Notes NAT. NAT. HIST. B 肌 L. SIAM Soc. 42: 117-120 ， 1994

Observation Observation on the Wildlife Trade at the Daily Market in Chiang Kh an ， Northeast Thailand

In In a recent study into the wildlife trade between Lao PDR. and Thailand S即 KOSAMAT 組 A et al. (1 992) found 伽 tit was a major 伽 eat to wildlife resources in Lao. Th ey surveyed 15 locations along 白e 百凶 Lao border ，including Chiang Kh an. Only a single single visit was made to the market in Chiang Kh佃， on 8 April 1991 ， and no wildlife products products were found. τbe border town of Chi 佃 g Kh an ， Loei Pr ovince in northeast 百lailand is situated on the the banks of the Mekong river which sep 釘 ates Lao PD R. and 官 lailand. In Chiang Kh an there there is a small market held twice each day. Th e market ，situated in the centre of town ， sells sells a wide r佃 ge of products from f記sh fruit ，vegetables ， meat and dried fish to clothes and and household items. A moming market begins around 0300 h and continues until about 0800 h. The evening market st 紅白紙 1500 h and continues until about 1830 h. During During the period November 1992 to November 1993 visits were made to Chiang Kh佃 eve 凶ng market ， to record the wildlife offered for sale. Only the presence of mam- mals ，reptiles and birds was recorded. Although frogs ，insects ，fish ， crabs and 加 t eggs ， as as well as meat 仕om domestic ， were sold ，no record of this was made. τbe eve 凶ng market was visited on 112 days ， out of which wildlife was found to be sold sold on 66 day (59%). Visits were made in every month except June ， August and October ， on average 10 days/month (range:ι18 days/month). Only one stall holder regul 紅 ly sold wildlife ， although on occasions it was sold by two to three people ，叩 d on one occasion four four people. On 34 days stall holders were asked the origin of the wildlife.τbe reply was always always Laos. Th e animals sold in 由e course of 出e year can be seen in Table 1， along with 血e prices of some items ， converted from Baht to $US (exchange rate of B25/$US). An imals were usually sold dead ， although on 14 days live animals including ， bamboo rats ，turtles ，tortoises and monitor lizards ， were seen for sale. Li ve animals were usually usually restrained with cord or in 出e case of turtles 組 d tortoises ， placed on their backs to to prevent escape. On two occasions several live bats were seen impaled through their wing membranes on a single vertical stick to prevent escape. With the exception of the Scaly-breasted Munia and the tail feathers of two Oriental Hombills ，由 e feathers and fur had been removed from all dead birds and . 百lI s made identification of individual species such as the squirrels difficul t. All wildlife was sold sold for food. On no occasion were trophies such as homs or skins seen for sale. 百lI s is is in con 回 st to SRIKOSAMATARA et al. (1992) who found homs and 姐 tlers frequently sold for for trophies in 白es 創 ne area. Chiang Chiang Kh an customs post was open for only two days each week up until 23 June 1993 ，after which it opened daily. However ，prior to 23 June ，wildlife products could be found found for sale on any day of the week. The Mekong Ri ver can be easily crossed by boat so so allowing the possibility of illegal fr ，田佐ade to occur. Geoffroy's Geoffroy's rousette ， R. amplexicaudatus ， is not currently recorded from Laos (ROOKMAA 阻 R & BERGMANS ，1981 ，CORBET & HILL ， 1992). However ，it was seen for sale sale on nine days and on each occasion the stall holder claimed 出ey were from Laos. A

117 117 118 MARK F. ROBINSON

l specimen was examined ωconfirm its identity (♀ c -m2=12.8 ，m 3= 1. 45x l. 05). If it could be said with certainty that they originated from Laos this would represent a new record for the coutry.

REFERENCES

CORBET G.B. AND J.E. HIL L. 1992. The Mammals of the lndomalayan Region. Oxford University Press. R∞KMAA 阻 R，L. C. 釧 DW.BERGM 釧 S. 198 1. and geography of amplexicaudatus (Geoffroy ， 1810) 1810) with comparative notes on sympatric congeners (M 泊四nalia ，Megachiroptera). Beaufortia 31: 1- 29. 29. SRIKOSAMATARA ，S. ， B. SIRWHOLDEJ AND V. SUTEETHORN. 1992. Wildlife trade in Lao PD R. and between Lao PDR 釦 dτ 'h ailand. Nat. Bull. Hist. Siam Soc. 40: 1-47.

Mark F. Robinson Mowbray House The Lawns ，Stingsby North Y orhshire Y06 7AW U .K. OBSERYAT IONS ON THE W ILD Ll FE TRADE IN C HI ANG KHAN 119

Figllr e 1. Li ve fruit s，G eoffroy' s ROll se tt e，ofTe l巴d f or sa le at C hi ang K h an mark et，No rth eas t T hai land

Figllr e 2. A c ivet，l11 onit or li zar d and tllrt l巴 m eat for sal巴 in C hi angK han m ark et，No rth 巴as t Th ail a nd 120 120 MARK F. ROBINSON

Table Table 1. W i1 dlife sold on Chiang Kh an evening market ，on 66 days between 18.1 1. 92 to to 18.1 1. 93. Number of to ta1 occas lO ns number Pri ce Species Species seen seen ($US)

MA 勘s1 ALS Pholidota Pholidota Pangolin* Pangolin* (Manis sp.) 8 9 20.00 each Chiroptera Chiroptera Leschenault's Leschenault's rousette (Rousettus (Rousettus leschenaulti) Geoffroy's Geoffroy's rousette (R. (R. amplexicaudatus)+ 9 77 0.20 each Cave fruit bat (Eonycteris (Eonycteris spelaea) 2 2 0.20 each Short-nosed Short-nosed fruit bat ( (Cynopterus sp.) 1 0.20 each Black-bearded Black-bearded tomb bat (Taphozous (Taphozous melanopogon) 8 Carnivora Carnivora Civet Civet (Viverridae) 19 27 6-8.00 each Art iodactyla Lesser Lesser mouse deer (Tragulus (Tragulus javanicus) 6 12 6.00 each Common barking deer (Muntiacus (Muntiacus muntjak) 2 2 L 紅 'ge deer (Cervus sp.) 7 7 Rodentia Rodentia Squirrel Squirrel (Sciuridae) 14 36 0.80 each Large Large bamboo rat (Rhizomys (Rhizomys sp.) 16 32 2-4.00 each Small Small bamboo rat (Cannomys badius) 8 10 1-2.00 each REPTILES Turtles Turtles (Trionychidae) 7 8 2.80 /k g Tortoise Tortoise (Testudinidae) 3 7 2.80 each Monitor Monitor lizard (V aranidae) 6 6 4.00 /k g BIRDS Oriental Oriental Pied Hombill (Anthracoceros (Anthracoceros albirostris) 1 2 Scaly-breasted Scaly-breasted Munia (Lo nchura punctulata) 1 12 0.10 each Small Small unidentified birds 1 17 0.10 each

一一* CITES Appendix 11. Threatened species ，trade in which is con 住olled by permi t. + Data for Geoffroy's rousette (R. amplexicaudatus) and Leschenault's rousette (R. leschenaulti) leschenaulti) combined.