Nocturnal Tarap Eater

One 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 (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). Possibly another species of civet - the Malay Civet (Viverra tangalunga) also does so though I've never seen it.

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.

More Tarap Eaters

The biggest of the birds that come to the feast is the Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris), there's a semi-resident pair of them in the neighbourhood.

At least two species of bulbuls - the Olive-winged (Pycnonotus plumosus) (above)  

and the very common Yellow-vented (Pycnonotus goiavier) (below)

 

The smallest - the Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers (Dicaeum trigonostigma)

sometimes feed on the wing, hovering like humming birds. The photo below is 

that of a female (or possibly a juvenile). The bottom photo shows a mature male. 

Tarap Eaters

A large ripe fruit of the Tarap (Artocarpus odoratissimus) 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. 

Photo 1 & 2 : Plantain squirrel (Caloscuirus notatus)

Photo 3: Slender-billed Crows (Corvus enca) are early birds

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.

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...

Tarap - A Unique Bornean Fruit

The tarap 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.

Photo 2: A ripe tarap is easily opened with your bare
hands - the white stuff is the sweet yummy part!

Botanically it is known as Artocarpus odoratissimus and belongs to the Moraceae plant family like its related cousins the Jackfruit or Nangka, Chempadak and Breadfruit.

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.Photos 3 & 4: Tarap infloresence, these are the flowers, the male

head below is about to wither and drop after releasing pollen

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.

Other names: Timadang (Kadazan/Dusun)