of whale oil to the emperor in Beijing.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://zjphoto.yinsha.com/file/201004/2010041714191393.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=10 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714132330/http://zjphoto.yinsha.com/file/201004/2010041714191393.htm |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=NPRB>{{cite journal|authors=Good P.C., Johnston W.D.|year=2009|title=Spatial modeling of optimal North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) calving habitats|url=http://doc.nprb.org/web/07_prjs/718_final%20report.pdf|journal=North Pacific Research Board Project 718 Final Report|access-date=5 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150105071756/http://doc.nprb.org/web/07_prjs/718_final%20report.pdf|archive-date=5 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> On the other hand, however, like among other nations such as in Korea, China, [[Ebisu (mythology)|Ebis]] in Japan, Indonesia, among [[Indochina]]<ref>Cousteau Y.J., Paccalet Y., Yves Paccale Y., 1988, 'Jacques Cousteau, Whales', {{ISBN|0810910462}}, Irwin Professional Publishing, Retrieved on 2 May 2016</ref> including [[:vi:Tục thờ cá Ông|in Vietnam where whales were once well respected, heavenly deities among coastal people]], regarded as the "[[List of water deities|King of the sea]]", the "[[Dragon King|Dragon emperor in the ocean]]", or "Dragon Soldiers"<ref name=LiveMinke /> in almost entire coastal regions excluding above mentioned Hainan and Leizhou, as when whales were seen, fishermen and boats had to make ways for them and wait the whales to pass.<ref>{{cite journal|authors=謝婧, 下園知弥, 宮崎克則|year=2015|title=明清時代の中国における鯨資源の利用|url=http://www.seinan-gu.ac.jp/museum/wp-content/uploads/2015/publish/kiyou3.pdf|journal=西南学院大学博物館研究紀要 第3号|pages=9–14|access-date=25 October 2015}}</ref> In Chinese mythology, for example, ''Yu-kiang'', the ruler of the sea, is said to be a whale with arms and legs.<ref name="nrdc15">{{cite book |last=Siebert |first=Charles |year=2011 |others=illustrated by Molly Baker |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ootMXA5VSWwC&pg=PA15 |title=NRDC The Secret World of Whales |edition=illustrated |publisher=Chronicle Books |isbn=9781452105741 |pages=15–16}}</ref> [[Taiwanese aborigines|Indigenous tribes on Taiwan]] also recognized the presences of large whales and representing whales in their local myths and folklores.<ref>[http://www.pure-taiwan.info/2014/03/25/taiwan-as-a-whale/ 臺灣正掙扎擱淺，還是頭準備遨遊大海的鯨魚？ | Mata Taiwan]. Pure-taiwan.info (25 March 2014). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> [[Baleen whales]] found in the ocean off China's coast include the [[blue whale]], the world's largest animal, as well as the [[Eden's whale|Eden's]], [[Omura's whale|Omura's]], [[Bryde's whale|Bryde's]], [[common minke whale|common minke]], [[fin whale|fin]], [[sei whale|sei]], and [[humpback whale|humpback]] whale. There had been an endemic, resident population of fin whales in Yellow and Bohai Sea to East China Sea historically.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2907.2009.00147.x|title=Distribution and movements of fin whales in the North Pacific Ocean|journal=Mammal Review|volume=39|issue=3|pages=193|year=2009|last1=Mizroch|first1=Sally A.|last2=Rice|first2=Dale W.|last3=Zwiefelhofer|first3=Denny|last4=Waite|first4=Janice|last5=Perryman|first5=Wayne L.}}</ref> Minke whales are also resident in the same regions. Bryde's whales were considered to be historical residents along Taiwan and southern coasts. In Chinese EEZ, critically endangered [[North Pacific right whale]]s and western [[gray whale]]s had been sighted in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea only on prior to 1970s especially for right whales while there had been records of gray whales and the only record in 21st century was of a matured female accidentally being killed in local fisheries in [[Pingtan Island|Pingtan]] on [[Taiwan Strait]] in 2007.<ref name=Pingtan>What's on [[Xiamen]].[http://www.whatsonxiamen.com/tag-Pingtan+gray+whale.html Tags > Pingtan gray whale] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625015736/http://www.whatsonxiamen.com/tag-Pingtan+gray+whale.html |date=25 June 2017 }}. Retrieved on 24 November. 2014</ref> Following statements can be said for all larger baleen and toothed whales, but especially focusing on right whales and gray whales in here because of their behavioral patterns (very high reliances on shallow waters comparison to their size that even entering rivers mouths and estuaries regularly, their strong curiosities towards mankind) eased hunters to kill them and were wiped out much faster than the other species followed by humpbacks. Other [[rorqual]]s' situations were very similar to them, but their local extinction (functionally) occurred later in 20th century by modern Japanese industries. Today, biology and natural histories of baleen or larger toothed whales in Chinese waters prior to exploitations are very unclear because at those times when [[Cetology|academic studies or approaches to biology of cetaceans]], or recordings of cetacean catches in coastal China started to develop, as whales were already in fewer numbers not enough for descent, feasible for academic accounts, catch recordings in local fisheries or industries weren't even conducted. This was likely to be caused as the local populations of migratory whales were intensively hunted to the point of near-functional extinctions on the main migratory collider (Japanese archipelago) by [[Whaling in Japan|Japanese whaling industries]]. The fates of right whales, for example, were even cornered further by American Yankee whaling, Japanese mass illegal and research whaling,<ref name=Brownelletal2001>{{cite journal|author1=Brownell RL Jr. |author2=Clapham PJ |author3=Miyashita T |author4=Kasuya T |name-list-style=amp |year=2001|title=Conservation status of North Pacific right whales|journal=Journal of Cetacean Research and Management |issue=special issue 2|pages=269–286}}</ref> and the most devastatingly, Soviet Union's mass illegal whaling in 1960s to 70s with helps by Japan.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Berzin A. |author2=Ivashchenko V.Y. |author3=Clapham J.P. |author4=Brownell L. R.Jr. |year=2008|title=The Truth About Soviet Whaling: A Memoir|url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=usdeptcommercepub|format=PDF|journal=DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska – Lincoln|access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> Gray whales migrating on both of Japanese coasts were wiped out earlier than the Korean counterpart, then the other population migrating along Korean Peninsula later being targeted to the extinction by Japanese industries.<ref name="Weller, D. et al 2002">{{cite journal|title=The western gray whale: a review of past exploitation, current status and potential threats|author=Weller, D.|url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1084&context=usdeptcommercepub|publisher= J. Cetacean Res. Manage|volume= 4|issue=1|pages=7–12|year=2002|display-authors=etal}}</ref> The most intensive hunts of all times were carried out by Japanese whaling industries that covering wide range of east Asian waters including almost entire [[Exclusive economic zone|EEZ]] of China, North Korea and South Korea in the 20th century. Whaling stations were established in various areas along Chinese and [[Korea]]n coastlines such as at [[Daya Bay]],<ref>{{cite journal | author = Jefferson A.T. | author2 = Hung K.S. | year = 2007 | title = An updated, annotated checklist of the marine mammals of Hong Kong | url = https://zenodo.org/record/1236311| journal = Mammalia | volume = 71| issue = 3| pages = 105–114 | doi = 10.1515/MAMM.2007.021 | s2cid = 85370234 | type = Submitted manuscript }}</ref><ref>Rockwell D.H., 2009, [http://csiwhalesalive.org/csi2009_04.pdf When in Rome, Do as the Whales Do!]</ref> causing today's serious perils of whale populations and virtual, functional extinctions of almost all species or local stocks of larger baleen whales in east and southeast Asian nations. Any presences of larger cetaceans have not been confirmed for often or any.<ref>[https://www.porttechnology.org/images/uploads/technical_papers/PT29-06.pdf Dredging in China under strict environment control] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406191455/https://www.porttechnology.org/images/uploads/technical_papers/PT29-06.pdf |date=6 April 2016 }}</ref> [[Toothed whale]]s, excluding dolphins, include the [[sperm whale|sperm]], [[dwarf sperm whale|dwarf sperm]], [[pygmy sperm whale|pygmy sperm]],<ref>{{cite journal|authors=Peilie W., Shen-han T., Hong-mei Y.|date=December 2007|title=Stranding of Pygmy Sperm Whale in Zhangpu, Fujian Province|url=http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-CHAN200712010.htm|journal=Fisheries Science |page=CNKI – The China National Knowledge Infrastructure|access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> [[Baird's beaked whale|Baird's beaked]], [[Tropical bottlenose whale|Longman's beaked]],<ref name=IndopacetusPacificus>{{cite journal|authors=J. – C., Yang C.- W., Chen J.- Y., Lin T.- J., Brownel L.R. Jr., Chou S.- L.|title=Two Longman's beaked whales (Indopacetus pacificus) from Taiwan|url=https://swfsc.noaa.gov/publications/CR/2012/2012Yao.pdf.|journal=The 64th Convention of the International Whaling Commission – SC64/SM/32|format=PDF|access-date=16 January 2015}}</ref> [[Cuvier's beaked whale|Cuvier's beaked]],<ref>{{Cite journal|authors=Peilie W., Jia-bo H., Zhi-qiang M., Zhao-hui W., Jun L.|date=August 2010|title=Records of Cuvier's Beaked Whale from Lüsi Fishing Grounds in Jiangsu, China|url=http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-CHAN201008010.htm|journal=Fisheries Science|page=CNKI – The China National Knowledge Infrastructure|access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> [[Blainville's beaked whale|Blainville's beaked]],<ref>{{Cite journal|authors=Peilie W., Shen-han T., Hong-mei Y.|date=October 2006|title=Stranding of Blainville's Beaked Whale(Mesoplodon densirostris) Along the Coast of Huian, Fujian Province, China|url=http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-CHAN200610011.htm|journal=Fisheries Science |page=CNKI – The China National Knowledge Infrastructure|access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> [[Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale|ginkgo-toothed beaked]] whales,<ref>{{Cite journal|authors=Peilie W., Zhiqiang M., Wenbin G., Zhichuang L., Zhaohui W.|date=February 2009|title=Beaked Whales in Coastal Waters of China|url=http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-YSDW200902003.htm|journal=Chinese Journal of Wildlife |page=CNKI – The China National Knowledge Infrastructure|access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> and the [[killer whale|orca]] and [[pilot whale]]s ([[false killer whale|false killer]], [[pygmy killer whale|pygmy killer]], [[melon-headed whale|melon-headed]], [[short-finned pilot whale|short-finned pilot]]).<ref name=AMB12>{{cite journal | last1 = Kaiya | first1 = Zhou | last2 = Leatherwood | first2 = Stephen | last3 = Jefferson | first3 = Thomas A. | year = 1995 | title = Records of Small Cetaceans in Chinese Waters: A Review | url = https://swfsc.noaa.gov/uploadedFiles/Divisions/PRD/Publications/Zhouetal95%2826%29.pdf | journal = Asian Marine Biology | volume = 12 | pages = 119–39 }}</ref> False killers still remain along coasts of mainland China, and are known to enter rivers regularly in particular regions. Stranding of toothed whales has been common on Taiwanese coasts.<ref name=short>{{cite web|url=http://conservation.forest.gov.tw/public/Attachment/341211561871.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306102454/http://conservation.forest.gov.tw/public/Attachment/341211561871.pdf |archive-date=6 March 2016 }}</ref> Large whales have become very rare on today's Chinese coasts where only tiny remnants of minke whales or several more survived. However, [[whale watching]] industries became popular attractions along the east coast of [[Taiwan]], offering excellent opportunities to observe majestic creatures, especially in the summer.<ref>[http://www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw/Portal/Content.aspx?lang=2&p=205030001 Whale-Watching Eco Tours] Accessed 10 July 2014</ref> Recently, possibilities of establishing watching activities have been considered in Yellow Sea based on recoveries in numbers of whales observed.<ref name=ZhangziFarmResult/> Larger types of rorquals have been sighted in pelagic waters occasionally.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSdU0WrDhKQ&index=13&list=PLAILdeR3ZgA5I9VQnyB1L--4btgfNtN9_ P3269780-目擊鯨魚-2分39秒-.MOV]. YouTube.com (7 May 2012). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> Whales migrating through [[Tsushima Strait]] to possibly Chinese waters are under serious threats of being struck by high-speed vessels.<ref>{{cite journal|authors=Tsuji K., Kagami R., Shakata K., Kato H.|year=2013|title=日本沿岸域における超高速船航路上の鯨類出現状況分析|url=http://members.j-navigation.org/jkouen/doc/k00102/k00102001.pdf.|journal=第129回講演会（2013年11月8日,9日） 日本航海学会講演予稿集 1巻2号 2013年10月3日|format=PDF|access-date=13 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113045236/http://members.j-navigation.org/jkouen/doc/k00102/k00102001.pdf|archive-date=13 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Yankee and modern whaling records suggest that there had been historical summering and wintering/calving grounds for baleen whales in various areas along coastal China particularly in several locations. Below is a list showing some of those areas corresponding with baleen and few of larger toothed whales, but excluding undiscovered or unstudied regions and species. =====Baleen Whales===== [[File:1920s臺灣日治時期恆春鵝鑾鼻大板埒捕撈鯨魚 Whale near the beach of Cape Eluanbi, Hengchun, TAIWAN.jpg|thumb|Landed [[humpback whale]] on [[South Bay (Taiwan)|Nan Wan Bay]] nearby [[Cape Eluanbi]] in [[Hengchun]] during Japanese colonial days in 1920s]] *Right whales – Yellow Sea (especially adjacent to the island of [[Haiyang]] Dao<ref name=chuansong /> where the junction of warmer and colder ocean currents exists nearby<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haiyangdaolvyou.com/haidao-lvyou-/li-shi-ren-wen/152-2016-01-11-08-34-02.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=5 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307153826/http://www.haiyangdaolvyou.com/haidao-lvyou-/li-shi-ren-wen/152-2016-01-11-08-34-02.html |archive-date=7 March 2016 }}</ref> and all the modern appearances of the species on mainland coasts of China were concentrated),<ref name=CITES>{{cite web|publisher=中华人民共和国濒危物种科学委员会 |title=濒危物种数据库 – 鳀露脊鲸 Eubalaena japonica (Lacépède, 1818) |url=http://www.cites.org.cn/database/index.php?action=item&cid=16 |page=the [[CITES]] |access-date=6 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225151543/http://www.cites.org.cn/database/index.php?action=item&cid=16 |archive-date=25 December 2014 }}</ref> Shanghai and [[Zhoushan Islands]], [[Guangdong]] and [[Huiyang]],<ref name=CITES/> and in [[Taiwan Strait]] such as along coasts of [[Fujian]] (e.g.[[Pingtan Island]]), [[Penghu]] Islands, and [[Taiwan]],<ref name=Klumov1962>{{cite journal|vauthors=Klumov SK, Scarff JE |year=1962|url=http://www.sfcelticmusic.com/js/RTWHALES/Klumo1962.pdf|title=Gladkie (Yaponskie) kity Tikhago Okeana (The right whales in the Pacific Ocean)|journal=Tr. Inst. Okeanol. Akad Nauk SSR|volume=58|pages=202–97}}</ref> and some reaching Hainan and Leizhou<ref name=NPRB /> The first stranding of the species in China was on [[Shandong Province]] between 2000 and 2006.<ref>Wang Y.. Li W..Waerebeek V. K.. 2014. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265164021_Strandings_bycatches_and_injuries_of_aquatic_mammals_in_China_2000-2006_as_reviewed_from_official_documents_A_compelling_argument_for_a_nationwide_strandings_programme Strandings, bycatches and injuries of aquatic mammals in China, 2000–2006, as reviewed from official documents: A compelling argument for a nationwide strandings programme].  Marine Policy 51(2015). pp. 242-250. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2014.07.016. [[ResearchGate]]. Retrieved on 26 March 2017</ref> The first sighting in China was at [[Shenzhen]] in 2015 although the observation was reported as a humpback,<ref>新闻聚焦 . 2015. [https://v.qq.com/x/page/j0165vs5te2.html 惠州近深圳海域 再现座头鲸]. The [[Tencent Video]]. Retrieved on 1 April 2017</ref> and the first of living animal in Sea of Japan since after the whaling was recorded at [[Namhaedo|Namhae]] near [[Busan]] in February 2015 and this was the first confirmation of the species since after the last record in Korean EEZ in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|author=TheBusanilbo 'Btube'|year=2015|title=세계 희귀종'긴수염고래' 위험에서 가까스로 탈출|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6-y2REX4BU|page=[[YouTube]]|access-date=12 February 2015}}</ref> Since 1901, records have been concentrated to the vicinity of [[Amami Ōshima]] including sightings in 1997 and 2014,<ref name=Oki>Oki K., 2014. [http://amami.exblog.jp/19397229/ 1/28 セミクジラ!!!!]. Retrieved 15 August 2017</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=SG CLUB|year=2014|title=奄美の海に現れたセミクジラ|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xBzzLf4OG4|page=[[YouTube]]|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref><ref>Oki K., 2014. [http://amamiwhale.jimdo.com/ Amami whale and dolphin association]. Retrieved 15 August 2017</ref><ref>[[:ja:奄美新聞|奄美新聞]], 2014. [http://amamishimbun.co.jp/index.php?QBlog-20140129-1 奄美大島沖にセミクジラ] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20141019045953/http://amamishimbun.co.jp/index.php?QBlog-20140129-1 |date=19 October 2014 }}. Retrieved 15 August 2017</ref> and the first confirmed whale in west coast of Kyushu strayed into the port of [[Ushibuka, Kumamoto]] in 2014.<ref>[[:ja:熊本日日新聞|熊本日日新聞]], 2014. [https://bp.kumanichi.com/photo/media/photo/2014/2014030112.jpg 牛深漁港に姿を現し、潮を吹くクジラ。奥はハイヤ大橋＝天草市牛深町　撮影日平成26年03月28日（熊日写真ライブラリー）]. Retrieved 15 August 2017</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=mare32321|year=2014|title=牛深港に迷い込んだクジラ|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsPpdaQvhWg|page=YouTube|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref> **Based on studies to indicate possible coastal forging grounds, wintering distributions quite possibly included areas along [[Zhejiang]] coasts as well.<ref name=NPRB /> It is unknown whether or not there had been a population for this species to summer in Yellow and Bohai Sea prior to exploitations, however occurrences of [[copepod]]s within the basins and geographical natures indicate some whales might have summered there.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1111/cobi.12664|pmid=26632250|title=A spatially explicit estimate of the prewhaling abundance of the endangered North Atlantic right whale|journal=Conservation Biology|volume=30|issue=4|pages=783–91|year=2016|last1=Monsarrat|first1=Sophie|last2=Pennino|first2=M. Grazia|last3=Smith|first3=Tim D.|last4=Reeves|first4=Randall R.|last5=Meynard|first5=Christine N.|last6=Kaplan|first6=David M.|last7=Rodrigues|first7=Ana S.L.}}</ref> *Gray and humpback whales – Yellow and Bohai Sea such as at [[Qingdao]],<ref>[http://toutiao.com/i6238898217849717250/ 青岛近现代老照片，值得珍藏！]. Toutiao.com (12 January 2016). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> Zhoushan Islands, Taiwan, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Nánpēng Islands,<ref name="Nánpēng"/> Liaonin,<ref>{{Cite journal |first= Peilie |last= Wang |year=1984 |title= Distribution of the Gray Whale (''Eschrichtius gibbosus'') off the coast of China |url= http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-SLXX198401005.htm |journal= Acta Theriologica Sinica |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages= 21–26 |access-date= 7 September 2015}}</ref> Fujian to south of Hailing Bay,<ref name=GrayArea /> Daya Bay, [[Hong Kong]], Hainan, [[:zh:七洲列岛|Qizhou Liedao Islands]] (humpback),<ref>中华人民共和国濒危物种科学委员会. [http://www.cites.org.cn/database/?action=item&cid=24 濒危物种数据库 - 座头鲸 Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781)]. Retrieved on 8 March 2017</ref> Wailuo Harbour,<ref>{{Cite journal |authors= Peilie W., Zhi-chuang L. |date=December 2009 |title= Historical Records and Current Status of Western Gray Whale in China Waters |url= http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-CHAN200912014.htm |journal= Fisheries Science |page= CNKI – The China National Knowledge Infrastructure |access-date= 7 September 2015}}</ref> [[Paracel Islands]],<ref name=Parcel08>{{cite journal |author=黄晖 |author2=董志军 |author3=练健生 |script-title=zh:论西沙群岛珊瑚礁生态系统自然保护区的建立 |url=http://159.226.115.21/rddl/CN/article/downloadArticleFile.do?attachType=PDF&id=357 |journal=热 带 地 理 – Tropical Geography |volume=28 |date=6 November 2008 |access-date=7 January 2015}}</ref> and so on.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=中华人民共和国濒危物种科学委员会 |title=濒危物种数据库 – 灰鲸 Eschrichtius robustus (Lilljeborg, 1861) |url=http://www.cites.org.cn/database/index.php?action=item&cid=26 |website=The [[CITES]].org |access-date=6 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225151532/http://www.cites.org.cn/database/index.php?action=item&cid=26 |archive-date=25 December 2014 }}</ref> **Only about 130 gray whales survive today, but some recent studies indicate that the original Asian population might have been functionally extinct, and those whales seen on [[Sakhalin]] and [[Kamchatka]] could originate in the well-recovering eastern population.<ref name=Teradomari2014>{{cite journal |authors= Kato H., Kishiro T., Nishiwaki S., Nakamura G., Bando T., Yasunaga G., Takaaki Sakamoto T., Miyashita T. |year=2014 |title= Status Report of Conservation and Researches on the Western North Pacific Gray Whales in Japan, May 2013 – April 2014}}</ref> Fossil<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Tsai|first1=Cheng-Hsiu|last2=Fordyce|first2=R. Ewan|last3=Chang|first3=Chun-Hsiang|last4=Lin|first4=Liang-Kong|title=Quaternary Fossil Gray Whales from Taiwan|journal=Paleontological Research|date=April 2014|volume=18|issue=2|pages=82–93|doi=10.2517/2014PR009|s2cid=131250469}}</ref> and catch records<ref>Brownell, R.L., Donovan, G.P., Kato, H., Larsen, F.*, Mattila, D., Reeves, R.R., Rock, Y., Vladimirov, V., Weller, D. & Zhu, Q., Conservation Plan for Western North Pacific Gray Whales (''Eschrichtius robustus''), 2010 (citation limited)</ref> suggest there were once wintering/calving areas in Taiwan and adjacent areas. The most recent known record in Korean waters was the sighting of a pair off [[Bangeojin]], [[Ulsan]] in 1977.<ref>{{cite journal|authors=Kim W.H., Sohn H., An Y-R., Park J.K., Kim N.D., Doo Hae An H.D.|year=2013|title=Report of Gray Whale Sighting Survey off Korean waters from 2003 to 2011|publisher=Cetacean Research Institute of [[National Fisheries Research & Development Institute]]}}</ref> **In 2011, presences of gray whales were acoustically detected among pelagic waters in East China Sea between Chinese and Japanese waters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/wgwap_17-inf.6_iwc_66-cc29_wgw_observations_east_china_sea.pdf|title=Western gray whale activity in the East China Sea from acoustic data: Memorandum for Dr. Brandon Southall1|website=Iucn.org|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> **Quantities of historical catches of humpbacks on southern coasts of the nation were small hence it is difficult to detect the original population size before exploitations. There was once a well-established forging area in southern coasts along [[Bashi Channel]] around [[Kenting National Park]] or at southern coasts and islands of Taiwan<ref>Acebes V.M.J., 2009, [http://www.murdoch.edu.au/Research-capabilities/Asia-Research-Centre/_document/working-papers/wp161.pdf A history of Whaling in Philippines], Historical Perspectives of Fisheries Exploitation in the Indo-Pacific, Asia Research Centre, [[Murdoch University]]</ref> like [[Xiaoliuqiu|Xiaoliuqiu Island]] and [[Dapeng Bay]]. Today, their numbers being confirmed in these areas<ref>[http://news.cts.com.tw/cts/life/201501/201501091571158.html#.Vtz8M_Bf3Mp 鯨魚噴水奇景 墾丁民眾驚嘆]. News.cts.com.tw (23 July 2013). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref><ref name=KentingWhales /> and along east coast of Taiwan are very small despite observation efforts conducted by whale-watching companies,<ref>[http://www.whalewatching.org.tw/go/intro_12.htm GO!GO!賞鯨網]. Whalewatching.org.tw. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h44ME_Z5TQ&index=14&list=PLAILdeR3ZgA5I9VQnyB1L--4btgfNtN9_ [HD.高畫質&#93; 鯨世界賞鯨 生態旅遊 介紹]. YouTube. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> understandably for mainland coasts. More than several sightings including of a cow-calf pair have occurred along east coasts of Taiwan.<ref>ba ha. 2014. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsjpBJqqpz0 2014.12.24 龜山島船釣 ~ 遇到鯨魚]. [[YouTube]]. Retrieved on 6 October 2017</ref><ref>2017.[http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/2039607 「鯨」喜連連！大翅鯨母子現蹤東海岸]. Retrieved on 21 April 2017</ref><ref>2017. [http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/1979263 巨大噴氣直直向上！ 大翅鯨現身花蓮外海]. The [[Liberty Times]]. Retrieved on 21 April 2017</ref><ref>徐庭揚. 2017. [https://udn.com/news/story/7266/2411150 大翅鯨花蓮外海現身 噴水、擺尾抓住遊客的目光]. The [[United Daily News]]. Retrieved on 21 April 2017</ref><ref>The Liberty Times. 2017. [http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/paper/1079385 暌違14年 大翅鯨現蹤花蓮外海]. Retrieved on 21 April 2017</ref> Whales were once abundant at least on [[Pingtung County|Pingtung]] areas and sporadic individuals have been observed off east coasts and [[Hualien City|Hualien]]<ref>[http://mychannel.pchome.com.tw/channel/class/class_paper_open.htm?d=2003-05-28&e=mda&t=.htm&j=35&f=main&v=1 個人報 – PChome 電子報]. Mychannel.pchome.com.tw (28 May 2003). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref><ref>[http://blog.xuite.net/d851408/wretch/143472299-2012%2F02%2F22+%E5%A4%A7%E7%BF%85%E9%AF%A8 2012/02/22 大翅鯨 @ 晉領號-台東成功港賞鯨豚 :: 隨意窩 Xuite日誌]. Blog.xuite.net (22 February 2012). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref><ref>[http://www.dolphin-wan.com.tw/5678/uploaded/20120521-02.pdf 大翅鯨 Humpback whole]. dolphin-wan.com.tw</ref><ref>[http://mychannel.pchome.com.tw/channel/class/show_preview.php3/?d=2002-07-07&enname=mda&t=.htm&fn=main&view=1 生態保育電子報]. Mychannel.pchome.com.tw. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> and at islands such as [[Green Island, Taiwan|Green Island]]<ref name=GreenIsland>[http://marine.cpami.gov.tw/english/filesys/dlarea/55/file2.pdf ç¶ å³¶æµ·åŸŸé¯¨è±šå‹•ç‰©ç›¸èª¿æŸ¥]. (PDF) . Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtkce3bCkX4 2015/1/5 綠島朝日溫泉旁遇見大翅鯨魚]. YouTube. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> and [[Orchid Island]].<ref>Lin, Joyce (8 April 2000) [http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=17899&ctNode=451 Deep-water serenader gives local performance] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311062927/http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=17899&ctNode=451 |date=11 March 2016 }}. taiwantoday.tw</ref><ref>[http://web.pts.org.tw/~web01/ocean/p2-1-4.htm 你的公共電視 ─ 寶貝海洋 ~ 發現我們的島]. Web.pts.org.tw. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>[http://utmost.pixnet.net/blog/post/33564595-2011-%E9%AF%A8%E5%B9%B4%E8%A6%81%E5%81%9A%E7%9A%84%E4%BA%8B 2011 鯨年要做的事 @ ARKILA :: 痞客邦 PIXNET ::]. Utmost.pixnet.net. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> The first confirmations in Taiwan was in 1994 of a pair off Hualien, and successful fleeing from entanglement off [[Taitung City|Taitung]] in 1999.<ref>余欣怡, [http://www.mbi.nsysu.edu.tw/macaca/humpback1014htm.htm 愛唱歌的大翅鯨] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406205303/http://www.mbi.nsysu.edu.tw/macaca/humpback1014htm.htm |date=6 April 2016 }}, College of Marine Sciences, [[National Sun Yat-sen University]]</ref> Since in 2000 when a whale was sighted around Orchid Island,<ref>{{in lang|zh}} [http://ourisland.pts.org.tw/content/%E5%B0%8B%E9%AF%A8%E8%A8%98#sthash.dqH201EW.dpbs 尋鯨記]. Ourisland.pts.org.tw. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> sightings have been reported almost annually at the Green island and Orchid Island, however, relative short stays in these waters indicate recoveries as winter forging grounds has not occurred yet.<ref>滔滔 – Ocean says, 2015, [http://blog.oceansays.info/2015/04/RayChinWhales.html 追逐鯨魚的人：專訪台灣第一位水下鯨豚攝影師金磊]</ref> There have been two documented sightings of humpback whales around [[Hong Kong]] in 2009 and 2016.<ref>郭美華, 2016, [http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20160305/19517299 大浪西灣現瀕危座頭鯨]</ref><ref>[http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/breaking/20160304/54828589?top=24h 【蘋民直擊】【鯨出沒注意】西貢釣友吳生：好勁呀]. Hk.apple.nextmedia.com (1 January 1970). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref><ref>[http://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20160304/bkn-20160304144113743-0304_00822_001_cn.html 留恋香港玩多阵？西贡海域再现鲸鱼行踪]. Hk.on.cc. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> Possibly the first confirmed sighting in Yellow Sea of three animals including a cow calf pair, was recorded off [[Changhai County]] in 2015.<ref name=ChanghaiWhales>[http://www.hilizi.com/html/2015/dalianxinwen_1008/138370.html 长海又现鲸鱼 这回是好几条] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609191107/http://www.hilizi.com/html/2015/dalianxinwen_1008/138370.html |date=9 June 2016 }}. Hilizi.com (8 October 2015). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160602063550/http://www.wedalian.com/wxarticle-show-id-180053.html 大连钓鱼爱好者在长海县海域发现鲸鱼一家四口国庆游]. wedalian.com (6 October 2015)</ref><ref>[http://www.wedalian.com/wxarticle-show-id-180141.html 大连长海又见鲸鱼一家亲！三条！四条] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602061216/http://www.wedalian.com/wxarticle-show-id-180141.html |date=2 June 2016 }}</ref> Very small numbers of whales are now migrating through Sea of Japan and [[Tsushima Strait]], and further reaching Korean Peninsula. **Based on studies on historical catches and observations, some gray whales could have occurred year-round off China,<ref name=GrayArea>Weller, David W. et al. (January 2013) [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275960466_A_Gray_Area_On_the_Matter_of_Gray_Whales_in_the_Western_North_Pacific A Gray Area: On the Matter of Gray Whales in the Western North Pacific (PDF Download Available)]. Researchgate.net (7 May 2015). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> possibly summering in Bohai Sea.<ref name=chuansong>[http://chuansong.me/n/2457684 我国沿海鲸类（一）——须鲸篇（下）_科学公园_【传送门】]. Chuansong.me. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> There had been at least 24 records of gray whales in Chinese waters since 1933 including sightings, strandings, and bycatch.<ref>[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281442497_Short_Note_Insights_from_a_Gray_Whale_%28Eschrichtius_robustus%29_Bycaught_in_the_Taiwan_Strait_Off_China_in_2011 Short Note: Insights from a Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) Bycaught in the Taiwan Strait Off China in 2011 (PDF Download Available)]. Researchgate.net. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> DNA analysis of 2011 specimen indicate that this female might not originate in the western population. Whether or not humpback whales ever summered within Yellow and Bohai basins historically is unknown. *Bryde's or [[Eden's whale]]s – Historically residential among Taiwan, Fujian and Guangdong to Hong Kong, Hainan and Leizhou, and [[Gulf of Tonkin]]<ref>中华人民共和国濒危物种科学委员会. [濒危物种数据库 – 鳀鲸 Balaenoptera edeni Anderson, 1879]. the [[CITES]]. Retrieved on 6 January. 2015</ref><ref name=Wang1984>Wang Pei Lei (王丕烈). 1984. [http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFD1984-BIRD198406018.htm 中国近海鲸类的分布]. 辽宁省海洋水产研究所 (Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute). 中国知网 (the CNKI.NET). Retrieved on 6 January. 2015</ref> such as off [[Weizhou Island|Weizhou]] and [[Xieyang Island]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnwzd.com/news_5715.html|title=鲸鱼宝宝再次造访的涠洲岛海域！-新闻资讯-中国涠洲岛网|website=Cnwzd.com|access-date=6 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104205341/http://www.cnwzd.com/news_5715.html|archive-date=4 November 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://www.twoeggz.com/news/817354.html 北海涠洲岛海域出现一条大鲸鱼到访。] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104205059/http://www.twoeggz.com/news/817354.html |date=4 November 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xwtoutiao.cn/p/84i7d096/|title=广西北海涠洲岛附近发现一条大鲸鱼|access-date=6 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211235623/http://www.xwtoutiao.cn/p/84i7d096/|archive-date=11 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> There have been occasional reported sightings on today including in areas within [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]]<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Littlemudfrog|year=2011|title=蘋果日報 – 2011-02-24 – 三米長布氏鯨闖港海|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAIiBfeOMfU&list=PLAILdeR3ZgA5I9VQnyB1L--4btgfNtN9_&index=2|page=[[YouTube]]|access-date=13 January 2015}}</ref> to Gulf of Tonkin, and strandings had been reported from various areas such as on Zhoushan. The number of whales currently migrating through Tsushima Strait is not clear although they have been observed on numerous occasions especially by the [[Japan Coast Guard]].<ref name=JCGlog>{{cite web|publisher=Japanese Coast Guard|title=Maritime Information and Communication System – 福岡海上保安部 – 海洋生物目撃情報|url=http://www6.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/07kanku/fukuoka/info/ms/01kujira/top1.html|access-date=11 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111042310/http://www6.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/07kanku/fukuoka/info/ms/01kujira/top1.html|archive-date=11 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> 24 Bryde's or Eden's whales were caught in Korean [[EEZ]] in the mid-1970s,<ref name=Exposea /> and one was sighted in the Sea of Japan in 1994.<ref>The [[Doosan Encyclopedia|Doopedia]]. [https://www.doopedia.co.kr/mo/doopedia/master/master.do?_method=view2&MAS_IDX=775223 브라이드고래 &#91;Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera edeni&#93;]. Retrieved on 19 April 2017</ref> *Fin whales – Historically residential in Yellow and Bohai Sea<ref name=chuansong2 /><ref>[http://weibo.com/p/2304185d9de9950102vku2?pids=Pl_Official_CardMixFeedv6__4&feed_filter=2 Sina Visitor System]. Weibo.com. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> to East and [[South China Sea]]s such as off Paracel Islands, and at least two other local groups, Sea of Japan residents and the group once migrated along the Pacific side of Japanese archipelago, once migrated to Chinese waters<ref>{{cite journal|authors=Mizroch A.S., Rice W.D., Zwiefelhofer D., Waite J., Perryman L.W.|year=2009|title=Distribution and movements of fin whales in the North Pacific Ocean|page=The [[Wiley Online Library]]|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2907.2009.00147.x|volume=39|issue=3|journal=Mammal Review}}</ref> The East China Sea group is considered to be either functionally extinct or critically endangered due to being one of main targets by Japanese whaling in 20th century,<ref>{{cite journal|authors=Ishikawa H., Watanabe T.|year=2014|title=A catalogue of whales and dolphins recorded in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan|url=http://whalelab.org/ishikawa2014.pdf.|journal=下関鯨類研究室報告 No.2 (2014)|format=PDF|access-date=9 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109080006/http://whalelab.org/ishikawa2014.pdf|archive-date=9 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> and today there have been occasional strandings or findings of deceased individuals along sporadic areas from Yellow and Bohai Seas to other parts including southern shores like at [[Kam District]] in [[Wenchang]],<ref name=SanyaStrandings /> [[Shanghai]] (although the whale was speculated to have died in offshore waters),<ref>杨彦宇. 2017. [http://www.chinanews.com/tp/hd2011/2017/03-23/726651.shtml 上海死亡鲸鱼被解剖 开始标本制作]. The [[China News Service]]. Retrieved on 1 April 2017</ref><ref>Yanxun H.. Yaling M.. Huijie Z.. 2017. [http://shanghai.xinmin.cn/xmsq/2017/03/21/30909174.html 浦东附近海域发现的鲸鱼可能是长须鲸]. The [[Xinmin Evening News]]. Retrieved on 28 April 2017</ref> [[Ningbo]],<ref>胡一敏. 2007. [http://www.zj.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2007-04/18/content_9824105.htm 宁波近年捕获的最大个长须鲸]. The [[Xinhua News Agency]]. Retrieved on 1 April 2017</ref> and along Hualien.<ref>2004. [http://www.epochtimes.com/b5/4/1/29/n456036.htm 誤闖流刺網 長鬚鯨枉死]. Retrieved on 1 April 2017</ref>{{deprecated inline|certain=yes|date=May 2020}} The last of confirmed sightings on Taiwan is unknown although some media and tourism operators claim that migrations still occur,<ref name=KentingWhales>{{cite news|year=2015|title=〈南部〉恆春鯨魚噴水！ 萬里桐居民驚喜|url=http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/local/paper/846049|publisher=The [[Liberty Times]]|access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|year=2015|title=驚喜！ 恆春萬里桐見5分鐘鯨魚噴水秀|url=http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/animal/20150109/539017/|newspaper=[[Apple Daily (Taiwan)]]|access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref> and whales might still migrate in pelagic waters. The only modern record among [[Ryukyu Islands]] was of a rotten carcass beached on [[Ishigaki Island]] in 2005.<ref>Dolphin and Whale Save Project, [http://irukakujira.com/std2003.htm 八重山周辺海域における鯨類ストライディングデータ（通過目撃等含む）]</ref> The last of known records on Korean Peninsula was in 1973,<ref name=Exposea>{{cite web|title=Marine Life – On the whales|url=http://exposea.com/p23.php|publisher=Exposea.com|page=23|access-date=11 January 2015}}</ref> but there have been recent by-catches along the coasts. Regarding Yellow Sea, a juvenile was accidentally killed along [[Boryeong]] in 2014.<ref>[http://www.ilbe.com/3540967458 {사진추가재업} 오늘 잡힌 서해 괴물고래 (레벨:4) 로또독식]. Retrieved on 17 August 2017</ref> Some whales still live in Sea of Japan<ref>{{cite web|editor=Yamada T.|year=2009|title=新潟県佐渡郡沢崎鼻沖種不明ナガスクジラ属クジラ目視|url=http://svrsh1.kahaku.go.jp/marmam/?p=66|page=海棲哺乳類情報データベース|publisher=[[National Museum of Nature and Science]]|access-date=11 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105212225/http://svrsh1.kahaku.go.jp/marmam/?p=66|archive-date=5 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> and pass through Tsushima Strait.<ref name=JCGlog /> There had been congregation areas adjacent to Korean Peninsula such as in [[East Korea Bay]] and [[Ulleungdo]],<ref name=EastSea>{{Cite book|editor1=Chang K. |editor2=Zhang C. |editor3=Park C. |editor4=Kang D. |editor5=Ju S. |editor6=Lee S. |editor7=Wimbush M. |display-editors=3 |year=2015|title=Oceanography of the East Sea (Japan Sea)|page=380|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qYuQCgAAQBAJ&q=east+korea+bay+whale&pg=PA380|publisher=[[Springer International Publishing]]|access-date=8 September 2015|isbn=9783319227207}}</ref> although recent occurrences into these locations are of unclear due to locational disorders. **Fin whales in Yellow Sea could have been a unique form from outer Pacific populations due to their smaller size,<ref>{{Cite journal|authors=Peilie W.|date=March 1978|title=Studies on the baleen whales in the Yellow Sea|url=http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-BEAR197803008.htm|journal=Acta Zoologica Sinica |page=CNKI – The China National Knowledge Infrastructure|access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> and breeding season was mainly in winter. *Minke whales – Still be present regularly (although very rare to observe live individuals<ref name=LiveMinke /><ref name="v.qq.com">2015. [http://v.qq.com/boke/page/z/0/7/z0159xgff27.html 大连獐子岛-大海寻鲸 鲸鱼嬉水实拍]. Tencent Video. Retrieved on 6 October 2017</ref>) in Yellow and Bohai sea (resident group), Zhoushan,<ref name=Wang1984 /> and in any coastal and oceanic island areas (e.g. Zhoushan, Penghu,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.appletw.cn/animal/2016-04-09/38040.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=20 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604224541/http://www.appletw.cn/animal/2016-04-09/38040.html |archive-date=4 June 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/1658556 澎湖發現大型鯨魚擱淺 腐臭多時無法辨識]. News.ltn.com.tw (8 April 2016). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> and Parcel Archipelagos). Likely to breed in early to mid – summer,<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1007/BF02852901 | volume=3 | title=Studies on the breeding habits of the minke whale (''Balaenoptera acutorostrata'') in the Yellow Sea | journal=Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology | pages=37–47| year=1985 | last1=Peilie | first1=Wang | s2cid=87137210 }}</ref> and possibly 4 major migratory routes exists within Yellow and Bohai Seas such as along [[Liaoning]] Bay, [[Bohai Strait]], and [[Shandong Peninsula]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bioindustry.nodai.ac.jp/~okws_ab/pdf/Huang.pdf|title=The Assessment of Minke Whales off the coast of Yellow Sea Eco-region in China : Huang|website=Bioindustry.nodai.ac.jp|access-date=6 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311073455/http://www.bioindustry.nodai.ac.jp/~okws_ab/pdf/Huang.pdf|archive-date=11 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Off Taiwan, recent sightings and entanglements occurred along east coasts such as at [[Cape San Diego|San Diego]],<ref>[http://kongaliao-water-terrace.blogspot.jp/2013/08/blog-post.html 鯨奇三貂灣]. Kongaliao-water-terrace.blogspot.jp. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>[http://a0930621465.pixnet.net/blog/post/26361943-%E5%8D%AF%E6%BE%B3%E7%81%A3%E7%9A%84%E3%80%8E%E9%AF%A8%E3%80%8F%E5%96%9C%E5%AC%8C%E5%AE%A2 卯澳灣的『鯨』喜嬌客]. A0930621465.pixnet.net (17 March 2013). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> [[Taiwan Strait]],<ref>[http://blog.sina.com.tw/168vn/article.php?entryid=642575 迷航鯨魚入台中港]. Blog.sina.com.tw (25 April 2013). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> or at [[Hualien City|Hualien]].<ref>[http://utmost.pixnet.net/blog/post/30351900---2010.0121%E3%80%8C%E9%AC%9A%E9%AF%A8%E4%B8%80%E5%A0%B4%E3%80%8D 2010.0121「鬚鯨一場」 @ ARKILA :: 痞客邦 PIXNET ::]. Utmost.pixnet.net. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> Strandings and by-catches have been in higher rates in Bohai Sea and at the islands of Haiyang<ref>[http://www.hilizi.com/html/2015/dalianxinwen_0706/106874.html 长海县海洋岛发现一头死鲸 – 大连新闻 – 大连新闻/大连话教程/半岛晨报电子版/大连门户网站——大连海力网] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308011119/http://www.hilizi.com/html/2015/dalianxinwen_0706/106874.html |date=8 March 2016 }}. Hilizi.com (6 July 2015). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hyd.0411hd.com/xinwen/29276.html|title=海洋岛渔民发现疑似一头虎鲸|website=hyd.0411hd.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> and Zhangzi.<ref name=LiveMinke>[http://ln.sina.com.cn/news/s/2015-09-14/detail-ifxhupir7090388.shtml 摄影者大连獐子岛拍到鲸鱼 此前蹲守20多天(图)_新浪辽宁_新浪网]. Ln.sina.com.cn (14 September 2015). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref><ref name="v.qq.com"/><ref>[http://www.papc.cn/html/papc/materia/908608-1.htm 鲸肉 – 中国自然保护区生物标本资源共享平台]. Papc.cn (27 February 2013). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> *Blue and sei and Omura's whales – largely unknown. At least blues were historically known to visit into Yellow and Bohai Sea<ref>{{cite web|authors=Mr.Z., Charlie|year=2008|title=我国的渤海里有没有鲸鱼|url=http://wenwen.sogou.com/z/q103329192.htm?ch=from.t.qq|page=[[Sogou]] – Wenwen|access-date=6 January 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150103130634/http://wenwen.sogou.com/z/q103329192.htm?ch=from.t.qq|archive-date=3 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> and migrate further south to Paracel Islands.<ref name=Parcel08 /> One was sighted off [[Weizhou Island]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beihai365.com/read.php?tid=11980675|title=超近距离接触！涠洲岛有游客近距离看到鲸鱼出水，伸手就能摸到-北海时事开讲-北海365网(beihai365.com)|website=Beihai365.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> **Blue whale populations in coastal northwestern Pacific likely became extinct due to heavy exploitation in 20th century along southern Japan especially on Wakayama and Shikoku and Miyazaki<ref>{{cite journal|title=第 2 章 こうちの生きもの Faunas of Kouchi Prefecture |url=https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/soshiki/030701/files/2014020600353/2014020600353_www_pref_kochi_lg_jp_uploaded_attachment_109485.pdf |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150110081418/http://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/soshiki/030701/files/2014020600353/2014020600353_www_pref_kochi_lg_jp_uploaded_attachment_109485.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 January 2015 |journal=生物多様性×こうち戦略 |access-date=13 January 2015 }}</ref> where the last known catches in East China Sea ([[Amami Oshima]]) were in 1934.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Miyazaki|first1=Nobuyuki|last2= Nakayama|first2=Kiyomi|script-title=ja:奄美大島近海における鯨類の記録|trans-title=Records of Cetaceansin the Waters of the Amami Island|url=http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110004313130|journal=Memoirs of the National Science Museum|issn=0082-4755 |volume=22 |pages=235–249 |year=1989|format=PDF|access-date=13 January 2015|language=ja}}</ref> The most recent of recorded stranding on Japanese archipelago other than [[Ryukyu Islands]] were in 1950s,<ref>{{cite web|authors=Yamada T., Watanabe Y.|title=Marine Mammals Stranding DataBase – Blue Whale|url=http://svrsh2.kahaku.go.jp/drift/e/FMPro?-db=rec2000web.fp5&-format=%2fdrift%2fe%2fresults.htm&-lay=hp&-sortfield=%90%bc%97%ef%94%4e%8c%8e%93%fa&sp%5fid=14&-format=/drift/e/detail.htm&-skip=3&-max=1&-find|publisher=The [[National Museum of Nature and Science]]|access-date=6 January 2015}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and only 3 blue whales have been recorded in [[Far East]]ern Russian waters from 1994 to 2004.<ref>{{Cite book|authors=Chernyagina A.A., Burdin A.M., Artyuhin Y.B., Danilin D.D., Lobkova L.E., Tokranov A.M., Artyuhin Y.B., Gerasimov N., Lobkov E.G., Zagrebelnyi S.V., Nicanor A.P., Fil V.I., Shulezhko T.S., Chernyagina O.A., Gimelbrant D.E., Kirichenko V.E., Selivanov O.|year=2013|title=Справочник-определитель редких и охраняемых видов живот- ных и растений Камчатского края|url=http://www.knigakamchatka.ru/pdf/spravochnik.pdf|isbn= 978-5-9610-0216-4|publisher=Kamchatka Branch FGBUN Pacific Institute of Geography, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky: Kamchatpress|access-date=9 June 2014}}</ref> Gigantic whales exceeding over 20m in length have been observed in Tsushima Strait in recent years although their exact species are unknown.<ref name=JCGlog /> There was a [[Cetacean stranding|stranding]] in [[Wanning]] in 2005.<ref name=SanyaStrandings>{{cite web|publisher=The Sanya Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering at The Chinese Academy Of Sciences |title=鲸豚搁浅事件列表 |url=http://124.16.218.4/list.php?page=2 |access-date=19 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119085634/http://124.16.218.4/list.php?page=2 |archive-date=19 January 2015 }}</ref> It is unclear whether or not those whales confirmed in [[Bohol Sea]] in recent years include any remnants of blue whales historically seen in Chinese EEZ,<ref>[http://www.marinemammalscience.org/smmtampa/Ponzo_Alessandro_12-10.pdf The Return of Rorquals in the Bohol Sea, Philippines.]. (PDF) . Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> since it was speculated that these whales are [[pygmy blue whale]]s from southern hemisphere.<ref>Bauwens, Joe. (12 April 2014) [http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.jp/2014/04/satellite-tracking-pygmy-blue-whales.html Satellite tracking Pygmy Blue Whales]. Sciencythoughts.blogspot.jp. Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> **Historic distributions and occurrences, and current statuses of Sei, Bryde's (offshore form) and Omura's whales in Chinese and Korean waters are unclear, but their known ranges in Chinese waters reach from mid to southern coasts facing East China Sea and Taiwan<ref name=KentingWhales /><ref name=chuansong2>[http://chuansong.me/n/2457683 我国沿海鲸类（一）——须鲸篇（上）_科学公园_【传送门】]. Chuansong.me. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> to [[South China Sea]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=The Sanya Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering at The Chinese Academy Of Sciences|title=Identification Guide for Marine Mammals In the South China Sea|url=http://124.16.218.4/index.php|access-date=19 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{in lang|zh}} [http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20140331/00176_044.html 巨鯨屍擱淺紅石門]. Orientaldaily.on.cc. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>[http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20141223/18978651 城大師生花9個月分屍 每塊骨煲20次 自創肉骨茶去油法 製角島鯨標本]. Hk.apple.nextmedia.com (1 January 1970). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> Scientific confirmation of Omura's whales among continental waters was rather recent.<ref name=Wang2006>{{cite journal | last1 = Wang | first1 = H. G. | last2 = Fan | first2 = Z. Y. | last3 = Shen | first3 = H. | last4 = Peng | first4 = Y. J. | year = 2006 | title = Description of a new record species of whales from Chinese coastal waters | url = http://www.airitilibrary.com/Publication/alDetailedMesh?docid=10031111-200602-25-2-85-87-a| journal = Fisheries Science | volume = 25 | issue = 2| pages = 85–87 }}</ref> Strandings of Omura's whales have been recorded only south from Zhejiang Country.<ref>[http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/attachments/article/1662/43.3%20Xu.pdf] {{dead link|date=January 2018}}</ref> Occasionally, either bryde's or omura's whales have been spotted along east Taiwanese coasts during whales watch cruises,<ref>[http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/1681395 小鬚鯨現身花蓮海域 13年來首次記錄]. News.ltn.com.tw (30 April 2016). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref><ref>[http://udn.com/news/story/7470/1665141-%E5%AE%B3%E7%BE%9E%E5%B0%8F%E9%AC%9A%E9%AF%A8%E7%8F%BE%E8%BA%AB-%E6%AD%B7%E5%B9%B4%E5%BE%98%E5%BE%8A%E6%9C%80%E4%B9%85 害羞小鬚鯨現身 歷年徘徊最久]. Udn.com. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8P00D0ZDDU&list=PLAILdeR3ZgA5I9VQnyB1L--4btgfNtN9_&index=19 20110711石梯港外鬚鯨]. YouTube.com (11 July 2011). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ3z8CNz4iE&list=PLAILdeR3ZgA5I9VQnyB1L--4btgfNtN9_&index=20 20110819布氏鯨]. YouTube.com. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> Sightings have been along Taiwanese coasts such as nearby Hualien.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8P00D0ZDDU 20110711石梯港外鬚鯨]. YouTube (11 July 2011). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ3z8CNz4iE 20110819布氏鯨]. YouTube. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> and there was a case of re-floating stranded bryde's whale along [[Nantong]] in 2005.<ref>[http://www.ntjoy.com/news/vod/xwsph/nttv1/csrl/2016/02/2016-02-17467800.html 南通百年间18次鲸鱼搁浅记录 2005年成功营救11米长须鲸]. Ntjoy.com (17 February 2016). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> =====Toothed Whales===== [[File:Squelette de cachalot2.jpg|thumb|Skepton mount of a sperm whale stranded on [[Liugong Island]]]] *[[Sperm whale]]s<ref>{{Cite journal|authors=Peilie W., Shuqing L.|date=March 1990|title=Distribution of Sperm Whale in the coastal areas of China|url=http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-CHAN199003009.htm|journal=Fisheries Science |page=CNKI – The China National Knowledge Infrastructure|access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> – the only large cetacean still being common in the nation's present waters; being one of the main targets of whale-watching industries along the east coast of Taiwan, as well as islands such as [[Xiaoliuqiu]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/2117632|title=幸運！搭交通船到小琉球遇見「鯨」喜 - 生活 - 自由時報電子報|website=News.ltn.com.tw|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> and the [[Spratly Islands]].<ref>opheliaH. 2017. [http://www.mafengwo.cn/i/7432397.html 2017、5月南沙最新航拍更新】出海偶遇鲸鱼&海警船和我们的船相伴航行全记录游记来蚂蜂窝,更多南沙群岛旅游攻略最新游记]. Retrieved on 23 September 2017</ref> Some might appear around Hainan Islands although their current status in this region is unclear.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=The Sanya Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering at The Chinese Academy Of Sciences|title=海南周边常见的几种鲸豚物种|url=http://124.16.218.4/downloads.php|access-date=19 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119094515/http://124.16.218.4/downloads.php|archive-date=19 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Occasionally strands on mainland shores even in Yellow and Bohai regions. They don't appear often in mainland's near-shore waters because of their feeding partiality to prefer deep [[sea canyon]]s. Sperm whales actually do appear in near-shore waters in some cases; at locations where deep waters approach shores, or some particular individuals or groups have learned to come to rest in shallow bays or straits or along beaches. There had been sightings of 9 whales in East China Sea off Korean Peninsula in 1999, and 8 whales off eastern Korean Peninsula in 2004.<ref name=EastSea /> The last catches were of 5 whales off [[Ulsan]] in 1911.<ref>[[JoongAng Ilbo]]. 2004. [http://japanese.joins.com/article/j_article.php?aid=50489 マッコウクジラ、９０年ぶりに東海出現]. Retrieved on 17 August 2017</ref> *[[Baird's beaked whale]]s – The second largest of Odontoceti and being extreme divers after sperm whales. Next to nothing about this species' natural histories and biology in Chinese waters are clear as the species has been considered not to occur, and the locational origin of the skeletal specimen at the [[Zhejiang]] Museum of natural History is unclear.<ref name=SmallCetaceansChina /> It is a question that whether this species could still be present within Chinese EEZ or not although some groups on Japanese archipelago still survive but in under serious danger by today's commercial whaling activities. Based on archeological reports, these elusive, friendly whales by nature once had been regular among Yellow/Bohai Seas region notably around Lingshan Island off [[Huangdao District]] or the mouth of [[Jiaozhou Bay]] and off [[Dalian]] at least until mid-16th century, but they were seemingly wiped out by Japanese whalers.<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Kamio A.|title=About the accidents in history of Southeastern Santô peninsula|journal=Geographical Review of Japan |volume=18 |year=1942 |issue=7|pages=605–609|doi=10.4157/grj.18.605|doi-access=free}}</ref> Southern limits of their distributions in Chinese waters are unclear while a stranding or a catch was recorded in Zhoushan in 1950s.<ref>{{Cite journal|authors=Huogen W., Yu W.|date=May 1998|title=A Baird's Beaked Whale From the East China Sea|url=http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-CHAN805.002.htm|journal=Fisheries Science|page=CNKI – The China National Knowledge Infrastructure|access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref><ref>Kasuya T.([[:jp:粕谷俊雄|jp]]). 2017. [https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=UrrODgAAQBAJ&pg=PT1017&lpg=PT1017&dq=zhoushan+whale&source=bl&ots=w1VjNiGn5N&sig=ljdcvji003VWLpdMrCcbzHEVkqI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi6wtmFgMDWAhUMi7wKHZc2DC8Q6AEIUDAJ#v=onepage&q=zhoushan%20whale&f=false Small Cetaceans of Japan: Exploitation and Biology]. "13.3.2 Regional distribution and population structure". [[CRC Press]]. Retrieved on 25 September 2017</ref> 12 whales were bycaught along eastern Korean Peninsula between 1996 and 2012.<ref name=EastSea /> *[[Longman's beaked whale]]s and other beaked whales – Being one of newly classified and less known species, their overall distributions have been rather unclear. They are the second largest of beaked whales and third largest of toothed whales can be seen in Chinese EEZ. In Chinese waters, either live or deceased records were concentrated on east coast of Taiwan<ref>Wang J. Y.. Yang S. C.. 2006. Unusual cetacean stranding events of Taiwan in 2004 and 2005. (pdf). Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 8. pp.283-292. Retrieved on 2 April 2017</ref> and surrounding waters<ref name=IndopacetusPacificus/><ref name=MMS99>{{cite journal|last1=Pitman|first1=Robert L.|last2=Palacios|first2=Daniel M.|last3=Brennan|first3=Patricia L. R.|last4=Brennan|first4=Bernard J.|last5=Balcomb|first5=Kenneth C.|last6=Miyashita|first6=Tomio|title=Sightings and possible identity of a bottlenose whale in the tropical Indo-Pacific: ''Indopacetus pacificus''? |journal=Marine Mammal Science|date=April 1999|volume=15|issue=2|pages=531–549|doi=10.1111/j.1748-7692.1999.tb00818.x |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230094679 }}</ref> including Lanyu<ref>[http://simagaga1972.pixnet.net/blog/post/29807235-%E8%99%9F%E5%A4%96%EF%BC%81%E8%99%9F%E5%A4%96%EF%BC%81%E5%A4%A7%E9%AF%A8%E9%AD%9A%E6%93%B1%E6%B7%BA%E8%98%AD%E5%B6%BC%E7%B4%85%E9%A0%AD%E7%81%98(11-20-04%3A54 號外！號外！大鯨魚擱淺蘭嶼紅頭灘(11/20 04:54更新) @ 夏天~等我回來 :: 痞客邦 PIXNET ::]. Simagaga1972.pixnet.net. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>Syaman L., 2013, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfJEbtNwunQ 朗氏緣鯨擱淺]. [[YouTube]]</ref> and Green Island.<ref name=GreenIsland/> Based on studies, presences of other beaked whales, being lesser known as well, have been confirmed to be common around Taiwanese waters, and Taiwan is one of fewer locations where beaked whales have been observed with higher regularities during [[whale watching]] tours.<ref>[http://photo.xuite.net/d851408/13145487 鯨魚 (1/1) – d851408的相簿 @ 隨意窩 Xuite 相簿]. Photo.xuite.net. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> [[Stejneger's beaked whale]]s are resident in Sea of Japan, and one of the most commonly recorded ziphiidae species of the Korean Peninsula although their presence within Yellow Sea is rather unclear.<ref name=EastSea /> *[[Orca]]s – The current status of killer whales along the nation's coasts and surrounding areas is unclear. Sighting is more common along eastern Taiwanese coasts such as off [[Chenggong, Taitung|Chenggong]]<ref>[http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/1415684 東海岸再現「鯨」喜！上百隻短肢領航鯨現蹤 – 生活 – 自由時報電子報]. News.ltn.com.tw (18 August 2015). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> while on mainland, they do occur on almost the entire shoreline from Bohai and Yellow Sea in north to [[Ningbo]]<ref>China.com. 2017. [http://news.china.com/socialgd/10000169/20170222/30274239.html 渔民误捕2条4米多长虎鲸 送往科研机构作研究(组图)]. Retrieved on 3 October 2017</ref> and [[Zhoushan Archipelago]] in east, and along the southern coasts and islands including Paracel Islands as well.<ref name=SmallCetaceansChina>{{cite journal|authors=Kaiya Z., Leatherwood S., Jefferson A.T.|title=Records of Small Cetaceans in Chinese Waters: A Review|journal=Asian Marine Biology|volume=12|year=1995|pages=119–139|url=https://swfsc.noaa.gov/uploadedFiles/Divisions/PRD/Publications/Zhouetal95(26).pdf|access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> There was a commercial catch on southern Taiwan in 1990s.<ref name=SmallCetaceansChina /><ref>{{cite journal|authors=Kaiya Z., Leatherwood S., Jefferson A.T. |year=2002 |title=Report of the Second Workshop on The Biology and Conservation of Small Cetaceans and Dugongs of South-East Asia |journal=CMS Technical Series Publication Nº 9 at Convention on Migratory Species |url=http://www.iucn-csg.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Perrinetal.0589.pdf |editor1=Perrin F.W. |editor2=Reeves R.R. |editor3=Dolar L.L.M. |editor4=Jefferson A.T. |editor5=Marsh H. |editor6=Wang Y.J. |editor7=Estacion J. |display-editors=3 |access-date=6 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045901/http://www.iucn-csg.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Perrinetal.0589.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref> They still occur in few numbers in Korean side of Yellow Sea or nearby such as the sightings of pairs in 2001<ref>{{in lang|ko}} [http://ocean.kisti.re.kr/downfile/volume/kofis/KSSHBC/2012/v45n5/KSSHBC_2012_v45n5_486.pdf 45권5호내지6.indd]. (PDF) . Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> and 5 or 6 whales off [[Wando (island)]] within the [[Dadohaehaesang National Park]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=0010733395&code=61121111&sid1=soc|title='프리윌리' 주인공 범고래 무리 다도해에 등장|website=news.kmib.co.kr|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> *[[Short-finned pilot whale]]s – So called the "Southern Form" of the species ranges within the Chinese waters. Most of live and deceased records concentrate on eastern coasts of Taiwan.<ref name="short" /><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257928242 |title=The "Southern form" of short-finned pilot whale (''Globicephala macrorhynchus'') in tropical west Pacific Ocean off Taiwan |author=Cheng, Ing |journal=The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology |volume=62 |pages=188–199 |year=2014}}</ref> Mainland distributions are rather unclear as there had been only one stranding record in Hainan,<ref name=SmallCetaceansChina /> including regularities of occurrences within Yellow Sea regions, but occasional strandings have been recorded such as at [[Taeanhaean National Park]]<ref>{{in lang|ko}} [http://media.daum.net/culture/life/view.html?cateid=1014&newsid=20080923030210684&p=hankooki&RIGHT_COMM=R6 심해성 들쇠고래, 서해서 죽어나는 까닭은]. Media.daum.net. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.nifs.go.kr/portal/bbs?id=whai02&flag=pre&boardIdx=14550 서해안서 `들쇠고래' 2마리 죽은 채 발견]. Nifs.go.kr. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> or [[Jeju Province|Jeju]].<ref>[http://www.nifs.go.kr/bbs?id=whaleprod02&flag=pre&boardIdx=14506 고래연구소>수산연구>고래관련자료] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306084623/http://www.nifs.go.kr/bbs?id=whaleprod02&flag=pre&boardIdx=14506 |date=6 March 2016 }}. Nifs.go.kr. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=51434 멸종위기 '들쇠고래' 제주 연안에서 '최초' 발견]. Jejusori.net. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> There was a mass stranding at Nanji Islands in 2004.<ref>2004. [http://www.people.com.cn/GB/huanbao/1074/2382909.html 鲸鱼遇险南麂大沙滩 随时可能搁浅和集体自杀]</ref> *[[False killer whale]]s – One of few species surviving today in descent numbers on mainland coasts, but in peril; any warmer regions such as Taiwan, Nánpēng Islands,<ref name="Nánpēng"/> [[:zh:南麂列岛|Nanji Island Marine Sanctuary]],<ref name=保护宣言 /> [[Matsu Islands]],<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Lienchiang County Government]]|title=A natural aquatic menagerie|url=http://www.matsu.gov.tw/en/page/news_cnt.php?id=3978|access-date=3 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103143046/http://www.matsu.gov.tw/en/page/news_cnt.php?id=3978|archive-date=3 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Langyatai on Huangdao District,<ref>2004. [http://qingdaonews.com/gb///content/2004-10/25/content_3807241.htm 伪虎鲸群昨"逛"琅琊台200多人目睹20多只鲸鱼嬉戏场面]. [[List of newspapers in China|Qingdao News]]. Retrieved on 5 March 2017</ref> [[Dongshan County]],<ref>[https://v.qq.com/x/page/a014233gkij.html 东山岛海钓鲸鱼戏水]. [[Tencent Video]]. Retrieved on 6 October 2017</ref> Hong Kong,<ref>{{cite news|publisher=The [[China News Service]]|year=2014|title=近百伪虎鲸于香港葵涌码头游弋 专家称罕见(组图)|url=http://hm.people.com.cn/n/2014/0215/c230533-24368532.html|page=[[People's Daily]]|access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> Paracel Islands, and so on. **False killer whales along continental China are known to often enter and swim up large rivers in pods or large numbered schools, reaching more than 30 to 50&nbsp;km, or individuals can travel further for 220 to 300&nbsp;km in extreme cases.<ref name=SmallCetaceansChina /> Rivers and canals in [[Xiangshui County]] such as Guanhe, Jiangsu, [[Huai River|Huai]], and [[Tongyu]] (''通榆河'') rivers<ref>{{cite news|authors=陈霞, 朱殿平|year=2014|title=连云港灌河水怪谜踪:地方志记载4次大鱼吃人|url=http://js.people.com.cn/html/2014/04/16/302977_3.html|pages=[[People's Daily]] and 连网|access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Whales Sighted in East China Canal|url=http://www.chinatrips.net/Whales_Sighted_in_East_China_Canal_2076.htm|page=The Web Tours International – China Trips|access-date=6 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080403221416/http://www.chinatrips.net/Whales_Sighted_in_East_China_Canal_2076.htm|archive-date=3 April 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> have local legends of "鲸拜龙王" (''Worshiped Whale Dragon King''), telling that every spring whales gather at river mouths and swim up. In recent years, especially from earlier 2000s, false killer whales have been observed to swim up rivers rather regularly, showing dramatic recoveries<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[China Network Television]]|year=2001|title=大批鯨魚群再次回游江蘇灌河|url=http://www.people.com.cn/BIG5/huanbao/57/20010525/474427.html|page=[[People's Daily]]|access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> and their numbers are rising up once again, up to more than 200 whales.<ref>{{cite web|author=劉克|year=2002|title=200多鯨魚結隊游灌河 兩岸數千群眾觀看喝彩|url=http://www.people.com.cn/BIG5/huanbao/57/20020718/779056.html|page=[[People's Daily]]|access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> Whales occasionally appear in [[Jiaozhou Bay]] where was once a regular range for the species until in 1980s.<ref name=JiaozhouBay>[http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2004-10-15/10253930824s.shtml 青岛海水水质变好引来"深海贵客" 鲸鱼群嬉水胶州湾(组图)]. News.sina.com.cn. Retrieved on 29 August 2016</ref><ref>一个男人在流浪. 2017. [https://www.zhihu.com/question/34100917 「北冥有鲲」古人见过鲸么？]. [[Zhihu]]. Retrieved on 3 October 2017</ref> ===Dugongs=== [[File:Dugong Marsa Alam.jpg|thumb|A [[dugong]]]] [[Dugong]]s are marine mammals that feed entirely on vegetation such as [[seagrass]]. They are related to [[manatee]]s in the Western Hemisphere, and are only [[sirenia]]n species found in Asian waters. In China,<ref>{{Cite journal |first=Peilie |last=Wang |author2=Jianyun Sun |year=1986|title=Distribution of the Dugong off the coast of China|url=http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-SLXX198603002.htm |journal=Acta Theriologica Sinica |volume=6 |issue=3 |pages=175–181 |access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> dugongs are found along the coasts of the [[Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region]], where [[:zh:广西合浦儒艮国家级自然保护区|the Hepu Dugong National Nature Reserve]], near Beihai, was created in 1992 for their protection, and less frequently in Hainan.<ref>{{Cite journal |first=Peilie |last=Wang |author2=Jiabo Han |author3=Zhiqiang Ma |author4=Nianbin Wang |year=2007 |title=Survey on the resources status of dugong in Hainan Province, China |url=http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-SLXX200701010.htm |journal=Acta Theriologica Sinica |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=68–73 |access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> Current distributions could be much more restricted than that of pre-exploitation ranges, as once might have been seen in the [[Yellow sea]] regions.<ref>[http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/yellow_sea.cfm Yellow Sea | WWF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310083055/http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/yellow_sea.cfm |date=10 March 2016 }}. Wwf.panda.org. Retrieved on 29 August 2016.</ref> They are considered regionally extinct in Taiwan. The dugong is a Class I protected species. They were hunted for their meat in the late 1950s and early 1960s during the [[Great Leap Forward]]. Dugongs are threatened by the loss of seagrass beds from coastal development. Several areas still possess feasible habitats for dugongs today such as the [[Dongsha Atoll National Park|Dongsha Atoll]] and the west coasts of [[Hainan]] and [[Leizhou Peninsula]], and Chinese government funded to establish a sanctuary designed for dugong and [[mangrove]] conservation ranging from [[Hepu County]] to [[Shankou, Hepu County|Shankou]] in [[Guanxi]],<ref>{{cite journal|title=Hepu Seagrass Demonstration Site Summary Sheet|url=http://iwlearn.net/iw-projects/885/project_doc/Demo_Site_Seagrass_China_Hepu.pdf|access-date=15 March 2015}}</ref> also to secure local [[Chinese white dolphin]]s.<ref>{{cite web|year=2014|title=海 广西合浦儒艮国家级自然保护区加入中华白海豚保护联盟|url=http://www.cutv.com/v2/2014-5-22/G15fgffghgjffmkiomoain.shtml|publisher=The Cutv.com|access-date=15 March 2015}}</ref> Individuals distributed among the [[Beibu Gulf Economic Rim]]<ref name=BeibuSurvey>{{Cite journal |first=Kaiya |last=Zhou |author2=Xinrong Xu |author3=Jinsong Tang|year=2003|title=Survey of the Status of the Dugong in the Beibu Gulf, China, with Remarks on the Indian Humpbacked Dolphin (''Sousa plumbea'') |url=http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-SLXX200301004.htm|journal=Acta Theriologica Sinica |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=20–26 |access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> in [[Gulf of Tonkin]] face threats of busy-becoming ship-lanes and polluted waters. ===Elephant=== [[File:IndianElephant.jpg|thumb|right|250px|An [[Asian elephant]]]] [[Asian elephants]] [[Elephants in ancient China|once roamed a large swath of China]], but are now confined to the [[Xishuangbanna]] and [[Puer Hani and Yi Autonomous County|Pu'er]] Prefectures of southern Yunnan. Xishuangbana means 12 elephants in the local [[Thai language]]. In recent years, Chinese demand for ivory has led to a sharp increase in elephant poaching around the world.<ref name="NYT elephant">Jacobs, Andrew (26 April 2014) [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/26/world/asia/in-land-that-values-ivory-wild-elephants-find-a-safe-haven.html?_r=0 "Xishuangbana Journal: In Land That Values Ivory, Wild Elephants Find a Safe Haven"]. N.Y. Times</ref> Thanks to strict enforcement of elephant protection laws with capital punishment for poachers and government financed feeding programs, the population of elephants within China from 1994 to 2014 roughly doubled to nearly 300.<ref name="NYT elephant"/> ===Odd-toed ungulates=== {{multiple image |direction = vertical |align = right | image1 = Indian Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis)1 - Relic38.jpg | width1 = 200 | caption1 = [[Indian rhinoceros]], extinct in China since 1920 | image2 = Sumatran Rhinoceros at Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary Lampung Indonesia 2013.JPG | width2 = 200 | caption2 = [[Sumatran rhinoceros]], extinct in China since 1916 | image3 = Ceratotherium simum kwh 2.jpg | width3 = 200 | caption3 = [[Southern white rhinoceros]] introduced into the wild in 2014 | image4 = Jackson rhino.jpg | width4 = 200 | caption4 = [[Northern Sumatran rhinoceros]], will possibly become extinct during 20th century }} [[Rhinoceroses in ancient China|Records and artwork from antiquity]] indicate that three species of Asian [[rhinoceros]], the [[Indian rhinoceros|Indian]], [[Javan rhinoceros|Javan]] and [[Sumatran rhinoceros|Sumatran]], more specially the [[Northern Sumatran rhinoceros]] have lived in China.<ref name=ChinaRhino>{{cite web|url=http://guoqing.china.com.cn/2012-11/07/content_27034243_4.htm|title=中国近代已灭绝的十五种珍稀动物排行_中国国情_中国网|last=蔚刚强|website=guoqing.china.com.cn|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> During the [[Shang Dynasty]], some 3,000 years ago, rhinoceros ranged as far north as Inner Mongolia.<ref name=ChinaRhino/> By the beginning of the [[Han Dynasty]], 2,200 years ago, they had disappeared from the Central Plains of northern China.<ref name=ChinaRhino/> During the [[Tang Dynasty]], about 1,200 years ago, rhinos were found across southern China and the imperial zoo had a captive breeding program that returned some animals to the wild.<ref name=ChinaRhino/> Cooler climate in northern China may have caused rhinoceros habitat to shrink, but it was demand for rhino horns for use in traditional Chinese medicine, documented in as early as the [[Song Dynasty]] 1,000 years ago, that drove the animal toward extinction.<ref name=ChinaRhino/> In the [[Ming Dynasty]] about 650 years ago, rhinoceros were confined to Yunnan and Guizhou, and by the [[Qing Dynasty]] to only Yunnan.<ref name=ChinaRhino/> The Qing government limited the hunting of rhinos to only officials, and some 300 horns were harvested between 1900 and 1910.<ref name=ChinaRhino/> The collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911 allowed individuals to hunt the animal.<ref name=ChinaRhino/> The last Sumatran rhino was killed in 1916, the last Indian rhino in 1920 and the last Javan rhino in 1922.<ref name=ChinaRhino/> In 2010, a herd of nine southern white rhinoceros were imported from South Africa and shipped to Yunnan where they were kept in a wild animal park for acclimation. In March 2013, seven of the animals were shipped to the Laiyanghe National Forest Park, a habitat where Asian rhinoceros once lived.<ref>[http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2939/rhinos_reintroduced_to_yunnan Patrick Scally, "Rhinos reintroduced to Yunnan"]. GoKunming.com 2 April 2013</ref> Two of the African rhinos began the process of being released into the wild on 13 May 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://v.163.com/paike/V8H1BHIEH/V9R75GIGK.html|title=13、中央电视台新闻频道-[新闻直播间]云南普洱：白犀牛今天进行_拍客_网易视频|website=v.163.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> {{multiple image | align = left | image1 = Takhi Hustai.jpg | width1 = 128 | caption1 = [[Przewalski's horse]] | image2 = Equus kiang holdereri04.jpg | width2 = 227 | caption2 = [[Kiang|Asiatic wild ass (kiang)]] }} The [[Przewalski's horse]], the only species of [[wild horse]]s never to have been domesticated, once roamed free in large parts of northwestern China but became locally extinct in 1957. In the 1980s, herds from Europe have been introduced to habitats in Xinjiang and Gansu. The other [[odd-toed ungulates]] in China are the [[Mongolian wild ass]] and the [[kiang|Tibetan wild ass (kiang)]]. The former is endangered while the latter is not. Both are Class I protected species. ===Even-toed ungulates=== ====Deer==== China has a great variety of [[true deer]] and its close kin the [[musk deer]]. The largest deer is the [[moose|elk]], which is found in the [[Greater Khingan|Greater]] and [[Lesser Khingan]] ranges of the northeast. The moose stands 2 m tall and weighs as much 700&nbsp;kg. In contrast, the [[lesser mouse-deer]] of Yunnan, which is just 45&nbsp;cm in height and weighs 2&nbsp;kg, is not much bigger than a rabbit. China has both the [[elk|wapiti]] and [[red deer]], the second and fourth largest deer species, which until 2004 were considered the same species. The elk or wapiti of North America, has four subspecies in Asia – the [[Altai wapiti]], [[Tian Shan wapiti]], [[Manchurian wapiti]] and [[Alashan wapiti]] – all of which are present in China. The red deer, though quite common in Europe, has subspecies in China that are endangered. {{multiple image | align = center | image1 = Wading moose.jpg | width1 = 264 | caption1 = [[Moose|Elk]] | image3 = Flickr - law keven - Someone needs to go back to camouflage school...-O))).jpg | width3 = 189 | caption3 = [[Red deer]] | image4 = Altai maral 2.jpg | width4 = 240 | caption4 = [[Altai wapiti]] | image2 = 20140302 7397 Pench Sambar.jpg | width2 = 200 | caption2 = [[Sambar deer|Sambar]] }} The [[Yarkand deer]] lives along the [[Tarim River]] in Xinjiang south of the Tian Shan. The [[Bactrian deer]] lives north of the Tian Shan in northern Xinjiang and Central Asian Republics. The [[Tibetan red deer]], [[Kansu red deer|Gansu red deer]], [[Sichuan deer]] have been alternatively categorized as subspecies of the elk or the [[Central Asian red deer]]. The [[sambar deer]], the third largest deer species, is found throughout southern China, and on the islands of Hainan and Taiwan. They live near water and are called "water deer" in Chinese. They should not be confused for the [[Chinese water deer]], a smaller deer which are found in the Yangtze Delta region. The water deer is the only species of [[true deer]] without antlers. {{multiple image | footer = | align = center | image3 = Hydropotes inermis male.JPG | width3 = 207 | caption3 = [[Chinese water deer]] | image5 = 2011 Muntjak-4.jpg | width5 = 175 | caption5 = [[Hairy-fronted muntjac|Hairy-fronted muntjac or black muntjac]] | image2 = Tufteddeer-2.jpg | width2 = 114 | caption2 = [[Tufted deer]] | image4 = Muntjac-chines muntiacus-reevesi.jpg | width4 = 107 | caption4 = [[Reeve's muntjac]] | image1 = The Indian muntjac, muntiacus muntjak.jpg | width1 = 240 | caption1 = [[Indian muntjac|Indian or common muntjac]] }} Water deer, [[tufted deer]] and [[muntjacs]] are small deer with long upper canines that protrude like tusks. Muntjacs are known for their soft hide and tender meat. The [[Indian muntjac]] is found throughout southern China. The range of the [[Reeve's muntjac]] extends north to Gansu and to Taiwan. [[Fea's muntjac]] are found in eastern Tibet and the [[Gongshan muntjac]] in neighboring Yunnan. The [[hairy-fronted muntjac]] is endemic to the mountains at the juncture of Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Fujian and is a protected species. The [[tufted deer]], a close relative of the muntjac, is found throughout central China. Deer is prized in China for the velvet of their antlers. Antler velvet is rich in growth hormone and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.<ref>[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/01/130130-deer-velvet-antler-spray-science-health-football-sports/ " Deer Antler Velvet—What Is It, How Does It Work?" National Geographic] 20 January 2013</ref> The most valuable antler velvet comes from the [[sika deer]] which is raised on farms. Several subspecies of the sika deer, including the [[Shanxi sika deer|Shanxi sika]] and the [[North China sika deer|North China sika]] may have become extinct in the wild and survive exclusively in captivity. The [[Sichuan sika deer]], another subspecies, was discovered in 1978 and lives in mountains of northern Sichuan and southern Gansu. The [[Formosan sika deer]] is endemic to Taiwan. {{multiple image | align = center | image1 = Cervus nippon 002.jpg | width1 = 239 | caption1 = [[Sika deer]] | image2 = Panolia eldii thamin.jpg | width2 = 213 | caption2 = [[Eld's deer]] | image4 = Cervus albirostris 1 - Syracuse Zoo.jpg | width4 = 224 | caption4 = [[Thorold's deer|Thorold's or white-lipped deer]] | image3 = Axis porcinus 690V6071 - Lip Kee.jpg | width3 = 200 | caption3 = [[Hog deer]] }} [[Reindeer]], which are found in the forests of the Greater Khingan range in northern Inner Mongolia, are domesticated by the ethnic [[Evenks|Ewenki]] and [[Oroqen people|Oroqen]] people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.china.com.cn/aboutchina/zhuanti/ewenke/2009-06/10/content_17923159.htm|title=独特的鄂温克驯鹿文化_中国网|website=China.com.cn|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> The Oroqen call themselves, "people who use the reindeer." One branch of the Ewenki rely on reindeer to haul goods through swampy forests. They use reindeer milk and meat for nourishment, hides for clothing and tents, and antlers for medicine and income. The Kyrgyz people, who now reside in Central Asia and western Xinjiang, used to live in northeast Asia and regard the sika deer as a holy animal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://travel.sina.com.cn/china/2014-03-12/1839252449_2.shtml|title=柯尔克孜族象征图案：梅花鹿(组图)|website=Travel.sina.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> According to Kyrgyz legend, the Kyrgyz Bugu tribe descended from a mother deer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.advantour.com/kyrgyzstan/legends/origin-of-bugu.htm|title=Legends of Kyrgyzstan: Bugu Tribe|website=Advantour.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> The sika deer is protected as a [[List of endangered and protected species of China|Class I endangered species]] by the state, though it is classified by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature| International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)]] as [[least concern]]. Another Class I protected deer is the [[Thorold's deer|Thorold's]] or white-lipped deer. This large deer with a population of about 15,000 that is endemic to Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, Tibet and Yunnan, is considered [[Vulnerable species|vulnerable]] by the IUCN. The Chinese population of [[Eld's deer]], a Class I protected species that is also considered [[Endangered species|endangered]] by IUCN, is found only on the island of Hainan. For decades, the [[Indochinese hog deer]] was believed to be extinct in China until a fawn was discovered in 2007 in the [[Yongde County|Yongde]] Daxueshan National Wildlife Reserve. The Indochinese hog deer is also protected by the state. [[File:Pere David Deer - Woburn Deer park (5108236985).jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Père David's deer]] at Woburn Deer Park, where the species was saved and from which the animal was eventually reintroduced to China]] Perhaps the most remarkable endangered deer species in China is [[Père David's deer]]. This deer, colloquially known as the ''sibuxiang'' or the "Four-Not-Look-Alike", is said to have the hooves of an ox, antlers of a deer, neck of a camel and tail of a donkey, but does not look like any one animal. According to Chinese legend, this animal helped the ancient sage [[Jiang Ziya]] overthrow the [[King Zhou of Shang|tyrant king]] of the [[Shang Dynasty]] 4,000 years ago and became a symbol of good fortune. Chinese emperors kept the ''sibuxiang'' also called ''milu'' in imperial hunting parks, even as the animal became extinct in the wild, perhaps as early as 2,000 years ago. By 1866, when Father [[Armand David]] identified the animal, there were only 200–300 remaining in the [[Milu Yuan|Nanhaizi Royal Park]] in [[Beijing]]. A few animals were sold to zoos in Europe before 1894, when the park was flooded and some of the animals escaped only to be hunted and eaten. The last of the animals in China died during the chaos of the [[Boxer Rebellion]]. In 1898, [[Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford]] assembled a herd of 18 animals from European zoos and bred them at his estate, [[Woburn Abbey]] in England. In 1985, 22 deer from this herd was reintroduced back to the Nanhaizi Park in Beijing and in 1986 another 39 were sent to [[Dafeng]], in northern Jiangsu on the [[Yellow Sea]]. In 1998, eight animals in the latter herd were introduced into wilderness of the Dafeng Milu National Wildlife Reserve. By 2013, the reserve had 196 Père David's deer.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chinamlw.org/a/baohuqugaikuang/baohuqujianjie/20130222/8.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=26 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714194121/http://www.chinamlw.org/a/baohuqugaikuang/baohuqujianjie/20130222/8.html |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[File:Paozikun530.jpg|thumb|left|160px|[[Siberian roe deer]]]] The [[Siberian roe deer]], once plentiful in the Northeast and favored as game meat, has also become a protected species. Hunting of roe deer was banned in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2013/1223/c70731-23923358.html|title=黑龙江狍子种群有所恢复--时政--人民网|last=3139|website=Politics.people.com.cn|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> {{multiple image | align = right | image1 = Siberian Musk Deer.jpg | width1 = 149 | caption1 = [[Siberian musk deer]] | image2 = Mouse-deer Singapore Zoo 2012.JPG | width2 = 152 | caption2 = [[Lesser mouse-deer]] }} [[Musk deer]] and [[mouse-deer]] resemble small deer but are not [[true deer]]. They do not have antlers or facial scent glands. Male musk deer have scent glands that secrete [[deer musk]], which is used for perfume, incense and medicine. Of the seven musk deer species in the world, six are found in China and five are endangered: the [[Anhui musk deer]] and [[dwarf musk deer]] of central China, the [[alpine musk deer]] of western China, the [[white-bellied musk deer]] and [[black musk deer]] of Tibet. The [[Siberian musk deer]] in the northeast is considered vulnerable. The lesser mouse-deer is found in southern Yunnan. ====Antelope==== {{multiple image |direction = vertical |align = right | image1 = Джейран.jpg | width1 = 230 | caption1 = [[Goitered gazelle]] | image2 = | width2 = 230 | caption2 = [[Saiga antelope]] }} The grasslands, plateau and deserts of northern and western China are home to several species of [[antelope]]. The [[Mongolian gazelle]], also known as the Zeren or yellow sheep, can run at speeds of up to 90&nbsp;km/h and gather in herds by the thousands. They used to be spread over much of northern China but are now confined largely to Inner Mongolia. The [[Tibetan gazelle]] or goa antelope, is slightly smaller than the Mongolian gazelle, and lives on the [[Tibetan Plateau]]. The [[Przewalski's gazelle]], whose males have distinctive horns that curl outward and then inward at the top, are extremely rare and endemic to a small region around [[Qinghai Lake]] on the northeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau. The [[goitered gazelle]] is about the same size as the Mongolian gazelle and is found throughout the [[Gobi Desert]]. The [[Tibetan antelope]], also known as chiru, is taller than the gazelles and has longer horns. It is endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and is endangered. The animal is poached for its fine wool, which is made by [[Kashmiri people|Kashmiri]] weavers into the [[Shahtoosh]] shawl. The film ''[[Kekexili: Mountain Patrol]]'' documents efforts to protect the animal from poaching. The Tibetan antelope was one of the [[Fuwa|mascots]] for the [[2008 Summer Olympics]]. The [[saiga antelope]]'s horns are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of ailments including the common cold.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cnkang.com/zyzy/zhuanti/lingyangjiao/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=26 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717053951/http://www.cnkang.com/zyzy/zhuanti/lingyangjiao/ |archive-date=17 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Despite its status as a Class I protected species, the saiga antelope has been poached to extinction in the [[Dzungaria|Dzungar Basin]] of northern Xinjiang and is critically endangered in Central Asia and Russia. Chinese police routinely interdict large batches of smuggled horns into Xinjiang.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.163.com/14/0623/12/9VE3HSUC00014AEF.html|title=新疆霍尔果斯海关破获一起羚羊角走私案_网易新闻|last=网易|website=news.163.com|access-date=6 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107060920/http://news.163.com/14/0623/12/9VE3HSUC00014AEF.html|archive-date=7 January 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Attempts have been made to reintroduce the saiga antelope to habitats in China.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/cn_zggk/2004-06/28/content_55938.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=26 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051609/http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/cn_zggk/2004-06/28/content_55938.htm |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ====Goat antelopes==== [[Serow]]s, [[goral]]s and the [[takin]] are called antelope by the Chinese, and [[goat antelope]] by western taxonomists. The largest of these goat antelope is the [[takin]], a relative of the musk ox. It lives in highlands from the eastern foothills of the Himalayas to the Qinling and shares habitat with the giant panda in Sichuan and Shaanxi. The takin is a Class I protected species. {{multiple image | align = center | image1 = Takin 1427.JPG | width1 = 214 | caption1 = [[Takin]] | image3 = Naemorhedus caudatus Toruń2.jpg | width3 = 145 | caption3 = [[Long-tailed goral]] | image4 = Nemorhaeduscaudatusarnouxianus2.JPG | width4 = 216 | caption4 =[[Chinese goral]] with kid | image5 = 長鬃山羊.jpg | width5 = 241 | caption5 = [[Taiwan serow]] }} Serows are smaller than takins but significantly larger than gorals. Both serows and gorals live in rainy mountainous regions and are excellent climbers. Serows have shorter and coarser wool than gorals. The [[mainland serow]] is spread across southern China. The range of the [[Chinese goral]] is even broader, extending to Korea in the northeast. The [[long-tailed goral]] lives in the northeast, along the borders with Russia and North Korea. The [[Himalayan serow]], [[Himalayan goral]], and [[red goral]] are found in southern Tibet. The [[Taiwan serow]] is endemic to Taiwan. ====Mountain sheep and goat==== [[File:Bharal, Himalayan blue sheep.jpg|thumb|left|180px|[[Bharal|Himalayan blue sheep or bharal]]]] [[File:Steinbock-P1150170.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Siberian ibex]]]] The [[argali]] or mountain sheep, the Asian cousin of the North American [[bighorn sheep]] has nine subspecies, seven of which are found in northern and western China, including the [[Marco Polo sheep]], which the [[Marco Polo|Venetian traveler]] reported observing in the [[Pamir mountains]]. The [[Bharal|Himalayan blue sheep]], with much smaller horns than the argali, are agile climbers on Himalayan cliffs. The [[dwarf blue sheep]] is found in western Sichuan. The [[Himalayan tahr]], discovered in China in 1974, is a Class I protected species with perhaps only 500 animals in southern Tibet. The [[Siberian ibex]], the largest and heaviest goat, is found in the [[Tian Shan]] range of Xinjiang. ====Cattle, camel, pig==== There are large numbers of domesticated [[gaur]], [[yak]] and [[Bactrian camel]] in China but in the wild, they are Class I protected species. The gaur or Indian bison is the tallest species of cattle and found in southern Tibet and Yunnan. Domesticated gaur, called [[gayal]], is raised by farmers in Yunnan. Yaks are the largest animals on the [[Tibetan Plateau]]. Wild yaks are larger than domestic yaks and slightly smaller than the gaur. They can tolerate extremely cold climate, climb steep slopes, and ford fierce rapids. Yaks are the imost important animal for Tibetan herders, who eat yak meat and milk for food, burn yak dung as fuel, spin yak hair into fabric, make yak hide leather and use yaks to transport and plow fields. Bactrian camels have two humps and can go a month or longer without drinking water. A thirsty Bactrian camel can drink 135 liters (30 gallons) in only 13 minutes.<ref>[http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bactrian-camel/# National Geographic "Bactrian Camel Camelus bactrianus"]. Animals.nationalgeographic.com (1 January 1970). Retrieved on 2016-08-29.</ref> They can withstand extremely hot and cold weather and have broad hooves that do not sink in desert. Bactrian camels are known as the "boats of desert" – for millennia, they were used to carry goods along the Silk Road. Wild camels are critically endangered and found in the [[Gobi]] and [[Taklamakan Desert]]s. {{multiple image | align = center | image1 = Bos gaurus by Joseph Lazer.jpg | width1 = 218 | caption1 = [[Gaur]] | image2 = Як в горах Заилийского Алатау.JPG | width2 = 200 | caption2 = [[Yak]] | image3 = Bactrians.jpg | width3 = 237 | caption3 =[[Bactrian camels]] }} The [[wild boar]], from which the [[domestic pig|farm-raised pigs]] was domesticated some 8,000 years ago in China, remains common in the Chinese wilderness. On occasion, boars will interbreed with farm-raised pigs. The Manchurian wild boar is the largest of the wild boar species. The Formosan wild boar is a subspecies endemic to Taiwan. ===Pangolin=== [[File:Zoo Leipzig - Tou Feng.jpg|thumb|right|[[Chinese pangolin]]]] The [[pangolin]], a scaly [[anteater]] that feed on ants and termites and curl into a ball when threatened, is prized in China for its flesh, which is considered a delicacy and scales, which used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat among other ailments, inadequate lactation in breast-feeding mothers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pangolinsg.org/files/2012/07/The-status-of-pangolins-in-China-2002.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=11 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714183412/http://www.pangolinsg.org/files/2012/07/The-status-of-pangolins-in-China-2002.pdf |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Chinese pangolin]] is found throughout southern China, Hainan and Taiwan and the [[Sunda pangolin]] in western Yunnan. In Chinese, the pangolin is called "that which wears mountain armor" and the animal is believed by local shamans to hold magical powers such that hunters must utter incantation before killing them to ward off bad luck.<ref>{{cite book|author=Coggins, Chris |title=The Tiger and the Pangolin: Nature, Culture, and Conservation in China|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uAzyTcc52eMC|year=2003|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=978-0-8248-2506-5|pages=1–2}}</ref> As a Class II protected species, trading of wild pangolins is prohibited, but poaching and illegal trade remains rampant. The pangolin can be farm-raised, but pangolin farms must generally also raise termites to feed the livestock.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinabreed.com/special/otherall/2006/04/2006042053342.shtml|title=穿山甲的人工养殖 - 其它 - 中国养殖网|website=Chinabreed.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> In recent years, Chinese customs have intercepted large shipments of pangolin from Southeast Asia and Africa. ===Rodents=== ====Porcupine==== [[File:Hystrix leucura fg01.JPG|thumb|right|[[Indian porcupine]]]] The [[porcupine]], called ''haozhu'' or "pig with long thin hair" in Chinese, should not be confused with [[hedgehog]], ''ciwei'' or the "thorned creature". Porcupines are rodents and hedgehogs belong to a [[Erinaceidae|separate order]]. Three species of [[Old World porcupine]] are found in China: the [[Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine]], [[Indian crested porcupine]], and [[Malayan porcupine]]. Many parts of the porcupine including the brain, organs, fat, quills and even the feces can be used to make traditional Chinese medicine. Porcupines are raised on farms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.djhzc.com/|title=桃源县源林豪猪养殖专业合作社堆金豪猪养殖场-豪猪-豪猪养殖-豪猪养殖基地-豪猪养殖技术-豪猪销售|website=Djhzc.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> ====Beaver==== [[File:Castor fiber vistulanus2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Eurasian beaver]]]] In the early 20th century, the [[Eurasian beaver]] was hunted to near extinction for its fur and [[castoreum]], a scent gland secretion used to make perfume and medicine. Though the global population has rebounded, the animal remains a Class I protected species. The Bulgan Beaver Nature Reserve in [[Qinggil County]] of northern [[Xinjiang]], at the source of the [[Irtysh River|Irtysh]] and [[Ulungur River]] along the border with [[Mongolia]], was created in 1980 to protect the beaver. In 2007, there were 145 beaver colonies with an estimated population of 500–600 beavers in the reserve.<ref>Hongjun Chua and Zhigang Jianga, [http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=5487776 Distribution and conservation of the Sino-Mongolian beaver ''Castor fiber birulai'' in China]. ''Oryx'' / Volume 43 / Issue 02 / April 2009, pp 197–202</ref> ====Squirrels==== [[Squirrels]] are called ''songshu'' or "pine rodent" in Chinese but not all species live in trees. The squirrel family includes [[tree squirrel]]s, [[flying squirrel]]s, [[ground squirrel]]s, [[rock squirrel]]s, [[marmot]]s and [[chipmunk]]s, which are all found in China, often in great variety. {{multiple image | align = right | image1 = Squirrel posing.jpg | width1 = 197 | caption1 = [[Red squirrel]] | image4 = Ratufa bicolor 6237.jpg | width4 = 136 | caption4 = [[Black giant squirrel]] | image3 = Tamiops mcclellandii - Kaeng Krachan.jpg | width3 = 134 | caption3 = [[Himalayan striped squirrel]] }} The [[red squirrel]] common in Europe and the [[black giant squirrel]] of Southeast Asia are found, respectively, in the northern and southern parts of China. Other [[tree squirrel]] species include the [[Pallas's squirrel|Pallas's]], [[Inornate squirrel|inornate]], [[Phayre's squirrel|Phayre's]], [[Irrawaddy squirrel|Irrawaddy]], [[Anderson's squirrel|Anderson's]], [[orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel|orange-bellied Himalayan]], [[Perny's long-nosed squirrel|Perny's long-nosed]], [[red-hipped squirrel|red-hipped]], [[Asian red-cheeked squirrel|Asian red-cheeked]], [[Himalayan striped squirrel|Himalayan striped]], [[Maritime striped squirrel|Maritime striped]], and [[Swinhoe's striped squirrel]]. [[Flying squirrel]]s are found in almost every part of China, from the Himalayas to the tropical island of Hainan to the rural outskirts of Beijing. Flying squirrel species include the [[groove-toothed flying squirrel|groove-toothed]], [[complex-toothed flying squirrel|complex-toothed]], [[hairy-footed flying squirrel|hairy-footed]], [[Particolored flying squirrel|particolored]], [[Indochinese flying squirrel|Indochinese]], [[Red giant flying squirrel|red giant]], [[Red and white giant flying squirrel|red and white giant]], [[spotted giant flying squirrel|spotted giant]], [[Indian giant flying squirrel|Indian giant]], [[Chinese giant flying squirrel|Chinese giant]], [[Japanese giant flying squirrel|Japanese giant]], [[Bhutan giant flying squirrel|Bhutan giant]], [[Siberian flying squirrel|Siberian]], Yunnan giant (''petaurista yunnanensis''), and [[Hodgson's giant flying squirrel|Hodgson's giant]]. Several are endemic to China. {{multiple image |direction = horizontal |align = center | image1 = Indian giant flying squirrel.jpg | width1 = 199 | caption1 = [[Indian giant flying squirrel]] | image2 = Petaurista petaurista.JPG | width2 = 124 | caption2 = [[Red giant flying squirrel]] | image3 = Petaurista nobilis.jpg | width3 = 200 | caption3 = [[Bhutan giant flying squirrel]] | image4 = Droppings of siberian flying squirrel.JPG | width4 = 200 | caption4 = The fecal pellets of the [[Siberian flying squirrel]]. The pellets are used in traditional Chinese medicine. }} Flying squirrels are timid creatures that are active at nighttime and use the [[patagium]], a membrane connecting the fore and hind limbs to glide from trees. They do not build nests and live in caves or rock crevices.<ref name=ChinaFlyingSquirrels>{{Cite web |url=http://www.agri.ac.cn/news/2008521/29095.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=11 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714225002/http://www.agri.ac.cn/news/2008521/29095.html |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> They also defecate at specific locations, which facilitates the harvest of their fecal pellets.<ref name=ChinaFlyingSquirrels/> The pellets are made into ''wulingzhi'', a traditional Chinese medicine used to facilitate blood flow and ease pain.<ref name=ChinaFlyingSquirrels/> Flying squirrel pellets can accumulate on the floor of caves for years and not rot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zjjhello.com/zjjhello-plant/2250.html|title=鼯鼠基本介绍|website=Zjjhello.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> Several species of flying squirrels are farm-raised to produce ''wulingzhi''.<ref name=ChinaFlyingSquirrels/> The [[groove-toothed flying squirrel]], also known as the North Chinese flying squirrel, is endemic to eastern Hebei Province and the suburbs of Beijing in [[North China]] and northern Sichuan. The [[complex-toothed flying squirrel]] is endemic to southern China. [[Ground squirrels]], [[rock squirrel]]s, [[marmot]]s and [[chipmunk]]s belong to the same tribe within the squirrel family. {{multiple image | align = right | image1 = Желтый суслик на закате у норы.jpg | width1 = 218 | caption1 = [[Yellow ground squirrel]] | image2 = Streifenhoernchen.jpg | width2 = 136 | caption2 = [[Siberian chipmunk]] | image3 = Summer Palace, Beijing-Sciurotamias davidianus.jpg | width3 = 214 | caption3 = [[Père David's rock squirrel]] at the [[Summer Palace]] in [[Beijing]] }} In China, ground squirrels are found in arid regions of the north and west where the animals live in burrels. Ground squirrel species include the [[Alashan ground squirrel|Alashan]], [[Daurian ground squirrel|Daurian]], [[Red-cheeked ground squirrel|red-cheeked]], [[Long-tailed ground squirrel|long-tailed]] and [[yellow ground squirrel]]. Two species of rock squirrels are endemic to China, the [[Père David's rock squirrel]], which is found across a wide swath of the country from the mountains around Beijing to Gansu and Sichuan, and the [[Forrest's rock squirrel]], found only in the mountains dividing the [[Yangtze River|Yangtze]] and [[Mekong River]] watershed in northwestern Yunnan. The [[Siberian chipmunk]], the only chipmunk species found outside [[North America]], has six subspecies in China, all in northern parts of the country. The animal is raised as pets and for its tender flesh, fine fur and ingredients for traditional Chinese medicine. The [[marmot]], called ''hanta'' in Chinese for "land" or "dry otter," is related to ground squirrels but are bigger, have shorter tails and are more social animals. They can grow to be the size of a cat and live in large colonies. Four species are found in China, all along the northern and western periphery of the country: [[gray marmot|gray]], [[Long-tailed marmot|long-tailed]], [[Himalayan marmot|Himalayan]], and [[tarbagan marmot|Tarbagan]]. Of these, the tarbagan marmot is an endangered, Class III protected species. Marmots are also farm-raised for food and fur. <gallery mode="packed" height="120px"> File:Marmota sibirica - (Russia, Mongolia) - Rochers-de-Naye, Switzerland, 2009.JPG|[[Tarbagan marmot]] File:Himalayan Marmot at Tshophu Lake Bhutan 091007 b.jpg|[[Himalayan marmot]] File:Marmota baibacina.jpg|[[Gray marmot]] </gallery> ====Jumping rodents==== {{multiple image | align = right | image1 = Allactaga sibirica Museum de Genève.JPG | width1 = 135 | caption1 = [[Mongolian five-toed jerboa]] | image2 = Sicista subtilis trizona.jpg | width2 = 138 | caption2 = [[Southern birch mouse]] }} A wide variety of jumping rodents belonging to the family ''[[Dipodidae]]'' can be found in China. These include [[jerboas]] and [[jumping mice]], called ''tiaoshu'', the "jumping rodent," and the [[birch mouse]], called ''jueshu'', the "falling rodent" or "stomping rodent." Jerboas, jumping mice, and birch mice all have long hind legs which can be used to make leaps from a bipedal stance. ====Zokors, bamboo rats==== [[File:Lesser bamboo rat.jpg|thumb|right|[[Lesser bamboo rat]]]] [[Zokor]]s and [[bamboo rat]]s are chubby and furry rodents with short limbs that burrow underground. Zokors have strong front limbs for digging. Zokor bones are used in traditional Chinese medicine and can substitute tiger bones. The [[Chinese zokor]], [[Rothschild's zokor]] and [[Smith's zokor]] are endemic to China. The range of the Chinese zokor extends across north China from Qinghai to Beijing while that of the Rothschild's and Smith's zokors are confined to Gansu, Shaanxi, Hubei and Qinghai. The [[false zokor]] and [[Transbaikal zokor]] are found along China's border region with Russia and Mongolia. All four bamboo rat species in the world are found in China: the [[Chinese bamboo rat]] south of the Yangtze, [[hoary bamboo rat]] in southwest China, [[large bamboo rat]] in [[Xishuangbanna]] in southern Yunnan and [[lesser bamboo rat]] and western Yunnan. The large bamboo rat can weigh as much as 5&nbsp;kg. The flesh of the bamboo rat is rich in protein and low in fat. Bamboo rat oil can be used to treat burn wounds. Both the zokor and bamboo rat are farm-raised for their fur, meat and use in medicine. ====Hamsters, lemmings, voles==== About half of the world's 25 species of [[hamster]]s are found in China. Most live in the deserts of Xinjiang, Gansu and Inner Mongolia. Some are named after the specific region in which they are found, such as the [[Chinese hamster|Chinese]], [[Mongolian hamster|Mongolian]], [[Gansu hamster|Gansu]], [[Chinese striped hamster|Chinese striped]], [[Tibetan dwarf hamster|Tibetan dwarf]], [[Kam dwarf hamster|Kham dwarf]], and [[Djungarian hamster]], and some by their founder, such as [[Campbell's dwarf hamster|Campbell's dwarf]], [[Roborovski hamster|Roborovski]], and [[Sokolov's dwarf hamster|Sokolov's dwarf]]. Others include the [[grey dwarf hamster|grey dwarf]], [[long-tailed dwarf hamster|long-tailed dwarf]], [[greater long-tailed hamster]] and [[black-bellied hamster]]. The Chinese hamster and Roborovski hamster have been bred as pets and found in homes throughout the world.*[[Eurasian water vole]] (''Arvicola amphibius'') ====Hedgehogs==== The [[Amur hedgehog]] (''Erinaceus amurensis'') hails from Manchuria, China. ====Mice and rats==== *[[Brown rat]] *[[Chinese dormouse]] (''Chaetocauda sichuanensis'') *[[Sichuan niviventer]] (''Niviventer excelsior'') *[[Yunnan hadromys]] (''Hadromys yunnanensis'') ====Hares==== *[[Chinese hare]] (''Lepus sinensis'') *[[Hainan hare]] *[[Manchurian hare]] ====Miscellaneous rodents==== <!-- Unsure where to sort-- someone please sort these--> *[[Chinese mole shrew]] (''Anourosorex squamipes'') *[[Glover's pika]] (''Ochotona gloveri'') *[[Great gerbil]] (''Rhombomys opimus'') *[[Large mole]] (''Mogera robusta'') *[[Northern treeshrew]] (''Tupaia belangeri'') *[[Short-tailed gymnure]] (''Hylomys suillus'') ===Bats=== Bats, the only mammals capable of sustained flight, are the second largest order of mammals after rodents. They are divided broadly into [[microbats]], which use [[Animal echolocation|echolocation]] to navigate and hunt insects, and [[megabats]], which rely on large eyes and keen smell to feed on fruits and nectar. Bats are found in great abundance and variety throughout China and are considered to be auspicious animals, symbolizing good fortune. Bat feces collected from caves are used in traditional Chinese medicine. ====Megabats==== {{multiple image | align = center | image3 = Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus) Kolkata West Bengal India 27042013.png | width3 = 103 | caption3 = [[Indian flying fox]] | image2 = Pteropus lylei.jpg | width2 = 153 | caption2 = [[Lyle's flying fox]]es | image1 = Lesser short-nosed fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis).jpg | width1 = 241 | caption1 = [[Lesser short-nosed fruit bat]] | image4 = Pteropus Vampyrus trees.jpg | width4 = 232 | caption4 = [[Large flying fox]]es }} Megabats, also called fruit bats, include [[flying foxes]], which are the largest bat species. Four species are found in China, all in isolated populations: the [[large flying fox]] in Shaanxi, [[Indian flying fox]] in Qinghai, [[Ryukyu flying fox]] in Taiwan, and [[Lyle's flying fox]] in Yunnan.<ref name=smith>{{cite book|editor1-first= Andrew T.|editor1-last=Smith |others= Yan Xie, Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde, John MacKinnon, Don E. Wilson, W. Chris Wozencraft|title=A Guide to the Mammals of China|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ka-9f68nPT4C&q=flying+fox+qinghai | date= 2010 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn= 9781400834112|pages=332–333}}</ref> The large flying fox can weigh {{convert|0.65|-|1.1|kg|lb|abbr=on}} and has a wingspan of up to {{convert|1.5|m|abbr=on}}. [[Geoffroy's rousette]] and [[Leschenault's rousette]], both dog-faced fruit bats, are the only megabats in China that can echolocate.<ref name=smith/> Unlike microbats, which generate ultrasound with their larynx, rousettes generate sonar sound waves with tongue clicks. Other fruit bat species include the [[Greater short-nosed fruit bat|greater]] and [[lesser short-nosed fruit bat]], [[Blanford's fruit bat]] and the [[cave nectar bat]]. Fruit bats are sometimes considered pests by fruit farmers, and are hunted and eaten in parts of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com.cn/GB/paper2742/12096/1088971.html|title=人民网—是是非非说果蝠|website=People.com.cn|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> They also help pollinate certain species of tropical fruit trees.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://emagazine.groups.xtbg.ac.cn/archives/1885 |title=Archived copy |access-date=16 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008011920/http://emagazine.groups.xtbg.ac.cn/archives/1885 |archive-date=8 October 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ====Microbats==== =====Vesper bats===== [[Vesper bat|Vesper]] or evening bats comprise the largest family of bats with at least 45 species in China. Members include [[myotis|mouse-eared bats]], [[long-eared bat]]s, [[pipistrelle]]s, [[noctule]]s and [[barbastelle]]s. {{multiple image | header = [[Mouse-eared bats]] | header_align = center | align = center | image2 = Myotis daubentoni.jpg | width2 = 232 | caption2 = [[Daubenton's bat]] | image1 = Myotis dasycneme (6885827501).jpg | width1 = 234 | caption1 = [[Pond bat]] | image4 = Myotis formosus flavus D5160056.JPG | width4 = 207 | caption4 = [[Hodgson's bat]]s | image3 = Myotis mystacinus.jpg | width3 = 144 | caption3 = [[Whiskered bat]] }} {{multiple image | align = left | direction = vertical | image1 = Myotis-blythii-cropped.jpg | width1 = 230 | caption1 = [[Lesser mouse-eared bat]] | image2 = Pipistrellus flight2.jpg | width2 = 230 | caption2 = [[Common pipistrelle]] | image4 = 16.01a.JRA.jpg | width4 = 230 | caption4 = [[Brown long-eared bat]] }} [[Mouse-eared bat|''Myotis'']] or mouse-eared bats are delicate and furry bats with pointed ears. Of the 90 or so species in the world, about one-fifth are found in China. The [[lesser mouse-eared bat]], [[pond bat]], [[Daubenton's bat]], [[Natterer's bat]] and [[whiskered bat]] are spread across Eurasia. Others inhabit either the warmer climes of southern China and Southeast Asia including the [[large myotis]], [[Szechwan myotis]], [[Burmese whiskered bat]] and [[Horsfield's bat]] or the temporate regions of northern China and Northeast Asia including the [[Far Eastern myotis]], [[fraternal myotis]], and [[Ikonnikov's bat]]. [[Hodgson's bat]], known for its distinctive golden fur, has unconnected populations in Afghanistan, India, central China, southeastern China, Manchuria, Taiwan, Korea and Indonesia. The [[Beijing mouse-eared bat]] is endemic to eastern China, and the [[Myotis fimbriatus|long-footed myotis]] is endemic to southern China and Hong Kong. Most mouse-eared bats are insectivores. [[Rickett's big-footed bat]], which is distributed across [[China Proper]] into Laos, lives near water and feeds on fish. The [[large-footed bat]] of Taiwan hunts insects on the surface of the water. [[Pipistrel]]s and their relatives are tiny bats that flutter like butterflies in flight. The [[common pipistrelle]] weighs only {{convert|3.5|to|8.5|g|oz|abbr=on}} and has a wingspan ranging of {{convert|18|to|25|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Other pipistrelles found in China include the [[least pipistrelle]], [[Kelaart's pipistrelle|Kelaart's]], [[Mount Popa pipistrelle|Mount Popa]], [[Savi's pipistrelle|Savi's]], [[Chocolate pipistrelle|chocolate]] [[Black-gilded pipistrelle|black-gilded]] and the [[Chinese pipistrelle]]. In Chinese, pipistrelles are called ''fuyi'' meaning "hidden wing." The flesh, blood, brain and feces of pipistrelle can be used to make traditional Chinese medicine. The brain is applied to the skin to treat acne and ingested to improve memory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bencaogangmu.100yangsheng.com/7158.html|title=李时珍认为山鸡,雀,鸽,秧鸡,鹧鸪,伏翼有什么功用-本草纲目-百年养生网|website=bencaogangmu.100yangsheng.com|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> {{multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | image1 = US Army 52613 Grosse Abendsegler.jpg | width1 = 131 | caption1 = [[Common noctule]] }} [[Noctule]]s are closely related to pipistrelles but can be much larger in size. The [[Chinese noctule]], which is endemic to the southern half of the country and Taiwan, weighs three to four times as much as the Chinese pipistrelle. Known as "mountain bats" in Chinese, noctules live in caves and rock croppings as well as the under the eaves of traditional homes. Noctules droppings are collected for medicinal uses. Other noctule bats in China include the [[common noctule]], [[lesser noctule]], and [[birdlike noctule]]. {{multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | image1 = Eptesicus_nilssoni.jpg | width1 = 220 }} Barbastelles are called wide-eared bats in Chinese. The range of the [[Asian barbastelle]] extends from Egypt through China to Japan. In 2001, a Chinese zoologist discovered a new species of barbastelle in the mountains of rural [[Beijing]].<ref name=BeijingBarbastelle/> This bat was discovered in a cave in [[Fangshan District]] where four other bat species—Rickett's big-foot, large mouse-eared, [[greater horseshoe bat|greater horseshoe]] and [[greater tube-nosed bat]]s also live.<ref name=fourbats>(Chinese) [http://www.currentzoology.org/temp/%7B50EB3115-5E3A-4189-A851-ED78CB1858BC%7D.pdf Ma Jie, Walter Metzner, Liang Bing et al. "同地共栖四种蝙蝠食性和回声定位信号的差异及其生态位分化" ''Acta Zoologica Sinica'' 50(2):145–150, 2004]</ref> The [[Beijing barbastelle]] (''Barbastella beijingensis'') was distinguished by the distinctiveness of its DNA and recognized as a species on 23 May 2007, the 300th birthday of [[Carl Linnaeus]].<ref name=BeijingBarbastelle>{{cite web|url=http://guoqing.china.com.cn/2012-10/17/content_26822554.htm|title=中国哺乳动物新物种：北京宽耳蝠_中国国情_中国网|last=卢倩仪|website=guoqing.china.com.cn|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> As of 2012, no other populations of this species have been found beyond Beijing. [[Long-eared bat]]s have enormous ears that can grow almost as long as their bodies, and are represented in China by multiple species (e.g. ''[[Plecotus kozlovi]]'', ''[[Plecotus ognevi]]''...). The [[Greater bamboo bat|greater]] and [[lesser bamboo bat]]s prefer to roost inside the hollow shoots of giant bamboo through holes eaten by beetles. Because the holes are small, bamboo bats are also tiny. An adult lesser bamboo bat that measures {{convert|4|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length and weighs {{convert|3.5|to|5.8|g|oz|abbr=on}}, is not much bigger than a [[bumble bee]]. [[House bat]]s including the [[Gobi big brown bat]], [[northern bat]], [[thick-eared bat]], [[serotine bat]] are also closely related to pipistrelles, noctules and barbastelles. Other relatives within [[Vespertilioninae|this extensive subfamily]] include [[Tickell's bat]], [[great evening bat]], [[harlequin bat]], [[greater Asiatic yellow bat]], [[particoloured bat]] and [[Asian particolored bat]]. [[Murininae|Tube-nosed bat]]s have longer nostrils than other vespers and funnel-shaped ears. Chinese species include the [[greater tube-nosed bat|greater]], [[little tube-nosed bat|little]], [[Round-eared tube-nosed bat|round-eared]], [[Hutton's tube-nosed bat|Hutton's]], and [[dusky tube-nosed bat]]. The dusky tube-nosed bat is endemic to Heilongjiang and Jilin in northeastern China. The greater tube-nosed bat of Beijing feeds on aerial beetles.<ref name=fourbats/> The [[painted bat]] and [[Hardwicke's woolly bat]], also vesper bats, live in the forests of southern China. =====Long-winged bats===== [[File:Miniopterus scheibersii 01-cropped.jpg|thumb|left|230px|[[Common bent-wing bat]]]] [[Miniopterus|Long-winged bats]] in China include the [[Common bent-wing bat|common]] and [[western bent-winged bat]]s. The common bent-wing bats can form large colonies and migrate hundreds of kilometers. =====Free-tailed bats===== [[File:Tadarida Teniotis263.JPG|thumb|right|[[European free-tailed bat]]]] [[Molossidae|Free-tailed bat]]s, unlike other bats, have tails that are detached from their wing membrances. Species include the [[European free-tailed bat]], [[La Touche's free-tailed bat]] and the [[wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat]]. =====False vampire===== {{multiple image | align = right | image1 = Greater False Vampire Bat (Megaderma lyra).jpg | width1 = 144 | caption1 = [[Greater false vampire bat]] | image2 = Rhinolophus rouxii.jpg | width2 = 154 | caption2 = [[Rufous horseshoe bat]] }} The [[greater false vampire bat]] of Guangxi is a carnivorous bat that feeds on rodents, fish, insects and smaller bats. It is smaller than the [[Spectral bat|"true" vampire bats]] of South America. =====Sac-winged bats===== {{multiple image | align = left | direction = vertical | image1 = Black-bearded tomb bat.jpg | width1 = 200 | caption1 = [[Black-bearded tomb bat]] }} [[Sac-winged bat]]s have sac-like glands under their wings that carry [[pheromones]], which are released to attract mates. Out of some 51 sac-winged bat species in the world, only the [[black-bearded tomb bat]] is found in China. =====Horseshoe bats===== [[Horseshoe bat]]s are called "[[chrysanthemum]] bats" in Chinese because they have horseshoe-shaped folds of skin that unfurl on their faces like the petals of a flower. These noseleaves help the horseshoe bat emit ultrasonic signals for echolocation. Species found in China include the [[greater horseshoe bat|greater]], [[least horseshoe bat|least]], [[king horseshoe bat|king]], [[Big-eared horseshoe bat|big-eared]], [[rufous horseshoe bat|rufous]], [[Chinese rufous horseshoe bat|Chinese rufous]], [[little Japanese horseshoe bat|little Japanese]], [[Blyth's horseshoe bat|Blyth's]], [[Osgood's horseshoe bat|Osgood's]], [[Pearson's horseshoe bat|Pearson's]], [[Thomas's horseshoe bat|Thomas's]], and [[Dobson's horseshoe bat|Dobson's]]. The king and Osgood's horseshoe bats are endemic to southwest China. Scientists believe that the [[SARS coronavirus]] may have originated in horseshoe bats in China.<ref>[http://www.fic.nih.gov/news/globalhealthmatters/september-october-2013/pages/sars-bat-human-transmission.aspx Chinese bats likely source of SARS virus, researchers report ''Global Health Matters'' Vol. 12 No. 5] Sept. / Oct. 2013</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Li | first1 = W. | last2 = Zhengli | first2 = S. | last3 = Meng | first3 = Y. | display-authors = etal | year = 2005 | title = Bats are natural reservoirs of SARS-like coronaviruses | url = https://zenodo.org/record/3949088| journal = Science | volume = 310 | issue = 5748| pages = 676–679 | doi=10.1126/science.1118391 | pmid=16195424| s2cid = 2971923 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Lau | first1 = S. | last2 = Woo | first2 = P. | last3 = Li | first3 = K. | display-authors = etal | year = 2005 | title = Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-like virus in Chinese horseshoe bats | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume = 102 | issue = 39| pages = 14040–14045 | doi=10.1073/pnas.0506735102 | pmid=16169905 | pmc=1236580}}</ref> Closely related to the horseshoe bats are the [[Hipposideros|roundleaf bats]], including the [[great roundleaf bat|great roundleaf]], [[Intermediate roundleaf bat|intermediate roundleaf]], [[Pomona roundleaf bat|Pomona]] and [[Pratt's roundleaf bat|Pratt's]], the [[East Asian tailless leaf-nosed bat]] and [[Stoliczka's trident bat]]. {{multiple image | align = left | image4 = Blyth's Horsehoe Bat (Rhinolophus lepidus).JPG | width4 = 214 | caption4 = [[Blyth's horseshoe bat]] | image2 = Große Hufeisennase (01).jpg | width2 = 259 | caption2 = [[Greater horseshoe bat]] | image3 = Hippos larvat 080116-3505 hurn.JPG | width3 = 311 | caption3 = [[Intermediate roundleaf bat]] }} {{Clear}} ==Birds== {{main|List of birds of China}} The avifauna of China includes a total of 1314 species, of which 52 are [[Endemism in birds|endemic]], two have been [[Introduced species|introduced]] by humans, and 55 are rare or accidental. One species listed is [[Local extinction|extirpated]] in China and is not included in the species count. Eighty seven species are globally threatened. ===Pheasants=== [[File:Guldfasan-2.jpg|thumb|A golden pheasant]] *[[Chinese monal]] *[[Golden pheasant]] ===Cranes and other wading birds=== * [[Black-necked crane]] *[[Red-crowned crane]] *[[Common spoonbill]] ==Reptiles== {{main|List of reptiles of China}} China has a big variety of reptiles including the [[Chinese alligator]] and the [[Yangtze giant softshell turtle]]. ===Crocodilians=== [[File:2011 China-Alligator 0491.JPG|thumb|A pair of [[Chinese alligator]]s in their habitat at the [[Shanghai Zoo]]]] *[[Chinese alligator]] (''Alligator sinensis'') ===Lizards=== *[[Chinese crocodile lizard]] (''Shinisaurus crocodilurus'') *[[Chinese water dragon]] (''Physignathus cocincinus'') ===Turtles and tortoises=== *[[Elongated tortoise]] (''Indotestudo elongata'') *[[Cantor's giant softshell turtle]] (''Pelochelys cantorii'') *[[Yangtze giant softshell turtle]] (''Rafetus swinhoei'') ===Snakes=== *[[Sharp-nosed pit viper]] (''Deinagkistrodon acutus'') *[[Dice snake]] (''Natrix tessellata'') *[[Elaphe bimaculata|Twin-spotted ratsnake]] (''Elaphe bimaculata'') *[[Mamushi]] (''Gloydius blomhoffii'') *[[Grass snake]] (''Natrix natrix'') *[[Mountain pitviper]] (''Ovophis monticola'') *[[Jerdon's pit viper]] (''Protobothrops jerdonii'') *[[Bamboo pit viper]] (''Trimeresurus gramineus'') *[[Mangshan pitviper]] (''Trimeresurus mangshanensis'') *[[Motuo bamboo pitviper]] (''Trimeresurus medoensis'') *[[Stejneger's pit viper]] (''Trimeresurus stejnegeri'') ==Amphibians== China is home to 346 species of amphibian.<ref name=":0" /> China's amphibian diversity is greater than any other country in the Old World, and it is the 5th in the whole world. China's amphibian fauna includes an important element of widespread, generally non-threatened species though 27.3% of amphibian species are extinct or threatened and because conservation assessments of Chinese amphibians have only started recently, it is likely that the current data on threats to amphibians are insufficient.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Feng|first1=X. |last2=Lau|first2=M. |last3=Stuart |first3=S. |last4=Chanson |first4=J. |last5=Cox |first5=N. |last6=Fischman |first6=D. |date=2007|title=Conservation needs of amphibians in China: A review |journal=Science in China Series C: Life Sciences |volume=50 |issue=2 |pages=265–276 |doi=10.1007/s11427-007-0021-5 |pmid=17447035 |s2cid=20039638 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6381837}}</ref> Several amphibian species in China have very limited geographical distributions.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Youhua, C. |author2=Junfeng, B. |date=2007 |title=Biogeography and hotspots of amphibian species of China: Implications to reserve selection and conservation |journal=Current Science |volume=92 |issue=4 |pages=480–489 |url=http://www.iisc.ernet.in/~currsci/feb252007/480.pdf}}</ref> === Frogs === [[File:Amolops hongkongensis 1.jpg|thumb|''Amolops hongkongensis'']] ====True Frogs ([[Ranidae]])==== *[[Amolops aniqiaoensis]] *[[Amolops bellulus]] *[[Amolops chunganensis]] *[[Amolops gerbillus]] *[[Amolops granulosus]] *[[Amolops hainanensis]] *[[Amolops jinjiangensis]] *[[Amolops kangtingensis]] *[[Amolops liangshanensis]] *[[Amolops lifanensis]] *[[Amolops loloensis]] *[[Amolops mantzorum]] *[[Amolops medogensis]] *[[Amolops monticola]] *[[Amolops ricketti]] *[[Amolops torrentis]] *[[Amolops viridimaculatus]] *[[Amolops wuyiensis]] *[[Babina adenopleura]] *[[Babina hainanensis]] *[[Babina lini]] *[[Babina pleuraden]] *[[Chevron-spotted brown frog]] *[[Eastern golden frog]] *[[Emei music frog]] *[[Glandirana minima]] *[[Glandirana tientaiensis]] *[[Huanren frog]] *[[Imienpo Station frog]] *[[Johns' groove-toed frog]] *[[Korean brown frog]] *[[Odorrana andersonii]] *[[Odorrana anlungensis]] *[[Odorrana chapaensis]] *[[Odorrana chloronota]] *[[Odorrana exiliversabilis]] *[[Odorrana grahami]] *[[Odorrana graminea]] *[[Odorrana hejiangensis]] *[[Odorrana kuangwuensis]] *[[Odorrana lungshengensis]] *[[Odorrana margaretae]] *[[Odorrana mutschmanni]] *[[Odorrana schmackeri]] *[[Odorrana tiannanensis]] *[[Odorrana versabilis]] *[[Odorrana wuchuanensis]] *[[Pelophylax fukienensis]] *[[Pelophylax hubeiensis]] *[[Pelophylax lateralis]] *[[Pelophylax nigromaculatus]] *[[Pelophylax tenggerensis]] *[[Pelophylax terentievi]] *[[Plateau brown frog]] *[[Rana amurensis]] *[[Rana chensinensis]] *[[Rana omeimontis]] *[[Rana sangzhiensis]] *[[Rana weiningensis]] *[[Rana zhengi]] [[File:HK Sai Ying Pun 德輔道西 Des Voeux Road West restuarant 田雞 Frogs net bag Sept-2010.JPG|thumb|Chinese edible frogs in a net bag]] ====Dicroglossidae==== *[[Chinese edible frog]] *[[Concave-eared torrent frog]] *[[Doichang frog]] *[[Fejervarya limnocharis]] *[[Fejervarya moodiei]] *[[Fejervarya multistriata]] *[[Limnonectes longchuanensis]] *[[Nanorana arnoldi]] *[[Nanorana blanfordii]] *[[Nanorana bourreti]] *[[Nanorana conaensis]] *[[Nanorana feae]] *[[Nanorana liebigii]] *[[Nanorana maculosa]] *[[Nanorana medogensis]] *[[Nanorana pleskei]] *[[Nanorana polunini]] *[[Nanorana quadranus]] *[[Nanorana taihangnica]] *[[Nanorana unculuanus]] *[[Nanorana ventripunctata]] *[[Nanorana yunnanensis]] *[[Northern frog]] *[[Kuhl's creek frog]] *[[Quasipaa verrucospinosa]] *[[Quasipaa boulengeri]] *[[Quasipaa exilispinosa]] *[[Quasipaa jiulongensis]] *[[Quasipaa shini]] *[[Quasipaa spinosa]] *[[Quasipaa yei]] *[[Round-tongued floating frog]] ====[[Ceratobatrachidae]]==== *[[Liurana]] [[File:Chineseglidingfrog2.jpg|thumb|alt=|440x440px]] ====Tree Frogs==== *[[Annam tree frog]] *[[Common Chinese tree frog]] *[[Hyla sanchiangensis]] *''[[Hyla zhaopingensis]]'': only in [[Zhaoping County]], [[Guangxi]] *[[Hylarana cubitalis]] *[[Hylarana guentheri]] *[[Hylarana hekouensis]] *[[Hylarana latouchii]] *[[Hylarana macrodactyla]] *[[Hylarana maosonensis]] *[[Hylarana menglaensis]] *[[Hylarana milleti]] *[[Hylarana nigrovittata]] * [[Hylarana spinulosa]][[File:2013-10 Chinese tree frog.JPG|thumb|Common Chinese tree frog|alt=|440x440px]] * [[Hylarana taipehensis]] *[[Japanese tree frog]] *[[Chinese flying frog]] *[[Chiromantis vittatus]] *[[Feihyla palpebralis]] *[[Gracixalus gracilipes]] *[[Gracixalus jinxiuensis]] *[[Gracixalus medogensis]] *[[Gracixalus nonggangensis]] *[[Kurixalus naso]] *[[Kurixalus odontotarsus]] *[[Kurixalus verrucosus]] *[[Raorchestes longchuanensis]] *[[Raorchestes menglaensis]] *[[Rhacophorus burmanus]] *[[Rhacophorus chenfui]] *[[Rhacophorus dorsoviridis]] *[[Rhacophorus dugritei]] *[[Rhacophorus feae]] *[[Rhacophorus hui]] *[[Rhacophorus hungfuensis]] *[[Rhacophorus kio]] *[[Rhacophorus maximus]] *[[Rhacophorus nigropunctatus]] *[[Rhacophorus omeimontis]] *[[Rhacophorus puerensis]] *[[Rhacophorus rhodopus]] *[[Rhacophorus tuberculatus]] *[[Rhacophorus yaoshanensis]] *[[Romer's tree frog]] ====Microhylidae==== *[[Calluella yunnanensis]] *[[Boreal digging frog]] *''[[Kalophrynus interlineatus]]'' *[[Kalophrynus menglienicus]] *[[Kaloula nonggangensis]] *[[Kaloula rugifera]] *[[Kaloula verrucosa]] *[[Microhyla berdmorei]] *[[Microhyla fissipes]] *[[Microhyla heymonsi]] *[[Microhyla pulchra]] *[[Micryletta inornata]] *''[[Painted chorus frog|Microhyla butleri]]'' ====Litter Frogs==== [[File:Brachytarsophrys carinense.jpg|thumb|''Brachytarsophrys carinense''|alt=|440x440px]] *[[Brachytarsophrys carinense]] *[[Brachytarsophrys feae]] *[[Brachytarsophrys popei]] *[[Buergeria oxycephala]] *[[Leptolalax alpinus]] *[[Leptolalax liui]] *[[Leptolalax oshanensis]] *[[Leptolalax sungi]] *[[Leptolalax tengchongensis]] *[[Leptolalax ventripunctatus]] *[[Megophrys binchuanensis]] *[[Megophrys brachykolos]] *[[Megophrys cheni]] *[[Megophrys huangshanensis]] *[[Megophrys lini]] *[[Megophrys major]] *[[Megophrys parva]] *[[Megophrys sangzhiensis]] *[[Megophrys shuichengensis]] *[[Megophrys wawuensis]] *[[Oreolalax chuanbeiensis]] *[[Oreolalax granulosus]] *[[Oreolalax jingdongensis]] *[[Oreolalax liangbeiensis]] *[[Oreolalax lichuanensis]] *[[Oreolalax major]] *[[Oreolalax multipunctatus]] *[[Oreolalax nanjiangensis]]: only in [[Nanjiang County]], [[Sichuan]] *[[Oreolalax omeimontis]] *[[Oreolalax pingii]] *[[Oreolalax popei]] *[[Oreolalax puxiongensis]] *[[Oreolalax rhodostigmatus]] *[[Oreolalax rugosus]] *[[Oreolalax schmidti]] *[[Oreolalax weigoldi]] *[[Oreolalax xiangchengensis]] *[[Scutiger boulengeri]] *[[Scutiger brevipes]] *[[Scutiger chintingensis]] *[[Scutiger glandulatus]] *[[Scutiger gongshanensis]] *[[Scutiger jiulongensis]] *[[Scutiger liupanensis]] *[[Scutiger maculatus]] *[[Scutiger mammatus]] *''[[Scutiger muliensis]]'': only in [[Mili Tibetan Autonomous County|Muli]], [[Sichuan]] *[[Scutiger ningshanensis]] *[[Scutiger nyingchiensis]] *[[Scutiger pingwuensis]] *[[Scutiger sikimmensis]] *[[Scutiger tuberculatus]] *[[Scutiger wanglangensis]] ====Shrub Frogs ([[Rhacophoridae]])==== *[[Liuixalus hainanus]] *[[Liuixalus ocellatus]] *''[[Theloderma kwangsiense]]'': only in [[Dayaoshan Nature Reserve]] (大瑶山自然保护区), [[Guangxi]] *[[Philautus kempii]] *[[Polypedates impresus]] *[[Polypedates megacephalus]] *[[Polypedates mutus]] *[[Theloderma asperum]] *[[Theloderma kwangsiense]] *[[Theloderma moloch]] *[[Theloderma rhododiscus]][[File:Crab-eating Frog (Fejervarya cancrivora) (14136245104).jpg|thumb|]] ====Salt Water Frogs==== China is home to one of only 144 known modern amphibians which can tolerate brief excursions into sea water. *[[Crab-eating frog]] <ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hopkins |first1=Gareth R. |last2=Brodie |first2=Edmund D. |title=Occurrence of Amphibians in Saline Habitats: A Review and Evolutionary Perspective |journal=Herpetological Monographs |date=2015 |volume=29|issue=1 |pages=1–27 |doi=10.1655/HERPMONOGRAPHS-D-14-00006 |s2cid=83659304 }}</ref> === Toads === [[File:Bufo gargarizans.jpg|thumb|[[Asiatic toad]] photographed in a garden in [[Liaoning|Liaoning Province]], China.|alt=|400x400px]] ==== True Toads ([[Bufo]]) ==== *[[Ailao toad]] *[[Asiatic toad]] *[[Bufo cryptotympanicus]] *[[Bufo pageoti]] *[[Bufo tuberculatus]] *''[[Bufo wolongensis]]'': only in [[Wolong Nature Reserve]], [[Sichuan]] *[[Korean water toad]] *[[Pseudepidalea pewzowi]] ====Horned Toads ([[Xenophrys]])==== [[File:Xenophrys minor, Serzhong, Mongar, Bhutan.jpg|thumb|[[Little horned toad]] ]] *[[Convex-tailed horned toad]] *[[Convex-vented horned toad]] *[[Great piebald horned toad]] *[[Jingdong horned toad]] *[[Kuatun horned toad]] *[[Mangshan horned toad]] *[[Medog horned toad]] *[[Mount Dawei horned toad]] *[[Nankiang horned toad]] *[[Boettger's horned toad]] * [[Glandular horned toad]] *[[Omei horned toad]] *''[[Xenophrys daweimontis]]'': only in [[Daweishan Nature Reserve]] (大围山自然保护区), [[Liuyang]], [[Hunan]] *[[spiny-fingered horned toad]] *[[Wuliangshan horned toad]] *[[Wushan horned toad]] *[[Zhang's horned toad]] [[File:Bombina orientalis 5zz.jpg|thumb|400x400px|Oriental fire-bellied toad]] ====Other Toads==== *[[Mongolian toad]] *[[Bombina maxima]] *[[Duttaphrynus himalayanus]] *[[Duttaphrynus melanostictus]] *[[Leptobrachium ailaonicum]] *[[Leptobrachium boringii]] *[[Leptobrachium hainanense]] *[[Leptobrachium leishanense]] *[[Leptobrachium liui]] *[[Little horned toad]] *[[Ophryophryne microstoma]] *[[Ophryophryne pachyproctus]] *[[Oriental fire-bellied toad]] *[[rough-skinned horned toad]] *[[Shaping horned toad]] *[[spiny-fingered horned toad]] === Salamanders and Newts === [[File:Velemlok čínský zoo praha 1.jpg|thumb|Chinese giant salamander|alt=|440x440px]] * [[Amji's salamander]] * [[Black knobby newt]] * [[Central Asian salamander]] * [[Chenggong fire belly newt]] * [[Chiala mountain salamander]] *[[Chinese giant salamander]] (''Andrias davidianus'') *[[Chinese fire belly newt]] * [[Chinese warty newt]] * [[Chinhai spiny newt]] * [[Chuxiong fire-bellied newt]] *[[Siberian salamander]] *''[[Cynops wolterstorffi]]'': only in [[Kunming City]], [[Yunnan]] * [[Dayang newt]] * [[Fischer's clawed salamander]] * [[Fuding fire belly newt]] * [[Guabang Shan salamander]] * [[Guangxi warty newt]] * [[Guizhou salamander]] *[[Hainan knobby newt]] *[[Hong Kong warty newt]] *[[Jinfo Mountain salamander]] *[[Korean salamander]] *[[Kuankuoshui salamander]] *[[Pachyhynobius shangchengensis]] *[[Paramesotriton labiatus]] *[[Paramesotriton maolanensis]] *[[Paramesotriton yunwuensis]] *[[Puxiong salamander]] *[[Shuicheng salamander]] *[[Siberian salamander]] *[[Spot-tailed warty newt]] *[[Spotted paddle-tail newt]] *[[Taliang knobby newt]] *[[Wanggao warty newt]] *[[Wenxian knobby newt]] *[[Western Chinese mountain salamander]] *[[Xingan salamander]] *[[Yellow-spotted salamander]] *[[Yiwu salamander]] *[[Yunnan lake newt]] *[[Zhijin warty newt]] <br />[[File:Specimen of Ichthyophis bannanicus in National Museum of Natural Science in Taiwan.JPG|left|thumb|'''Specimen of Ichthyophis bannanicus''']] === Caecilians === * [[Banna caecilian]] (Ichthyophis bannanicus) ==Fish== In freshwater alone, China has more than 1,000 fish species. By far the most diverse order are the [[cypriniform]]s, followed by the [[siluriform]]s. [[Yangtze]] is the richest river basin in the country and it is home to more than 350 strict freshwater fish species (as well as several also found in [[brackish]] or saltwater).<ref name=FishDiversity>Ye, S.; Li, Z.; Liu, J;, Zhang, T.; and Xie, S. (2011). Distribution, Endemism and Conservation Status of Fishes in the Yangtze River Basin, China. pp. 41-66 in: Ecosystems Biodiversity, InTech. {{ISBN|978-953-307-417-7}}.</ref> A high percentage of these are [[Endemism|endemic]] to the country and many are seriously threatened. Among others, it is feared that the [[Chinese paddlefish]], as well as several species from the Yunnan lakes (notably [[Dian Lake|Dian]], [[Erhai Lake|Erhai]], [[Fuxian Lake|Fuxian]] and [[Yilong Lake|Yilong]]), already are extinct.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Wang Wang, Li Du, Yang Lassoie, Hassan | year = 2013 | title = Six decades of changes in vascular hydrophyte and fish species in three plateau lakes in Yunnan, China | journal = Biodivers. Conserv. | volume = 22 | issue = 13–14| pages = 3197–3221 | doi = 10.1007/s10531-013-0579-0 | s2cid = 18819902 }}</ref> China has far more [[cavefish]] species than any other country in the world.<ref>Ma, L.; and Y.-H. Zhao (2012). Cavefish of China. Pp. 107—125 in: White, W.B.; and D.C. Cuvier, editors. Encyclopedia of Caves. Elsevier. {{ISBN|9780123838322}}</ref> With a long coastline that ranges from temperate to tropical oceans, China has many marine fish species such as the [[Pacific cod]]. ==Invertebrates== === Freshwater crabs === China is home to more than 250 different species of [[freshwater crab]]s (families [[Potamidae]] and [[Gecarcinucidae]]), many of them endemics. It is thus the country with the highest species richness in freshwater crabs.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cumberlidge|first1=Neil|last2=Ng|first2=Peter K. L.|last3=Yeo|first3=Darren C. J.|last4=Naruse|first4=Tohru|last5=Meyer|first5=Kirstin S.|last6=Esser|first6=Lara J.|date=2011|title=Diversity, endemism and conservation of the freshwater crabs of China (Brachyura: Potamidae and Gecarcinucidae)|journal=Integrative Zoology|language=en|volume=6|issue=1|pages=45–55|doi=10.1111/j.1749-4877.2010.00228.x|issn=1749-4877|pmid=21392361}}</ref> The most speciose genera are ''[[Sinopotamon]]<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Shih|first1=Hsi-Te|last2=Huang|first2=Chao|last3=Ng|first3=Peter K. L.|date=15 July 2016|title=A re-appraisal of the widely-distributed freshwater crab genus Sinopotamon Bott, 1967, from China, with establishment of a new genus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Potamidae)|journal=Zootaxa|volume=4138|issue=2|pages=309–31|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4138.2.5|pmid=27470766|issn=1175-5334}}</ref>'', ''[[Longpotamon]]'',<ref name=":1" /> ''[[Indochinamon]]''<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Naruse|first1=Tohru|last2=Chia|first2=Jing En|last3=Zhou|first3=Xianmin|date=7 September 2018|title=Biodiversity surveys reveal eight new species of freshwater crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamidae) from Yunnan Province, China|journal=PeerJ|language=en|volume=6|pages=e5497|doi=10.7717/peerj.5497|issn=2167-8359|pmc=6130254|pmid=30210939}}</ref> and ''[[Nanhaipotamon]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Shih|first1=Hsi-Te|last2=Zhou|first2=Xian-Min|last3=Chen|first3=Guo-Xiao|last4=Chien|first4=I-Chu|last5=Ng|first5=Peter K. L.|date=1 March 2011|title=Recent vicariant and dispersal events affecting the phylogeny and biogeography of East Asian freshwater crab genus Nanhaipotamon (Decapoda: Potamidae)|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=58|issue=3|pages=427–438|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2010.11.013|pmid=21095233|issn=1055-7903}}</ref> ===Molluscs=== {{main|List of non-marine molluscs of China}} ===Butterflies=== {{main|List of butterflies of China}} ===Centipedes=== *''[[Ethmostigmus rubripes]]'' ==Endangered species== {{main|List of endangered and protected species of China}} ==See also== {{Portal|China|Animals}} *[[List of endangered and protected species of China]] *[[Animal welfare and rights in China]] *[[List of mammals of China]] *[[List of mammals of Taiwan]] *[[List of mammals of Hong Kong]] *[[List of amphibians of China]] ==Notes and references== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.cwca.org.cn/ China Wildlife Conservation Association] {{China topics|state=autocollapse}} {{Asia topic|Wildlife of}} {{Portal bar|China}} [[Category:Biota of China]] [[Category:Wildlife by country|China]]'