tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43832975063331842412024-03-14T15:23:30.481+08:00All Things BorneoRamblings of one Borneo-born and -bred about just anything and everything on this (formerly)great Island and in the World beyond...Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-7051448983048427012019-01-23T21:12:00.003+08:002019-01-23T21:12:44.579+08:00RipVan Winkle wakes....<span style="color: red;">RipVan Winkle wakes up after 8 years ... yawwwwnn</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Let me have my Coffee to recaffeinate.....</span></div>
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before I write my next post, thank you for your patience...</div>
Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-7383722804151482232011-04-10T16:42:00.005+08:002011-04-10T17:08:04.193+08:00Flower of the Mountain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bLR5Z7Beek8/TaFuMxF1NJI/AAAAAAAAAZI/KwwlodlB500/s1600/kinabalu_balsam3473s.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bLR5Z7Beek8/TaFuMxF1NJI/AAAAAAAAAZI/KwwlodlB500/s400/kinabalu_balsam3473s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593873377786147986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Visitors</span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> to Kinabalu Park, especially those climbing the mountain would find this pretty plant with pink flowers growing abundantly in the park and along the nature paths, streams and the edges of the waterfalls.</span> The Kinabalu Balsam <span style="font-style: italic;">Impatiens platyphylla</span> is a member of the Balsam Family and related to the very common garden balsam flower.Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-5805699734207829562009-10-11T13:53:00.008+08:002010-05-20T13:56:01.144+08:00Stinging Army Ants<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/StF3GNKlV-I/AAAAAAAAAYk/FdBZsluDMFY/s400/Fireants4249s.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391221177436166114" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-size:small;">Photo 1: An army of fierce Fire Ants on the march, they can be seen </span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-size:small;">crossing roads in the late evening on the way to a raid or at dawn </span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-size:small;">when they are returning with their loot. </span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;">Anyone</span></b></span> who's lived in rural areas (farms, plantations) or camped in the forest in Borneo would very likely have had painful (very painful) encounters with this species of large agressive ants. At least I can say that for myself having been bitten and stung countless times. Luckily, for me at least, the pain from these stings though very painful did not have lasting effects but soon subsided without any swelling or other complication.</div><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/StF3F-4bFsI/AAAAAAAAAYc/d7Ncmx12aDE/s400/fireants4244s.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391221173601900226" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic; font-size:small;">Photo 2: Stepping on a line of these marching ants would</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic; font-size:small;">mean inviting trouble and a taste of their "fire" and viciousness.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These ants are nocturnal and form huge raiding swarms especially on wet nights that attack any living or dead creatures that they come across, invading houses and killing insects, geckos and even chickens (in coops where they cannot escape) as well as carrying off leftovers from the kitchen. Big preys like birds and lizard are overwhelmed with their stings and cut alive and carried in pieces back to their nest. They are strictly carnivorous so your vegetables would be safe.</div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/StF3GvRGv6I/AAAAAAAAAYs/7aMF_CNUvCo/s400/fireants4352s.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391221186590326690" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;">Photo 3: An unfortunate house gecko (cicak) being smothered</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;">by a swarm of fire ants which will soon rip it apart and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;">carry </span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;">back to their nest in small pieces.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;"> </span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have seen even large chickens and whole broods of chicks locked up in the "kandang" by their owners killed by these ants. At dawn all that were left were heads, bones and some feathers. The chickens would be lucky if the noise they made could rouse their owners to save them. People would rush out sleepy-eyed from their house with hot water or oil or if available, cans of insect spray to defend their livestock. Usually letting let their chickens out would be enough to let them escape this slow cruel death.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These ants belong to the genus <i>Leptogenys</i> in the subfamily Ponerinae (Order Hymenoptera) and were given the name "Danum Fire Ants" by Dr Arthur Chung in his book "Common Lowland Rainforest Ants of Sabah". Although they are found in many places in Sabah and presumably elsewhere in Borneo, Dr Chung probably had most of his experiences with this species in the Field Studies Centre in Sabah's Danum Valley! </div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-6621394622658291982009-09-21T01:30:00.010+08:002009-09-27T19:51:12.288+08:00Coelogyne asperata<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SrZtRmmKhLI/AAAAAAAAAXk/wIHrp8sy4iA/s400/Coelogyne+asperata0103cs.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383610553753830578" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">(Photo 1) Newly opened stalk of flowers</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#009900;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal;font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>Coelogyne</b></span></span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">asperata <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">is another beautiful scented orchid found growing on tree branches and rock faces near rivers in the primary forests of Borneo. (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">S</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ee my earlier posts - </span><a href="http://allthingsborneo.blogspot.com/2009/02/perfume-in-jungle.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Perfume in the Jungle</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and <a href="http://allthingsborneo.blogspot.com/2008/02/pigeon-orchid.html">Pigeon Orchid</a>.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">)</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">It is also found in many parts of Southeast Asia - Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Philippines, the Moluccas, Solomon Islands and all the way to Papua New Guinea. Alas, as with many other beautiful native plants, it is no longer very common in the wild as more of our forests disappear.</span></span></span></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SrZtTF3luZI/AAAAAAAAAX8/Iuj0VQPvsR8/s400/Coelogyne_asperata078cs.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 335px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383610579328285074" /><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SrZtSXL0PfI/AAAAAAAAAXs/9N7KGd96iPM/s400/Coelogyne_asperata0127cs.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 334px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383610566796656114" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Flies (Photo 2) and a brightly coloured day-flying moth (Photo 3) attracted to the flowers</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My photos were taken in my garden where this one plant had lived for years, flowering every once in a long while. Each time it does, whiffs of perfume announce to all and sundry that it's in bloom. Many insects were attracted by the sweet scent - flies, bees, beetles, moths. Many day flying moths and beetles were observed at the flowers but I believe only the bigger flower beetle (Coleoptera - Cetoniidae) that I photographed was an effective pollinator - and I say so because it was seen with the orchid's pollinia (pollens) stuck to its back as it crawled into the lips and column of the flower.</div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SrZulnClj8I/AAAAAAAAAYU/IeTNMxXJ6r0/s400/Coelogyne_asperata0105cs.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383611996982054850" /></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Photo 4 - An equally beautifully coloured flower beetle that's just landed on the flower</span></span></div></span><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SrZulUScRBI/AAAAAAAAAYM/mtwjo0oaXWE/s400/Coelogyne+asperata0104cs.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 274px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383611991948280850" /><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SrZtTjqu7ZI/AAAAAAAAAYE/oPAxvRLMLCM/s400/Coelogyne+asperata0106cs.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383610587327425938" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Photo 5 - The beetle has crawled into the "heart" of the flower to get at its nectar and </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">come out with pairs of pollinia stuck to its back (Photo 6) which it would carry to </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">another flower's stigma to fertilize it. </span></span></div></div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-79830609539131787792009-05-23T23:39:00.009+08:002009-09-21T08:21:58.958+08:00Fantastic Fly II<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">I</span></span></span> found another fantastic fly with long eye stalks! Although this guy looks very similar in appearance to members of the Diopsidae (Stalk-eyed Flies Family) it belongs to the family Tephritidae (commonly called Peacock Flies) a group of colourful fruit-flies that do not usually have stalk eyes, so I was told. These photos were taken at the same place where I photographed my first "eye-stalked fly" (see my earlier post <a href="http://allthingsborneo.blogspot.com/2009/01/fantastic-fly.html">Fantastic Fly</a>). </div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/ShgcrkysMyI/AAAAAAAAAW8/aTKoju_6asI/s400/stalk-eyed_fly0372cs.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 295px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339048893183963938" /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My neice said it looks like a motorcycle (with the eye-stalks as the handles)! So maybe Mat Rempit* Fly or Hell's Angel Fly! I used to think of them as "hammerhead" flies.</div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/ShgcrbXIUHI/AAAAAAAAAW0/Fa4wzmiEwtA/s400/stalk-eyed_fly0365s.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 289px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339048890652446834" /><div style="text-align: justify;">I hope some Dipterist (=fly scientist) would see this post and enlighten us on the identity of this fantastic insect.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div>*<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Mat Rempit is the Malay word describing the daredevil (illegal) motorbikes racers that plague the streets in many cities and towns in Malaysia.</span></span></span></div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-91843703790415240712009-05-16T21:15:00.008+08:002009-09-22T23:51:23.136+08:00Termite Mushrooms a Gift from Mother Earth<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/Sg7FuhzdADI/AAAAAAAAAWU/DGGioUFFrkE/s400/mushroom0807.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336420011619450930" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Several</span> </span></span>types of wild fungi or mushrooms are collected for food in Borneo and when in season they may be found at wet markets and more usually in the open-air weekly <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">tamu </span>in Sabah. One favourite and particularly tasty mushroom, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Termitomyces clipeatus </span>is called<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> cendawan kaki pelanduk </span>in Malay, meaning "mousedeer hoof mushroom" refering to the shape of the un-opened mushrooms. The Chinese Hakkas call it <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">kai nyuk ku <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span lang="ZH-CN" style=";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">鸡肉</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">菇</span> which means "chicken-meat mushroom" for its sweet taste. Indeed when cooked in soup or stir-fried it tastes a little like chicken!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/Sg7FuytIWAI/AAAAAAAAAWc/bMMW3OVmul4/s400/mushroom0802s.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 356px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336420016156334082" /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This species of mushrooms belongs to a group of fungi commonly called Termite Mushrooms. They are so named because they are cultivated by termites inside their nests or mounds in underground fungus gardens! However termites grow and harvest the fungus in its minute mycelium stage without letting it develope into the umbrella-shaped fruiting bodies that we called mushrooms and which we eat! Therefore those growing in the termites' nests are not usually available for human to pick, that is unless the termites for some reasons could not control their growth (for example when it rains too much) when the mycelia will literally grow through the roof of their nest and burst onto the surface of the ground as mushrooms. Which will set us humans into a collecting frenzy!<br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/Sg7Fu4gYdMI/AAAAAAAAAWk/bPXv6PqOSQk/s400/mushroom2292s.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 270px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336420017713476802" /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">Apparently species of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Termitomyces</span> also grow in the wild without the termites' gardening them and every once in a while, usually after heavy rains or a thunderstorm following a long dry season, hundreds of these mushrooms suddenly appear like magic in patches in the orchard or plantation, even away from termite mounds.<br /></div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/Sg7FvKA89rI/AAAAAAAAAWs/9-xqHlOHqXo/s400/mushroom2311s.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 302px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336420022413489842" /><div style="text-align: justify;">For many Borneans, coming across a patch of these tasty treats would be a thing of joy, friends and any passerbys would be called to join in the gathering, the harvest shared among other friends and relatives, and surplus would be sold in the market. These bonanzas usually last for only a few days, then, again as if by magic they would disappear for months or even years before the next appearence.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Click here for an interesting (and yummy) way to <a href="http://wyattbelmonte.blogspot.com/2009/07/lightning-and-thunderstorms.html">cook this mushroom</a>.</span></div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-49671585038516132382009-03-10T00:12:00.012+08:002009-03-14T17:42:45.814+08:00The Ubiquitous Yellow-vented Bulbul<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1263/3352682749_3bed186736_o.gif"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SbVMwEZv6NI/AAAAAAAAAVI/tSq0BM_5_Co/s400/bulbul01.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311235724252539090" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(Click photo to see animation)</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Yellow-vented Bulbul (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; line-height: 25px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Pycnonotus goiavier</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">) is</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> one of, if not </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> commonest bird in Borneo because it is almost impossible not to see one here, whether in the garden, on trees in town, in parks, plantations and at the edge of the forest. It is found almost everywhere except deep in the jungle in most of Southeast Asia including Cambodia, thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, The Philippines and most of Indonesia. </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">This is a species so adapted to humans and cultivated areas that it may even nest in low ornamental plants in your garden. The nest is a "typical" cup shaped nest made of grass, small twigs, vines and leaves. Three to five eggs with lots of reddish speckles are laid. Its food comprise of fruits - berries, cultivated fruits like ripe papaya, guava, tarap and banana.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The above image is that of a bird attracted by a ripe banana placed on my verandah.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Malay name: Merbah kapur.</span></div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-90544650914773980742009-02-22T17:15:00.007+08:002009-02-22T21:48:23.820+08:00Perfume in the Jungle<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SaFXKPRYqpI/AAAAAAAAAUw/PTx36tZp-y4/s400/Coelogyne_rochussenii3105s.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305617669428914834" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">It</span></span></span> is estimated that over 3,000 species of orchids can be found in the wild in Borneo. However as the "wild places" of Borneo shrink many of these treasures, together with countless other plants and animals will inevitably become lost. One previously common fragrant orchid is the Necklace Orchid - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Coelogyne rochussenii </span>which is usually found growing on trees, sometimes rocks, overhanging rivers. Due to land clearing, river banks are now mostly treeless and so this orchid is now more often seen in somebody's garden! </span><br /></div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SaEalL5lRTI/AAAAAAAAAUo/oANJFTIGjjc/s400/Coelogyne_rochussenii2222s.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305551062170944818" /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">Like the common <a href="http://allthingsborneo.blogspot.com/2008/02/pigeon-orchid.html">Pigeon Orchid</a> this orchid only flowers occassionally but when it does the whole neighbourhood would be filled with a very strong and sweet scent. However unlike the flowers of the Pigeon Orchid, the blossoms and scent of the Necklace Orchid last for over a week. <br /></div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SaEalIctvlI/AAAAAAAAAUg/ZIcFVggf0u0/s400/Coelogyne_rochussenii0852s.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305551061244558930" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Coelogyne rochussenii</span> (which was named after the wife of a certain Monsieur Rousseau who was a French Orchid Enthusiast in the 1800s) is also found in most of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and the Philippines.</div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-80144270296458876052009-02-07T23:20:00.008+08:002009-05-02T17:29:40.465+08:00The Sun Bear<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Although</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> it is the smallest bear species in the world the Sun Bear (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Ursus malayanus <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">also</span> Helarctos malayanus</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 25px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">is Borneo's largest carnivore. However, unlike tigers which are absent in the wild from Borneo, it feeds mainly on small animals like rodents, birds and insects and their diet also consists of a large part of plant material including fruits and hearts of palms. It is also very fond of termites which it catches by tearing up their nest with its strong claws. </span></span></span></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SY2paysWDSI/AAAAAAAAAUY/F8gaFUgEfak/s1600-h/sunbear0824s.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 255px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SY2paysWDSI/AAAAAAAAAUY/F8gaFUgEfak/s400/sunbear0824s.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300078614234402082" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Sun bears (called </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">beruang</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> in Malay, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">bawang</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> or </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">buan</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">g</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> in Kadazan and Dusun, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">jugam</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> or </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">makup</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> in Iban) are seldom seen by people as they are mainly nocturnal forest animals. And like many wild animals sun bears are threatened with extinction due to loss of habitat caused by human activities. My photo is taken at the Lokawi Wildlife Park near Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. Although it is sad to see animals in captivity, zoos, I believe are necessary for the education of the public about the animals in our dwindling forests. <br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Sun bears are found in Southeast Asia, including Borneo, Malay Peninsula, Burma, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Sumatra.</span></span></div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-44752768897278768302009-01-16T22:32:00.006+08:002009-01-16T23:08:12.697+08:00Fantastic Fly<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">So</span></span></span> far I have not posted any photo of Borneo's insects, not that we don't have our share of interesting insects, in fact our island is one of the richest places on earth entomologically! So to be fair to the millions of insects my new year's first post is about one of their kind!<br /></div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SXCeuoyLWuI/AAAAAAAAAT8/80DrN7oMgz4/s400/stalk-eyed_fly0035sq.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 398px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291904086219381474" /><div style="text-align: justify;">Here's a fly! It may not look like one, reminds you of a hammer-head shark, doesn't it? But it's a member of the Diopsidae family in the Order Diptera, thus it is a true fly. Several species of stalk-eyed flies are found in Borneo, but due to their small size, they are seldom noticed.</div><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SXCiM-zlwII/AAAAAAAAAUM/Pk_CFS36VSw/s400/stalk-eyed_fly0030sq.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291907906061844610" /><div style="text-align: justify;">I have not been able to get this specimen identified to its genus and species, but would post its ID here as soon as I got it. In the mean time I would welcome any comments or help in identifying this fantastic looking creature (some may say weird, but I think it's just wondrous looking, quaint, if you like but definitely not weird).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-34547270291183399232008-12-13T21:52:00.006+08:002008-12-13T22:33:37.316+08:00Banded Bullfrog - Another Eater of Ants<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SUPAgIChBZI/AAAAAAAAATs/aHIrveRF7oI/s400/banded_bullfrog3672ss.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279274846354736530" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">The</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span></span><span style=" ;font-family:Verdana;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Banded Bullfrog (Kaloula pulchra) is very similar to the <a href="http://allthingsborneo.blogspot.com/2007/12/chorus-in-rain.html">Brown Bullfrog</a> (K. baleata) in both appearance and habits. (<a href="http://allthingsborneo.blogspot.com/2007/12/chorus-in-rain.html">See my previous post of 23 December 2007</a>) It can be recognized from the latter by the wide yellow band on its sides and by its slightly bigger size.</span></span></span><span style=" ;font-family:Verdana;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SUPFL6wH2CI/AAAAAAAAAT0/T1qkS_vfAkM/s400/banded_bullfrog3674s.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 243px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279279996748683298" /><br /></span> <span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This species is said to be a recent introduction in </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Borneo</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> and is a frog of human settlements living under rubbish heaps and other debris in town and cities. They emerge in big numbers after a heavy rain to form large noisy breeding groups in flooded drains and ponds. Males inflate themselves into balls as they calls while floating on the water surface.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span> <span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ants, as my photos (taken in my brother's house on Labuan Island) show, are their almost exclusive food.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:8.5pt;color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-77973593792455745582008-11-08T22:55:00.010+08:002008-11-08T23:35:42.906+08:00Nocturnal Tarap Eater<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">One</span></span></span> of the animals that come to eat the tarap fruits at night in my backyard that I was able to photograph is the Common Palm Civet (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Paradoxurus hermaphroditus</span>). Possibly another species of civet - the Malay Civet (Viverra tangalunga) also does so though I've never seen it.<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:18px;"><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SRWocDRQKSI/AAAAAAAAAOw/OkSfr-fUuK0/s400/common_palm_civet8530sqs.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266300539147135266" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A nocturnal omnivore, the palm civet hunts alone. They are expert climbers and spend most of their lives in trees. They eat small vertebrates, insects, ripe fruits and seeds. They are very fond of palm sap, therefore their common name. The sap is used by natives to make a sweet liquor called "toddy", which gives the palm civet its other common name. The palm civet is also fond of coffee cherries. They eat the outer fruit and the coffee beans pass through their digestive tract. An expensive coffee called kopi luwak is supposedly made from these coffee beans. Kopi luwak is said to have a gamy flavor and sells for more than $100 per pound.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div></span><div><br /></div></div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-58295774908563936102008-11-08T21:51:00.007+08:002008-11-08T23:22:50.751+08:00More Tarap Eaters<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">The</span></span> biggest of the birds that come to the feast is the Oriental Pied Hornbill (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Anthracoceros albirostris</span>), there's a semi-resident pair of them in the neighbourhood.<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SRWf2iMA__I/AAAAAAAAANw/DE8I9-SmvRk/s400/pied_hornbill1255ss.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 290px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266291098518618098" /><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SRWf3Q7e6DI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/vFX2sgU0jpY/s400/o-w_bulbul8974blg.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 334px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266291111065741362" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">At least two species of bulbuls - the Olive-winged (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Pycnonotus plumosus</span>) (above) </div><div style="text-align: center;">and the very common Yellow-vented (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">Pycnonotus goiavie</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">r</span>) (below)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;"> </span></div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SRWf2-p2oiI/AAAAAAAAAOI/RP6Omt0Vkx4/s400/y-w_bulbul1257s.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266291106159960610" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The smallest - the Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers (Dicaeum trigonostigma)</div><div style="text-align: center;">sometimes feed on the wing, hovering like humming birds. The photo below is </div><div style="text-align: center;">that of a female (or possibly a juvenile). The bottom photo shows a mature male. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SRWmsLAOKKI/AAAAAAAAAOo/cTGVeyl8ZgM/s400/o-b_flowerpecker-f9113a.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266298617077835938" /><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SRWk02HZpnI/AAAAAAAAAOY/n_CPeT_M5LU/s400/o-b_flowerpecker9108blg.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266296567066371698" /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-43356759180557905932008-11-08T21:05:00.006+08:002008-11-08T22:53:43.351+08:00Tarap Eaters<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">A</span></span> large ripe fruit of the Tarap (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Artocarpus odoratissimu</span>s) overlooked by the farmer is a bonanza and day-long feast for the neighbourhood's birds, squirrels and other frutivorous animals. Usually a squirrel would have found and made an opening in the thick spiny skin to get at the sweet pulpy flesh in the morning. Then the birds would follow; by late afternoon most of the fruit is gone and if anything is left in the evening, bats would clean it up. <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SRWR_KEvAhI/AAAAAAAAANY/JOLtGYun_Oc/s400/plantain_squirrell9525blg.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266275853501661714" /><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SRWUn4vn8DI/AAAAAAAAANg/ThoZLEzPM_A/s400/tarap-squirrel8147ss.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266278752247607346" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); ">Photo 1 & 2 : Plantain squirrel (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Caloscuirus notatus</span></span>)</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SRWWbefOPEI/AAAAAAAAANo/vGx5nJY8o0g/s400/12905crow4222blg.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 272px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266280738064317506" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Photo 3: Slender-billed Crows (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Corvus enca</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">) are early birds</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><br /></span></div><div>Or a civet would come in the early evening and open up a just ripened fruit; even a big civet would have difficulty finishing it so when it has had its fill there will be plenty to share with bats and other nocturnal animals and some left over even for the early birds and squirrels.<div><br /></div><div>In this post, and more following posts I hope, I will present photos I took of some of the visitors to MY tarap tree in my backyard when it's in season. I rarely pick the fruits as they are literally for the birds, and squirrels and civets and bats...</div></div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-77785709209039227502008-10-12T17:30:00.007+08:002008-10-12T18:56:51.962+08:00Tarap - A Unique Bornean Fruit<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SPHTc4HrerI/AAAAAAAAAMw/hawyRYhDe3I/s1600-h/terap1225s.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SPHTc4HrerI/AAAAAAAAAMw/hawyRYhDe3I/s400/terap1225s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256214733172472498" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:180%;" >The</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">tarap</span> is a fruit that Borneans love, well, I don't think I know anyone who grew up here who doesn't like it. However visitors or newcomers to this parts either hate it outright or eventually get used to it and like it! They say it's the smell... not like that of the durian but somewhat strong.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SPHUN8tqRBI/AAAAAAAAANQ/MISoLObhB00/s1600-h/tarap5193s.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SPHUN8tqRBI/AAAAAAAAANQ/MISoLObhB00/s400/tarap5193s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256215576219108370" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo 2: A ripe tarap is easily opened with your bare<br />hands - the white stuff is the sweet yummy part!</span></span><br /><br /></div>Botanically it is known as <span style="font-style: italic;">Artocarpus odoratissimus</span> and belongs to the Moraceae plant family like its related cousins the Jackfruit or Nangka, Chempadak and Breadfruit.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The tree of the Tarap grows to a height of 20-25m, and is usually grown from seed, fruiting starts when the tree is about 4-5 years old. The flowers, both male and female look like light-bulb-shaped and sized fruits, the male inflorecence drop to the ground soon after releasing pollen while the female heads continue to grow to a large roundish and almost football sized fruit covered with spiny protrubences. The white flesh-covered seeds are attached to a centre core inside the fruit and can be seen (and eaten) when the skin is removed. The flesh is sweet with a strong fragrance.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SPHTdJak3LI/AAAAAAAAANA/dHZ95ZLcO24/s1600-h/tarap_flore0001sqs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SPHTdJak3LI/AAAAAAAAANA/dHZ95ZLcO24/s400/tarap_flore0001sqs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256214737815133362" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SPHTdXVyZVI/AAAAAAAAANI/Ho8i4tt2pak/s1600-h/tarap_flor0003s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SPHTdXVyZVI/AAAAAAAAANI/Ho8i4tt2pak/s400/tarap_flor0003s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256214741553145170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Photos 3 & 4: Tarap infloresence, these are the flowers, the male </span><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">head below is about to wither and drop after releasing pollen</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The Tarap is widely cultivated in Borneo and many "improved" varieties are known. Although it is also grown in the Philippines where it is called Marang, experts believe that Tarap is native to, and possibly introduced there from Borneo where wild trees are common in the jungle. Whereas in the Philippines the species only exists as cultivated plants and its distribution there limited to Mindoro, Mindanao, Basilan and the Sulu Archipelago. It is also known in Peninsular Malaysia (terap) and southern Thailand in the wild (with inferior fruits) but is not commonly cultivated.<br /></div><br />Other names: Timadang (Kadazan/Dusun)Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-12603289627698033392008-09-14T16:22:00.007+08:002008-09-14T17:02:52.675+08:00The Leopard Cat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SMzNmCK9tZI/AAAAAAAAAMg/OwTlXQawEkk/s1600-h/leopard_cat6588sqs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SMzNmCK9tZI/AAAAAAAAAMg/OwTlXQawEkk/s400/leopard_cat6588sqs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245793719281366418" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CWinxp%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:usefelayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:SimSun; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:宋体; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 135135232 16 0 262144 0;} @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536871559 0 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@SimSun"; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 135135232 16 0 262144 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} span.apple-style-span {mso-style-name:apple-style-span;} span.taxonlinksp {mso-style-name:taxon_link_sp;} span.apple-converted-space {mso-style-name:apple-converted-space;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:130%;" >The </span>Leopard Cat <span style=""> </span><i>Prionailurus bengalensis </i><span style="">(synonym <i>Felis bengalensis</i>) is the commonest wild cat in <st1:place st="on">Borneo</st1:place> although few people have actually seen it. This is because it is a nocturnal animal that is active only at night and spends the day in a den that may be a hollow tree, a cavity under roots or a small cave. It lives and breeds mainly in forests and secondary jungle, as well as plantations and farms near the jungle feeding on rodents, reptiles, small birds, insects, frogs and even sometimes fish – almost anything that it can catch. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">It is a beautiful domestic cat-sized animal that looks very much like a mini leopard! But to see it we have to go into the jungle or drive along jungle side roads or in plantations with a bright torch or spot light. That is how I managed to get my photographs.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">It looks so cute that many people are tempted to catch them to keep as pets but as everybody knows wild caught animals do not make good pets and could only be kept cruelly imprisoned in a cage. However if you still like to keep a<span style=""> </span>domesticared mini leopard in your home it is possible to buy a Bengal Cat which is a commercially produced by interbreeding a house cat with a <i>P. bengalensis. </i>You may be interested to look at this link:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.cat-world.com.au/BengalBreedProfile.htm">http://www.cat-world.com.au/BengalBreedProfile.htm</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CWinxp%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:usefelayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:SimSun; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:宋体; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 135135232 16 0 262144 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@SimSun"; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 135135232 16 0 262144 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;} span.apple-style-span {mso-style-name:apple-style-span;} span.taxonlinksp {mso-style-name:taxon_link_sp;} span.apple-converted-space {mso-style-name:apple-converted-space;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><span class="taxonlinksp"><i><span style="color: rgb(59, 59, 59);">Prionailurus bengalensis</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: rgb(59, 59, 59);"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(59, 59, 59);">is widely distributed throughout <st1:place st="on">Asia</st1:place>. It is found from Borneo, Java and Bali, north to southeastern Siberia and Manchuria, as far east as <st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region>, and westward to <st1:country-region st="on">Korea</st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Philippines</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The subspecies found in <st1:place st="on">Borneo</st1:place> is </span></span><i>P. b. borneoensis</i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: rgb(59, 59, 59);">.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: rgb(59, 59, 59);">
<br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SMzNmLOL5YI/AAAAAAAAAMo/Ft3wsh0Hq-M/s1600-h/leopard_cat5303s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SMzNmLOL5YI/AAAAAAAAAMo/Ft3wsh0Hq-M/s400/leopard_cat5303s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245793721710798210" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Photo 2</span>: This is a pair of courting cats, I was alerted to them by the loud
<br /></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic;">cat-fight sounds they made - just like those of domestic cats when they mate!</span></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic;"></span>
<br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Bornean names: Wild cats in general are called <span style="font-weight: bold;">kucing hutan</span> in Malay, while the Kadazan/Dusun/Sungai call them <span style="font-weight: bold;">tompu</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">ompu</span> or <span style="font-weight: bold;">talom. </span>I don't know what Leopard Cat are specificly called in this dailects, would be glad if some readers could enlighten me. In Iban wild cats are <span style="font-weight: bold;">mayau tebiang, </span>I'm told, while the Muruts and Kelabits have the name <span style="font-weight: bold;">tubang</span> for leopard cat.
<br /></o:p></p> Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-31061762529946347622008-08-24T11:49:00.009+08:002008-09-20T21:32:49.966+08:00Square Coins<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SLDlf43BJ-I/AAAAAAAAAMY/daxHjJ5vEkU/s1600-h/square_coins.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SLDlf43BJ-I/AAAAAAAAAMY/daxHjJ5vEkU/s400/square_coins.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237938702633740258" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Filipinos</span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> </span>may have in their pockets their 10-sided 2-peso coins and their 5-sentimo coin with a hole in the middle. The Japanese and Papuans too have hole-in-centre 5-yen and 1-kina coins respectively, but we in British Borneo and Brunei used to have SQUARE 1-cent coins during British rule. Younger Borneans may not know that, so when I rediscovered some of these square coins in my drawer I decide to show them on this blog. People in British Malaya, that is Peninsular Malaysia to us now, shared the same currency with us at that time.<br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Photos: The "head" sides show King George VI and his daughter Queen Elizabeth II, the "tail" sides show the years of issue of the coins - 1945 and 1956</span>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-80838594871999856662008-08-10T12:59:00.015+08:002008-08-24T22:39:21.360+08:00Nunukan<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Everybody</span></span> (bar none) in Sabah has heard of Nunukan, which is the last town in Indonesia from which the tens of thousand of Indon workers pass through when they come to Sabah. But not many Sabahan or other Malaysian has ever been or want to go there and most only have the faintest idea of how this place looks like.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ57Vh6VZnI/AAAAAAAAALY/SVjQw7xsZbo/s1600-h/nunukan_map-google-sat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ57Vh6VZnI/AAAAAAAAALY/SVjQw7xsZbo/s320/nunukan_map-google-sat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232755426861606514" border="0" /></a>On my trip to Sulawesi in April this year I finally got a little glimpse of this Nunukan as I alighted on its quay from the express boat from Tawau, Sabah and had just enough time to rush up the waiting big ship KM Tidar that would take me to Sulawesi. However on my way back I flew into Nunukan airport in the evening and slept one night near the port and left Indonesia for Tawau in the morning. In this post are some of the few photos I took there.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ5_nI-x2eI/AAAAAAAAALg/WXqhCXe54Jg/s1600-h/nunukan-bound-exp+boats-TWU.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ5_nI-x2eI/AAAAAAAAALg/WXqhCXe54Jg/s320/nunukan-bound-exp+boats-TWU.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232760127453518306" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> <span style="font-style: italic;">Photo 1: From Tawau Port you take an express boat for the 1.5 hours ride to Nunukan</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ5_naJxOzI/AAAAAAAAALo/mYZRzwTl1wQ/s1600-h/nunukan_port-gate.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ5_naJxOzI/AAAAAAAAALo/mYZRzwTl1wQ/s320/nunukan_port-gate.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232760132063017778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ5_nU40sRI/AAAAAAAAALw/nGYTGr8lxEM/s1600-h/nunukan-port.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ5_nU40sRI/AAAAAAAAALw/nGYTGr8lxEM/s320/nunukan-port.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232760130649764114" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-style: italic;">Photos 2 & 3: Nunukan Port - The big ship is the KM Tidar bound for Sulawesi, South Kalimantan and Java</span></span><br /><br />Nunukan is the name of the island and the town which is situated on its northern side. It is also the name of the Regency (<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Kabupaten</span>) A <span style="font-style: italic;">kabupaten </span>I think, is an administrative unit somewhat like, but I guess one rank higher than "District" in Malaysia and is headed by a <span style="font-style: italic;">bupati</span> (regent, "district officer"?). Kabupaten Nunukan is in the Province of East Kalimantan (<span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Provinsi Kalimantan Timor</span> or <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Kaltim</span> for short). <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ5_nuym70I/AAAAAAAAAL4/U9t-rUsod08/s1600-h/nunukan_airport.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ5_nuym70I/AAAAAAAAAL4/U9t-rUsod08/s320/nunukan_airport.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232760137603018562" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ6E3epUzWI/AAAAAAAAAMI/B6TIx6iNUaw/s1600-h/nunukan_plane.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ6E3epUzWI/AAAAAAAAAMI/B6TIx6iNUaw/s320/nunukan_plane.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232765905705160034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ6KaCP7DII/AAAAAAAAAMQ/8O4HzpajX1o/s1600-h/nunukan_new-airport.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJ6KaCP7DII/AAAAAAAAAMQ/8O4HzpajX1o/s320/nunukan_new-airport.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232771996935982210" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-style: italic;">Photos 4, 5 & 6: On the return leg of the journey I took a plane (middle photo) fromTarakan to Nunukan. Top photo shows the old terminal in use then, bottom photo shows the brand new terminal beside it.</span></span>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-47237009754242959162008-08-03T00:23:00.009+08:002008-09-20T21:33:44.954+08:00Green Whip Snake - Mistaken Identity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJSNfngNBnI/AAAAAAAAALI/P2P-cLo_Kl8/s1600-h/Ahaetulla_prasina5319s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJSNfngNBnI/AAAAAAAAALI/P2P-cLo_Kl8/s400/Ahaetulla_prasina5319s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229960641603503730" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;">When</span> I was young I always heard folks talked about the extremely poisonous <span style="font-style: italic;">"GREEN BAMBOO SNAKE</span><i style="">". </i><span style=""> </span>They were so afraid of this snake that all green coloured snakes they encountered were given a wide berth or where possible killed on sight </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">(in fact this applied to all snakes!)</span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> and because they dreaded this creature so much that even the stick they killed the snake with was thrown away in case it was contaminated with the snake's venom! Even today this policy hasn’t changed much even though people have become more educated about snakes.</span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">By virtue of its colour, the docile and quite harmless <b style="">Green Vine (Whip) Snake</b> (<i>Ahaetulla </i><i style="">prasina</i>) was, and in many cases <u>is</u> still, thought to be highly poisonous and is called <i style="">GREEN BAMBOO SNAKE</i><i style=""> </i>by many ethnic Chinese. I just realized that this is a fallacy handed down from the time of our early migrant forefathers who, having newly set foot on Borneo, mistook this snake for the deadly Green Bamboo Viper <i style="">Trimeresurus stejnegeri</i> that was common in their native <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJSQCb99juI/AAAAAAAAALQ/gQbtfGknf94/s1600-h/Ahaetulla_prasina-foto1434.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SJSQCb99juI/AAAAAAAAALQ/gQbtfGknf94/s400/Ahaetulla_prasina-foto1434.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229963438825770722" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Photo: A green whip snake having its photo taken.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Notice how close the snake is to the guy and how<br />brave S M Lo the photographer is!</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><br /></span></p>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-35062166580482088522008-06-28T23:09:00.010+08:002008-08-24T12:50:29.776+08:00How to Shoot a Flying Bat Portrait?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SGZjsTWc-GI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/golcFC_idD0/s1600-h/short-nosed_fruitbat4369sb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SGZjsTWc-GI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/golcFC_idD0/s400/short-nosed_fruitbat4369sb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216966831115139170" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >In</span> <st1:place st="on">Borneo</st1:place> when fruits ripen on a tree, fruit bats would be sure to visit at night and make short work of them! Special favourites of fruit-eating bats in people’s gardens are rambutan, jambus (rose apple, water apple), guava, mango and banana. <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p>I had always wanted to photograph bats in flight, not just pictures of bats hanging upside down in cages or on the roofs of caves, but it was only quite recently that I managed to take some quite nice flying bats photos. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">At first I tried shooting bats (with a camera not bird-shots!) attacking a tree heavy with ripening <i style="">jambu air</i> or water apple <b><i>Syzygium samarangense</i></b> (syn. <i>Eugenia javanica</i>) by blindly aiming and clicking my camera at them hoping to capture a few in focus! Well, this failed rather miserably, yielding only a few images of just recognisable bat-like creatures! Luckily I was shooting digital and not with old-fashioned film!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">However later I found out how tame bats could be and would actually come quite close to me to eat fruits placed or hung outside the house. So I set up my camera equipped with a good flash unit on a tripod focused on a piece of fruit, usually banana, hung in my verandah.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SGZjsowmExI/AAAAAAAAAKY/jF0ApTgKmpU/s1600-h/short-nosed_bat2050s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SGZjsowmExI/AAAAAAAAAKY/jF0ApTgKmpU/s400/short-nosed_bat2050s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216966836861932306" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p>The bats will usually pass by the fruit a few times before landing and clinging on to the fruit to eat it. To get a nice flight photo I had to press the shutter just before the bat landed on the banana. Most times I got a photo of a bat embracing the banana or hanging on to it but after much practice and many attempts I was able to capture a few acceptable portraits of Mr (and Mrs) Batman.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SGZjs5aWP1I/AAAAAAAAAKg/BuMCo7i1Onk/s1600-h/short-nosed_fruit_bat-COMP.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SGZjs5aWP1I/AAAAAAAAAKg/BuMCo7i1Onk/s400/short-nosed_fruit_bat-COMP.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216966841332023122" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p>Although there are many species of fruit-bats in Borneo, ranging in size from mouse-sized nectar bats to the very large flying foxes, I had so far only able to attract and photograph only one (I think) common species – which I believe is the Lesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat <b><i style="">Cynopterus</i></b><i style=""> <b>brachyotis.</b></i></p>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-35461587385275366112008-05-20T00:37:00.010+08:002008-07-10T14:35:59.380+08:00Ardas Havena Vivo<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;">Dum</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>mia freŝa ŝipa vojaĝo al la Urbo de Makassar en Sulawesi, nia ŝipo trapasis Indonesia Suda Borneo (<st1:place st="on">Kalimantan</st1:place>) kaj <span class="lg" onclick="Reserchi('mallongan')">haltis mallongan</span> <span class="lg" onclick="Reserchi('tempon')">tempon en</span> la havenurbo de Tarakano. Ni dokis la havenon je 8a horo nokte. Jen! La sceno kaj sono disde la kanto “Ardas Havena Vivo” de Kajto aperis antaŭ miaj okuloj kaj <span class="lg">enspacis miajn orelojn</span>-<br /></div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Ardas havena vivo</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Laŭtas tumulta aktivo</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Movas sin formoj, fumoj</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br />Buntas kostumoj, lumoj …..</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SGdcmlAh9mI/AAAAAAAAAKo/uvZvsU5kRXg/s1600-h/DSCN9176.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SGdcmlAh9mI/AAAAAAAAAKo/uvZvsU5kRXg/s400/DSCN9176.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217240511171130978" border="0" /></a> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""></span></div><span style=""> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--></span>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-69631963060380945232008-05-06T23:09:00.010+08:002009-02-22T22:19:28.815+08:00Teledu - the Bornean Skunk<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SCB1sPVPt3I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/Enx-aT97sgE/s1600-h/Stamp_Teledu2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SCB1sPVPt3I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/Enx-aT97sgE/s320/Stamp_Teledu2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197283372875888498" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Recently</span> Pos Malaysia issued a set of glow-in-the-dark stamps depicting six nocturnal mammals. Unfortunately I was out of town and didn't know when the first-day-covers came out. When I enquired at the post office a few days later they had all been sold out except for the Slow Loris and Tarsier. I was hoping to buy a Malay Badger or Teludu stamp, fortunately I was able to buy one off Ebay later!<br /><br />Teledu (aka Teludu, Malay Badger, Stink or Skunk Badger) is a common animal on Borneo that's more often smelled than seen! Well, for this post I have reproduced an article that I wrote and which was published in the October 2004 issue of The Planter* Magazine:<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">My Introduction to Mr Teledu</span></div> <p class="p3" style="line-height: 13pt;"><span style="font-size:12;"><span style=""> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">My introduction to this guy was, to </span><span style="font-size:100%;">put it mildly, a very unpleasant affair. In fact it was quite a disaster!</span></span></p> <p class="p4" style="margin-left: 0in; line-height: 13pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It was in late '75 or early '76 when I was still quite new to hunting, which among us planters and their friends in those days meant driving around in a Land Cruiser at night laden with non-stop-talking-and-laughing people and a shotgun, shining a strong spotlight at the vegetation on either side of the road hoping to find an unfortunate quarry to shoot at. We were hunting for wild boar or deer in a cocoa plantation in Tawau when we spotted a cat-sized black and white animal on the roadside looking very much like acute little piglet!</span></p> <p class="p4" style="margin-left: 0in; line-height: 13pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Stop!", I said and was out of the car in a flash and in front of the animal. It did not run so tried to catch it with my bare hands...but, before I could touch it, "Psssst!" and I was engulfed in a fine mist, like being sprayed with an aerosol can! "Yuuuuuaaack!", I screamed as I was overpowered by the foulest stink I had ever smelled in my life still not knowing what had hit me. The others in the car were equally ignorant and did not know what had happened but almost instantaneously the smell reached them in the vehicle! And everybody went "Arrggg!" and were making vomitting sounds!</span></p> <p class="p4" style="margin-left: 0in; line-height: 13pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It took quite a while for us to realise that some kind of skunk had used its weapon on me and that I had taken a direct hit mostly on the front of my shirt! Now there was a problem! My colleagues had a stinking person that they did not want to have as a passenger! I tried to get rid of the smell but even though I took off my shirt and threw it away I still smelled as bad as before. what I needed was a bath! So in the end I got my sIrirt back and they grudgingly let me ride home with them on the back of the Land Cruiser!</span></p> <p class="p4" style="margin-left: 0in; line-height: 13pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">When I reached home (estate bachelor quarters) my dog barked at me and so did all the dogs in the neighbourhood. I rushed into the bathroom and tried to wash the smell off using up the whole 200-litre drum of water and almost a complete cake of toilet soap. But the smell still persisted though it was now much fainter and I could go to sleep. In the morning at dawn muster even though I could not smell anything (through my now desensitised nose) my colleagues looked at me curiously and the workers seemed to be avoiding me the whole day. I also washed my affected clothes, put them out in the sun and left them out day and night but the perfume still lingered even after one whole week! And the dog would still bark at the clothes if you showed them to him!</span></p> <p class="p4" style="margin-left: 0in; line-height: 13pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It was only after many years that I found out what that animal was. In those days there were no reference books on the local fauna at all, even if there were it would not have been available to the average person. All the while I had thought that I had had an encounter with a moonrat, an animal that was also reputed to possess an offensive stink. Today I would simply have to search the Internet with little clue-words like "smelly animal" and would have eventually found out that this terribly smelly animal was a Malay Badger aka Stink Badger or <i>Mydaus javanensis! </i></span><span style="font-size:100%;">I even found some photos on the Net which reminded me of that night long ago!</span></p> <p class="p3" style="line-height: 13pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Since then I have encountered Teledu countless times, mostly by smell. Sometimes at night you could just catch a whiff of his perfume in the air, sometimes it is so strong that all the dogs around barked and I know that some unfortunate victim (dog, maybe) had got a dose of what I got long long ago. I have also seen him when out hunting, but by now I knew better and always gave him a wide berth. I still hope to photograph him, alive and not as the roadkill that I often come across! When the wind is blowing in the right direction, I can sometimes smell a </span><span style=""></span><span style="font-size:100%;">roadkill a kilometer before I see its crushed body on the road, and wonder whether the driver of the car was</span><span style=""> aware of what he had hit?</span></p><p class="p3" style="line-height: 13pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><p class="p3" style="line-height: 13pt; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SCB61_VPt5I/AAAAAAAAAKI/rMbceLGUefI/s1600-h/Mydaus_javanensis8694roadkill-s.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SCB61_VPt5I/AAAAAAAAAKI/rMbceLGUefI/s320/Mydaus_javanensis8694roadkill-s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197289037937751954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/SCB61_VPt5I/AAAAAAAAAKI/rMbceLGUefI/s1600-h/Mydaus_javanensis8694roadkill-s.JPG"><br /></a></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Recent photo of a dead Teledu on the road.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">*Monthly magazine of the Incorporated Society of Planters in Malaysia.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"></span></div></div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-63022374742503816372008-04-05T20:27:00.018+08:002008-09-20T21:34:20.172+08:00The Borneo Python<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R_d5Fa65UCI/AAAAAAAAAJY/LGOvdr2J4ig/s1600-h/Python_breitensteini0006b.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R_d5Fa65UCI/AAAAAAAAAJY/LGOvdr2J4ig/s320/Python_breitensteini0006b.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185746629973069858" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;">There</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span>are two species of pythons on Borneo, the more well known of which is the bigger, in fact arguably the biggest and definitely the longest snake in the whole world, <a href="http://allthingsborneo.blogspot.com/2007/12/close-encounter-with-python.html">Recticulated Python</a> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Python reticulatus</span>). The other species is <span style="font-style: italic;">Python breitensteini</span> the endemic Borneo Python, aka Borneo Short-tailed or Borneo Blood Python. It was until quite recently regarded as a sub-species ot the Sumatran Short-tailed Python and carried the name <span style="font-style: italic;">Python curtus breitensteini.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R_d5Fa65UDI/AAAAAAAAAJg/G9KsqS8axNQ/s1600-h/Python_breitensteini0004b.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R_d5Fa65UDI/AAAAAAAAAJg/G9KsqS8axNQ/s320/Python_breitensteini0004b.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185746629973069874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> </span><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">The trick is to hold it behind the head firmly and </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">to stand back immediately when you release it. </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">It may or may not try to bite your hand or somewhere else! Better still just leave it alone in the first place!<br /><br /></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Borneo Python is a short and stout snake seldom exceeding 1.5 metre (5 feet) in length. It is non-venomous but can give a nasty bite and I learned in a rather painful way that, like people, some individuals are more agressive than others! Some will tolerate handling without trying to bite while some, even baby ones, will strike readily! Over the years working and living in plantations I have found them to be just as common as reticulated pythons, and unfortunately, as they move more slowly they are more often caught (for the pot!) and more are seen as roadkills! Many times I have seen them crossing the road at night especially in wet weather and I always slowed down to watch them cross. Once at night while driving in a hurry I saw one of these fat guys on the roadside, however to my dismay the next morning when I passed the same road it was still there - run over and dead (most likely deliberately by some heartless driver - many people in Borneo are inexplicably anti-snake!)</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Unlike the other species, this is a mainly wait-and-ambush hunter, I've never heard of one climbing up a chicken coop to take a bird, and usually lie in wait near ponds and swamp for their prey which are probably mostly rodents and small mammals.</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Baby Borneo Pythons are chubby and rather cute looking, even to some of my snake-fearing friends, and one may be tempted to keep them as pets! However though I can never resist picking them up , I now always release them after taking their photos...</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R_d5Fq65UEI/AAAAAAAAAJo/ZeHKEi7TlOA/s1600-h/python_breitensteini-baby0160s.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R_d5Fq65UEI/AAAAAAAAAJo/ZeHKEi7TlOA/s320/python_breitensteini-baby0160s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185746634268037186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-size:85%;">Cute baby.</span></span><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R_d5Fq65UFI/AAAAAAAAAJw/rNLLEsn-rE8/s1600-h/python_breitensteini-baby0161s.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R_d5Fq65UFI/AAAAAAAAAJw/rNLLEsn-rE8/s320/python_breitensteini-baby0161s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185746634268037202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> The correct thing to do is to set it free!</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-89552026238578608362008-03-29T22:46:00.008+08:002008-09-20T21:00:07.520+08:00Saffron-Bellied Frogs<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">The</span></span> Saffron-bellied Frog <span style="font-style: italic;">- Chaperina fusca -</span> is a tiny frog belonging to the family Microhylidae or Narrow-mouthed Frog. Although said to be quite common they are seldom seen; they usually inhabit forest and breed in rain-filled pools, where they congregate in numbers to mate.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R-51Lq65T8I/AAAAAAAAAIo/mlpbFDPaeEY/s1600-h/saffron-bellied_frog4730b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R-51Lq65T8I/AAAAAAAAAIo/mlpbFDPaeEY/s320/saffron-bellied_frog4730b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183209064510345154" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R-51L665T9I/AAAAAAAAAIw/9K8KISzji2s/s1600-h/saffron-bellied_frog4731b.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R-51L665T9I/AAAAAAAAAIw/9K8KISzji2s/s320/saffron-bellied_frog4731b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183209068805312466" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;">Photo 1 - An adult frog on my finger</span><span style="font-size:85%;">. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;">Photo 2 - The underside showing saffron-yellow spots</span></span><br /><br />I first came across this species a few years back breeding in a well shaded small cement water tank in an oil palm plantation. As this tank is always filled with rain-water it is continuously occupied by these little frogs, and there are usually some tadpoles in the tank at any one time the whole year round. Mating activity is most active when it rains when the soft chirping songs of the males could be heard.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_aC0RNFzL210/R-5rl5pkhkI/AAAAAAAAAJY/h9H8IODCZks/s1600-h/saffron-bellied_frog_tadpole5051s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_aC0RNFzL210/R-5rl5pkhkI/AAAAAAAAAJY/h9H8IODCZks/s320/saffron-bellied_frog_tadpole5051s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183198520024532546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_aC0RNFzL210/R-5lyJpkheI/AAAAAAAAAIo/0TiiUGxYNB4/s1600-h/saffron-bellied_frog8673c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_aC0RNFzL210/R-5lyJpkheI/AAAAAAAAAIo/0TiiUGxYNB4/s320/saffron-bellied_frog8673c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183192133408163298" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Photo 3 - A small colony of these frogs live in this cement tank (click on photo to see details)</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">.</span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Photo 4 - Tadpoles</span></span><br /><br />The adult frogs are only about 25mm (1-inch) in length, the male slightly smaller than the female. The back is dark greenish brown in colour, the limbs light brown to orange with dark brown bars, on the belly are saffron-orange spots on a darker background, strangely the yellow colour will rub off on to human fingers when handled. On each elbow and heel there is a flexible spine-like projection.Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383297506333184241.post-58553202248376196812008-02-24T23:25:00.011+08:002008-06-29T18:22:41.155+08:00The Pigeon Orchid<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R8GN0jkMIRI/AAAAAAAAAIY/KqreGdZ3I-U/s1600-h/Den_crumenatum4808s.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R8GN0jkMIRI/AAAAAAAAAIY/KqreGdZ3I-U/s400/Den_crumenatum4808s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170569781237784850" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-style: italic;">Above: Buds about to open looking like little birds hanging upside down.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-style: italic;">Below: A "string" of freshly open flowers.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R8GNcDkMIOI/AAAAAAAAAIA/ees7AwDUE6k/s1600-h/Den_crumenatum4822s.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R8GNcDkMIOI/AAAAAAAAAIA/ees7AwDUE6k/s400/Den_crumenatum4822s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170569360330989794" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">The</span></span> Pigeon Orchid, <span style="font-style: italic;">Dendrobium crumenatum</span>, must be the commonest wild orchid on Borneo; it grows on trees on the edges of forest, in plantations, gardens, parks and even on roadside trees. However it usually grows unnoticed and ignored and is even sometimes treated as a weed by orchid growers! But every now and then all the Pigeon orchid in an area spontaneously burst into bloom of little white and very fragrant flowers, when every tree with a clump of this orchid are adorned with "necklaces" of what look like tiny white birds (hence its common name) and a strong perfume fills the air! Alas this only lasts a single day and by the next morning the flowers start to wilt and drop and the clumps of epiphytes are once again ignored.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R8GNcTkMIPI/AAAAAAAAAII/43VPhpKC1wQ/s1600-h/Den_crumenatum4817s.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R8GNcTkMIPI/AAAAAAAAAII/43VPhpKC1wQ/s400/Den_crumenatum4817s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170569364625957106" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-style: italic;">A single flower with a moth attracted to it by the sweet scent.</span><br /></div><br />It is believed that this mass flowering is triggered by a drop in temperature - flowers develope nine days after a drop of <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" >5.5 <sup>o</sup>C or more, like when a sudden downpour occurs after a period of hot weather. However a recent study suggests that it is the water that washes away the inhibitary substance that initiates flowering</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" > rather than the change in temperature. The rain must be heavy and long enough, like 2 hours or more to be effective.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Dendrobium crumenatum</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" >has a wide distributional range: from China, Taiwan, Indochina, India and Sri Lanka to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R8GNcTkMIQI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/xn1OvqtN5VM/s1600-h/Den_crumenatum4836s.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_9lOGJA99amE/R8GNcTkMIQI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/xn1OvqtN5VM/s400/Den_crumenatum4836s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170569364625957122" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-style: italic;">Even a sickly looking </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-style: italic;">plant can produce a few perfumed flowers!<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Due to its infrequent flowering and short-lived bloom and lack of big showy flowers, the Pigeon Orchid is a neglected and under-rated orchid by gardeners. However I think each garden should have at least one plant as it is easy to grow and is totally maintenance-free, just stick a plantlet (called keiki in the business) on your mango (or whatever) tree and you can forget about it until one day when you notice that sweet smell coming from your garden! </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span>Borneo Bornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01358799347873724781noreply@blogger.com2