Natural History Notes

Striped Bronzeback Tree Snake Not only the tropical rainforest is rich in avifauna and plant diversity, but  also snakes which include various species of arboreal or tree dwelling snakes. The Striped Bronzeback ( Dendrelaphis caudolineatus ), a beautiful snake with red and black stripes and relatively large eyes is one of them. Although it spends much of its time in the rainforest trees, it does come down to the ground like the individual in the picture. Since it is a non-venomous snake, the snake's bite is not fatal but it can cause a minor cut.  In the wild the Striped Bronzedback are known to prey on other small animal in the rainforest such as a tree lizard. Related Post Non-Venomous Colubrid Snakes

Peaceful Dove Spotted Dove Many different kinds of birds are found in Southeast Asia such as the  two species of doves shown in the above pictures. Taxonomically, the doves belong to the same family as pigeons - Columbidae, thus their close similarities. In general, the difference between doves and pigeons is that doves are slenderer with rather long graduated tails, and many have white outer tail feathers which are visible when the bird is taking off. The Spotted Dove and Peaceful Dove (also known as Zebra Dove) are popular pet birds because they have sweet cooing  call. In spite of being hunted and trapped, both dove bird are still commonly seen when birding in  open habitat like clearings, scrubby growth, parks and gardens. Their population seems to  thrive well partly  because such habitats  are expanding in the region due to development.

Mimosa pigra growing in river bank Mimosa pigra or also known as Catclaw Mimosa is a widespread non-native invasive species that grows gregariously in many parts of the tropics. This invasive tree native habitat is in South America, but have since spread to other topical areas. Indeed Mimosa pigra is a notorious foreign tree that  is very difficult to control as it is easily dispersed via its hardy seeds that can survive for many years. Mimosa pigra also grows rapidly especially in sandy soil besides large rivers. As a result, local ecosystem would be altered and the relatively  rich native vegetation would become a homogenous stand of only several species of trees, and in turn some local animals like birds have to leave because of decline in fruiting trees or nesting site. Mimosa pigra flowers Mimosa pigra tree bears some resemblance to its close relative the Mimosa pudica or the Sensitive Plant, but it is much larger in size. It is a thorny plant that can grows up to

Durian, the king of fruit Durian fruits is one of the most popular Asian fruits especially in South-east Asia to the extent that it is regarded as the king of fruits. Locals like the the taste, smell and texture of Durians. On the contrary, many westerners in particular dislike the smell of Durians. The unmistakable capsular fruit of Durian ( Durio zibethinus ) is green and spiky, and when it is opened it reveals the seeds which are covered with yellow pulp. The pulp is usually eaten raw or cook to make porridge, for example. A full grown Durian tree. Like many tropical fruits of Asia, Durians originated from the rainforest and has been cultivated by man for a very long time. It is not unusual to find a Durian tree inside the rainforest whereby it can be identified by its conical crown and greyish-green leaves.