. Asiatic herpetological research. Reptiles -- Asia Periodicals; Amphibians -- Asia Periodicals. Figure 2. An intentionally produced hybrid trom a Chi- nese turtle farm (MVZ 230475) that closely resembles Mauremys iversoni. Photo by JFR hybridization of Mauremys mutica and Cuora trifasci- ata in captivity. Chinese turtle farms The role of turtle farms in the Asian turtle trade is often overlooked. The primary reason for this is the secrecy of the turtle farmers themselves. Despite our ignorance, the practice of farming turtles in China is a widespread, lucrative endeavor. As far back as 1991,
. Asiatic herpetological research. Reptiles -- Asia Periodicals; Amphibians -- Asia Periodicals. Figure 2. An intentionally produced hybrid trom a Chi- nese turtle farm (MVZ 230475) that closely resembles Mauremys iversoni. Photo by JFR hybridization of Mauremys mutica and Cuora trifasci- ata in captivity. Chinese turtle farms The role of turtle farms in the Asian turtle trade is often overlooked. The primary reason for this is the secrecy of the turtle farmers themselves. Despite our ignorance, the practice of farming turtles in China is a widespread, lucrative endeavor. As far back as 1991, Zhou and Zhou report that Cuora trifasciata is being bred "everywhere". In the past ten years, the number of turtle farms is rumored to have increased dramati- cally. Although it is not possible to provide exact numbers, there are estimated to be at least ten breed- ing facilities on Hainan alone. In an attempt to assess the impact of this burgeoning business to the Asian turtle trade, one of us (HS) has gained access to a large turtle farm in Tunchang. Hainan province (Fig. Id) from 1996 to the present. This paper represents the second report of this effort (see also Shi and Par- ham, 2001). According to the owner of the turtle farm, the Tun- chang breeding facility was first established in 1983. The foundation of its breeding stock came from doz- ens of wild collected Cuora trifasciata. Mauremys mutica, and Ocadia sinensis from Hainan as well as additional specimens from a farm in Guangdong that was established in 1978. It currently houses an esti- mated + geoemydids. Early on. the number of breeding ponds and turtles was limited and the estab- lishment of breeding stocks proceeded without clear aim. Almost all the local species of turtles were col- lected from the field or bought from villagers and often kept in the same pond or enclosure. In November of 1999, the authors visited a smaller facility that included several indoor breeding Figure 3. A com
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