Flora and Fauna of Tropical Asia
The fascinating world of tropical nature
Flame of the Forest
Delonix regia has a number of common names, including Flamboyant Tree, Flame of the Forest or Royal Poinciana. It seems to originate from Madagascar, but because of its striking red flowers, it has been planted in many tropical regions around the world. On top of its ornamental value, it is an excellent tree to provide shade on hot days as its branches tend to spread to the sides (it has a hemispherical crown) and its foliage is also quite dense. It’s a deciduous tree that flowers once a year. There are several cultivated variaties with the colour of the flowers… Continue reading
Borneo Giant Millipede
In Borneo, natural surprises await an unsuspecting visitor on every corner. The Borneo giant millipede (Trigoniulus) is a long invertebrate that can reach 20 centimetres in length and may have as many as 300 pairs of legs! Unlike many centipedes, which are nocturnal, carnivorous and often aggressive, this Borneo creature is a harmless, gentle giant of the rainforest – a vegetarian feeding mostly on soft decomposing plant tissue. A physiological difference between centipedes and millipedes is the fact that millipedes have two pairs of legs per segment of their bodies (unlike centipedes which have just one pair). They… Continue reading
Borneo Elephants
Borneo elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) is a subspecies of elephant found in northeastern Borneo. Their origin is a matter of dispute – there have been suggestions that the mammal was introduced to the tropical island from peninsular Malaysia, but there are zoologists who believe that they developed separately from other Asian elephant species. As just about any large animal on the world’s third biggest island, these elephants are threatened due to shrinking rainforest which is apparently disappearing at a rate of 300 football fields every single hour! The forst is replaced with palm oil plantations, a monoculture made… Continue reading
Chinese Cobra on Visit
It’s the second time this year a Chinese cobra (Naja atra) has paid us a visit. The first time it happened I was mighty excited — and terribly scared — because it was making its way towards the aviary where I keep a handful of parrots. Although this was no King cobra, it was still deadly and I was worried. Eventually the snake did enter the aviary, although I only became aware of the fact four days later when I spotted it again – right next to the small refrigerator where I keep bird food. So for… Continue reading
Mating Spectacled Toads
Duttaphrynus melanostictus is a toad commonly found in south and east Asia, from India and China to Borneo and Sumatra. It is commonly called “Spectacled Toad” or “Javanese Toad”. A nocturnal amphibian, the species often inhabit farmland and human settlements, feeding mostly on insects. Its colours are rather striking, golden with black ridges; this makes them hard to spot on rocks and naked soil, especially in low-light, but they are distinctive when sitting on top of green vegetation. Females are noticeably larger than males, some growing to as much as 20 cm in length and becoming a lot less dynamic… Continue reading
Yellow Garden Mushroom
Leucocoprinus birnbaumii is a fairly common mushroom found in many tropical and subtropical regions, while in temperate climate it can grow indoors, alongside potted plants. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given that the English language is predominantly spoken in the climatically milder zones, it is sometimes called “plantpot dapperling”, “flowerpot parasol” or “yellow houseplant mushroom”, even though in most parts of the world it occurs outdoors. In Taiwan the mushroom is called 純黃白鬼傘, which can be literally translated as “pure white-yellow ghost umbrella”. It is mildly poisonous and it might cause severe stomach problems if consumed.
We usually get these fungi in the… Continue reading