Page 85 - World of Animals - Issue #31

Float past false gharials Borneo’s

If you embark on a river safari gharial mainly eats fish, but is brilliant bugs

along the peat-swamp forests known to prey on proboscis
of the Kinabatangan, you might monkeys who mistime their
see this crocodile’s slender daring leaps across branches
snout breach the surface. The that overhang the water.

Rajah Brooke’s birdwing

Malaysia’s national butterfly has a 17-centimetre (6.7-

inch) wingspan that makes it a powerful flyer. It can
cross a river in just three or four wing beats.

Whip scorpion
Breathe easy; it’s not a true scorpion, and its whip-like

tail doesn’t have a stinger. You may get a whiff of vinegar
when they spray acid from glands in their abdomen.

Look out for red leaf monkeys

Rhinoceros beetle
Meet Borneo’s other charismatic red and several females and infants. In all, ABOVE Found only in Borneo’s rainforests, these cantankerous
primate. This territorial monkey can be Borneo is home to ten different primate Look up to spot beetles are pound-for-pound the strongest animals

found in lowland forests, where it feeds species. The Danum Valley Conservation these monkeys going, capable of liƒing 850 times their body weight.
on seeds, fruit and flowers. It lives in small Centre in Sabah is one of a handful of as they rarely

come down from
groups typically consisting of a single male areas where all ten co-exist. the trees
Soak up rays with

the mini Malayan

sun bears Violin beetle
Resembling a dead leaf from afar, this forest-dwelling
beetle’s flattened body allows it to hide between layers

Taking its name from the crescent-shaped marking of large fungi.
on its chest, the world’s smallest bear has a wide,
short muzzle that makes it slightly dog-like in
appearance. Like so many of Borneo’s mammals,
the sun bear has adapted itself for life in the trees,
with feet turned slightly inwards and thick claws
that allow it to both climb and rip bark apart in
search of food. They are particularly fond of honey
and the gaping holes they tear in trees while they
hunt for it often become homes for hornbills and

flying squirrels. The bears also disperse seeds and
ABOVE control termite numbers in the forest. Giant forest ant
Sun bears can slurp Sun bears are reclusive animals but Sabah There are more than 700 species of ant in Borneo
up honey with their boasts the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre,

impressively long tongues nd these make up about five per cent of the global
where they can be readily seen. population, The giant forest ant is just one of these.
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