How many animal species can you think of that may be threatened by alternative "Traditional Chinese" medicine?

They need to change the name from ‘traditional medicine’ to ‘traditional witch-doctoring’.

I watched some show, maybe Anthony Bourdain, about birds nest soup and how they actually climbed and pulled the nests down so that should have some impact at some point. It’s supposedly VERY expensive.

I think it’s all kind of interesting really, especially the natural stimulants, etc…

@Rarebear. I never have used anything that’s endangered by alternative medicine. Your question is too broad, so your point in this and the last question is a bit overkill.

Nevertheless, my comments here are pretty much the same as before. Both the poachers AND the Chinese are stupid to not safeguard their sources (and raise them for profit). As I stated in the previous question, the poachers’ goal is to exterminate the animals, thus driving up the prices. What nobody seems to get is that once they’re gone, they are GONE, and nobody will profit then.

@snowberry Yea but “they’ll be around for the rest of my lifetime or most of it, so, whatever.”

I was at the infamous “Snake Alley” night market in Taipei Taiwan in 2010. Many exotic snakes, turtles, all manner of small mammals, exotic fishes, eels, fried duck heads on a stick. Snake blood, snake semen and venom potions. Disgusting and sad!
Tiger penis “soup” and the apothacaries serve duck blood and other animal bloods for anemia. One look and the proprietor will size you up and offer up some hideous concoction to cure what ails you.

@uberbatman No. That’s not what I said, and you know it!

@Rarebear, you’d be just as upset about unethical use of western medicine, right? But you certainly would not toss your profession out the window just because some- maybe even a whole country of people- aren’t practicing ethically, would you? I didn’t think so.

The fact that the Chinese use rhino parts to make homeopathics IS unethical. But the way homeopathics are made (without rhino parts) in sanitary pharmaceutical labs such as Boiron http://www.boiron.com/en/Boiron-essential/Boiron-essential which is traded on the stock exchange http://www.boiron.com/en/Shareholders-and-investors-area/Stock-exchange-data, is considerably different. These people say they offer all their products. I have searched their website, and I can’t find any reference to rhinocerous parts. Edit: http://www.affordablehomeopathy.com/results.php I would say that outside of Asia, the use of rhinocerous parts for homeopathy is just about nil.

Your question is too broad, and tries to attack the vast majority of legitimate alternative modalities that do not harm anything other than (possibly) your pocketbook, and (probably) your pride.

@Coloma I totally agree.

No. My question asks people to name individual species of animals threatened by TCM. That’s not broad at all.

All species of Tigers, Snow Leopards, Rhinos, Elephants, bears ( for their paws and gallbladders ) sea turtles, other turtles, exotic snakes, large lizards like Monitor lizards and Komodo dragons, porpoises, and probably many more I am not aware of.

Well then, @Coloma‘s answer suffices.

It seems that everything that walks, stalks, swims and flies is on the way out if they are found in China, and elsewhere.
I know that the Chinese have had such an impact on all aspects of life for centuries, but surely they must realise that if the creatures are all killed than that’s it.
Nothing,
Nada.
Zilch.

I can name 12. The ten in the article you linked to, and the two you mentioned in the details.

The Geoduck – a large species of clam that can live 100 years, and breeds slowly with a high ova mortality – is threatened by Chinese overfishing. Apparently, up until the 1970s, it was considered too unappealing in texture to eat. Now, it’s taken off, and natural populations are highly threatened. There has been some commercial farming of geoducks, but it’s unknown how destructive to the environment or the natural population this practice is.

While I can’t find anything specifically stating that the increase in popularity is related to Chinese Traditional Medicine, the facts are as follows:

it’s disgusting to the taste.
it looks like a cock.
people in China are paying $150+ a pound for this stuff.

You do the math.

Source

@Seek_Kolinahr Dirty Jobs did a segment on raising geoducks. It’s at the last of the video. http://www.tv.com/shows/dirty-jobs/geoduck-farmer-814609/

I saw that episode! It was my introduction to the wide world of giant clams.

Hey..I am guilty of Geoduck..( pronounced “gooey duck” ) clamming. They are huge, look like horse penises and make some killer clam chowder. I have clammed for them on Northern CA. beaches, but not for years. Poor little clam mans. :-) Shit…maybe I should start exporting these guys from CA. haha

@Rarebear Great question. What really hit home for me on the Smithsonian page is that scientists are seriously debating whether the 6th great mass extinction is now underway, this one entirely man made. It’s not just Chinese Traditional Medicine and their willingness to eat anything that moves, it’s habitat destruction, over-fishing, solution, global warming…

@snowberry What are you talking about, painting with too broad a brush. The question cuts to an extraordinary fine grain. A bit touchy about alternative medicine, are you?

@ETpro Oh hell yes, just like global warming, this next spin of devolution will be 99.9% cast from the hands of humans, no doubt about it.

@Seek_Kolinahr I’ve had Geoduck a few times in China Town in Philly. It was a bit expensive but nothing like that( supply/demand would be my guess) , but I actually thought it tasted quite good, kinda like clam normally would but sweeter.