Snakes (Ptyas dhumnades),
234.75kg of Sharp-nosed Pit Vipers
(Deinagkistrodon acutus), and
20,300 heads and 32.1 kg of
Many-banded Kraits (Bungarus
multicinctus).Among conservation biologists there
is a clear consensus that the harvest
of reptiles for traditional folk
remedies is taking a toll on exploited
species, and has led to significant
reductions in their populations. Fieldmonitoring has shown declines in
south-east Asia, particularly of
snakes and turtles, along with Tokay
Geckos.Turtles and tortoises are the most
endangered of all vertebrate groups
on the planet – over half of all
species are threatened with
extinction, and their declines have
been driven primarily by hunting forflesh and body parts, including for
traditional medicine or religious/
magical purposes. Turtle meat, skin,
heads, eggs, shells and even blood,
urine and bile are used in traditional
medicine (urine is often used as ear-
drops, or consumed as a beverage).
Concoctions containing turtle parts
are believed to cure all sorts of
maladies ranging from coughs to
deafness, cancer, prolapse of the
rectum, and more.The most sought-after and common
chelonians in traditional Asian
medicine are the Yellow Pond Turtle
(Mauremys mutica), the Golden Coin
Turtle (Cuora trifasciata), the
Chinese Yellow Marginated Box
Turtle (Cuora flavomarginata), the
Chinese Big-headed Turtle
(Platysternon megacephalum),
Reeves’ Turtle (Mauremys reevesii),
Chinese Soft-shell Turtle (Pelodiscussinensis), and the Red-eared Slider
(Trachemys scripta elegans). All of
these except for the last are extinct or
dangerously close to extinct in the
wild. In Asian cultures, turtles are
symbolic of longevity, wealth,
strength and fertility, and because of
these associations, there is a boom-
ing market for turtle products. One
would think that after thousands of
years, the lack of a causative link
between turtle consumption and
these purported health and financialbenefits would have quenched the
trade, but not so. Many Asians still
firmly believe that turtle consump-
tion maintains youthful beauty in
women, and enhances sexual
function in men. Appallingly, David
S. Lee and Liao Shi Kun (2014)
found that ‘approximately 90% of
China’s modern day society believes
that traditional Chinese medicines
work, and are supportive of the2 x qtr page ads‘Turtles are symbolic of longevity, wealth, strength
and fertility, and there is a BOOMING MARKET for
turtle products.’Above: snakes in alcohol sold at a liquor shop in Naha city, Japan. Snakes and lizards bottled in wine or spirits are
common in countries across Asia, including Laos, China and Vietnam. Image by Yangxiong.
Below: dried soft-shelled turtles and centipedes for sale as herbal medicine in a Chinese market in Seoul. Image by
JUNOH.