Efforts by the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology’s Rescue Center for Endangered Wild Animals to breed Chinese crocodile lizards have been a huge success.
The reptiles, which resemble both crocodiles and lizards, are descendents of four Chinese crocodile lizards confiscated by customs officials from a person’s luggage eight years ago.
There are now nearly 40 of the animals at the center, which plans to cooperate with China’s Guangxi Normal University and the Luokeng Conservation Area in transporting 20 of them back to mainland China to be released in the Mount Yao area.
The reptiles, which are referred to as living fossils given their 1.75-million-year history, are mainly found throughout Guangxi and Guangdong provinces, and in the mountains of northern Vietnam. Threatened by poaching and human infringement on their natural habitat, with only several hundred thought to still exist, the crocodile lizards are a Level One protected animal in China listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Pei Jai-chyi, director of the rescue center, said the four crocodile lizards were about two years old when they were confiscated. Over the following three years, the males and females naturally mated. Guangxi Normal University had also been trying for many years to breed the reptiles in captivity, but without success.
Pei said the crocodile lizards residing on Mount Yao go into hibernation each year. But while the rescue center has replicated a natural environment for them by creating a small valley with a stream running through it, and keeping the temperature at 19 degrees Celsius, they did not hibernate. Pei added it remains unclear whether this impacted the ability of the animals to mate.
Either way, the number of crocodile lizards at the facility has increased over the past eight years, attracting the attention of Guangxi Normal University and the Luokeng Conservation Area.
The rescue center began applying for export certification three years ago, Pei said, but there are still hurdles to be overcome in receiving approval from authorities in mainland China to import the animals.
There are still reports that crocodile lizards are consumed in soup in the mainland, making the effort to protect this rare animal all the more important.