SUMMARY: On two trips to Cat Tien (Jan 2012 and Dec 2024) I saw 21 mammal species. The highlights in 2024 were Southern Pygmy Loris, found on my third night of searching after not finding it in 2012, and Thick-thumbed Myotis. Reptiles included Ruby-eyed Green Pitviper and Banded Krait.
Paul Carter: paulcarter@pacapix.com. Posted: 2024 Dec 21.
Contents
A) Mammal list
B) Mammal images
C) Reptiles
D) Birds
E) Site and trip information
F) References
Abbreviations: PH – Photographed. NP – Not photographed. iNat – iNaturalist. HQ – Cat Tien NP at ferry entry point. FFL – Forest Floor Lodge. 24-hour time is written as “hhmm” e.g. “3:49 PM” is written as “1549” or “1549h”.
A. MAMMAL LIST
- Lesser Short-nosed Fruitbat (Cynopterus brachyotis). TENTATIVE ID. PH, 2024, restaurant at HQ.
- Thick-thumbed Myotis (Myotis rosseti). PH, 2024. iNat post. Images below.
- Southern Palm Civet (Paradoxurus musanga). 2012 (NP); 2024, PH, FFL. iNat post. Image below.
- Small Indian Civet (Viverricula indica). PH, 2024. Crocodile Lake road.
- Yellow-throated Marten (Martes flavigula). NP, 2012. HQ area.
- Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor). NP. Very common on the grasslands.
- Lesser Mouse Deer (Tragulus kanchil). PH. Common but difficult to photograph. iNat post. Image below.
- Burmese Hare (Lepus peguensis). NP – 2012+2024. Southern grasslands.
- Flying Squirrel sp. NP. Seen on Botanical Gardens Trail 1, near western end.
- Black Giant Squirrel (Ratufa bicolor). NP, 2012.
- Pallas’s Squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus). PH – 2012. Common e.g. HQ area and FFL.
- Cambodian Striped Squirrel (Tamiops rodolphii). PH – 2012, 2024 e.g. FFL.
- Indochinese Ground Squirrel (Menetes berdmorei). PH, 2012.
- Northern Treeshrew (Tupaia belangeri). NP, 2012.
- Northern Slender-Tailed Treeshrew (Dendrogale murina). PH – 2012+2024 e.g. FFL. iNat post. Image below.
- Southern Pygmy Loris (Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus). PH, 2024. side-track off Heaven Rapids road. iNat post. Image below.
- Northern Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca leonina). PH – 2012+2024. FFL and Junction area.
- Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis). PH, 2012.
- Black-shanked Douc (Pygathrix nigripes). PH – 2012+2024. Overnighting in trees between HQ and FFL.
- Southern Yellow-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae). PH, 2024. Park HQ day- and night-roosting.
- Annamese Silvered Langur (Trachypithecus margarita). NP, 2012.
In 2024 whilst walking along Dac Lua road north of FFL we happened to be at a site specifically targeted by two rangers who arrived on a motorbike, stopped next to us and from a shopping basket released two pangolins, presumably poached animals being released back into the wild; nice to see.
B. MAMMAL IMAGES AND NOTES
m2 – Thick-thumbed Myotis (Myotis rosseti):
Seen at about 300m north of HQ on Dac Lua road to FFL. There were at least seven day-roosting in dead bamboo. Both brown and grey forms seen (grey is subadult?). Ph -29 shows dorsal fur has dark brown base with pale tips. Ph -21, of a grey form, shows its nape to have dark/black based fur with paler tips. Rostrum is bare to thinly furred as is orange-pink area around the eye. Tragus points forward and is bluntly pointed.
m3 – Southern Palm Civet (Paradoxurus musanga):
m7 – Lesser Mouse Deer (Tragulus kanchil):
m15 – Northern Slender-Tailed Treeshrew (Dendrogale murina):
m16 – Southern Pygmy Loris (Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus):
One was seen on 12 Dec 2024 about 410m northeast of the Heaven Rapids Road T-junction; it was on the 125m-long link trail between the between Heaven Rapids Road (11.441760° 107.429260°) and the Botanical Garden Trail 1 (11.441140° 107.430210°).
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C. REPTILES
- Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus). PH, 2012 Dec 10. HQ area.
- Ruby-eyed Green Pitviper (Trimeresurus rubeus). PH, 2024. One individual seen every night on the same plant in ambush position. Botanical Garden Trail 1. Image below.
- Common Mock Viper (Psammoddynastes pulverulentus). PH, 2024. Junction area.
- Laotian Wolf Snake (Lycodon laoensis). PH, 2024. FFL.
- Olive Tree Skink (Dasia olivacea). PH, 2024. Forest Floor Lodge restaurant. iNat post.
- Spotted Forest Skink (Sphenomorphus maculatus). PH – 2012+2024.
- Common Sun Skink (Eutropis multifasciata). PH.
- Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor). PH, 2012.
- Crowned Pricklenape (Acanthosaura coronata). PH, 2024. Botanical Garden Trail 1. iNat post. Image below.
- Tokay (Gekko gecko). PH, 2024.
- Flat-tailed House Gecko (Hemidactylus platyurus). PH, 2024. FFL.
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D. BIRDS
Birds photographed included:
Slaty-legged Crake (x). PH, 2024. Junction area.
Bar-bellied Pitta (Hydrornis elliotii). PH, 2024. Junction area.
Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca). iNat post.
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis). iNat post.
E. SITE AND TRIP INFORMATION
Trips: (1) 27-31 Jan 2012 and (2) 10-13 Dec 2024. I travelled with Chi Phan but I did night walks alone. On both trips we stayed at Forest Floor Lodge in the park.
Cat Tien NP is accessed by an 80m ferry ride starting here (11.423328N, 107.430351E). This takes you the park HQ and accommodation area. There is a restaurant here.
Forest Floor Lodge (11.435685° 107.428414°) is about 1.5 km north of the HQ area. You can book it directly or on agoda.com. Our room had fan and air-con for limited periods; the lodge runs on solar power and limited generator use. There is also safari-tent accommodation. The restaurant area overlooks the river; we ate most of our meals here.
Trails: In 2024 I was targeting the Pygmy Loris and concentrated on (1) the bamboo dominated areas on Dac Lua road between HQ and FFL and (2) the area around the Heaven Rapids track T-junction off Dac Lua Road (11.439360° 107.426460°; it is 440m NNW of FFL). The trailhead for “Botanical Garden Trail 1” is 300m north of FFL. I walked the trail to Crocodile Lake in 2012 but not in 2024.
F. REFERENCES
- Francis CM (2019). Field Guide to the Mammals of South-east Asia (2nd Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing. Softcover and Kindle Edition.
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