A man in Chiba Prefecture allegedly sold endangered Tokyo salamanders online, a violation of the endangered species conservation law, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
Chiba prefectural police were to send papers on the 61-year-old seller, and his two customers, to public prosecutors as early as Monday.
Tokyo salamanders live mainly in hilly areas in the Kanto region. They were designated on Feb. 10 as a species whose sale, or capture for the purpose of sale, is prohibited.
This is believed to be the first case in the nation to be uncovered by the police.
According to investigative sources, the three men allegedly traded Tokyo salamander eggs and larvae between February and March. The man from Sakura, Chiba Prefecture, collected egg pouches and sold them with larvae hatched from the eggs, recruiting buyers on his blog.
The man sold 10 egg pouches for 5,000 yen and 30 larvae for 10,000 yen. Police confiscated at least 200 Tokyo salamanders from his home.
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