Wildlife of Cambodia

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Asian elephant
Sun bear

The wildlife of Cambodia is very diverse with at least 162 mammal species,[1] 600 bird species,[1] 176 reptile species (including 89 subspecies),[2] 900 freshwater fish species,[1] 670 invertebrate species, and more than 3000 plant species.[1] A single protected area, Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, is known to support more than 950 total species, including 75 species that are listed as globally threatened on the IUCN Red List.[3] An unknown amount of species remains to be described by science, especially the insect group of butterflies and moths, collectively known as lepidopterans.[4]

Many species in Cambodia, including several endemic ones, are recognized by the IUCN or World Conservation Union as threatened, endangered, or critically endangered due to deforestation and habitat destruction, poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, and farming, fishing, and forestry concessions. Intensive poaching may have already driven Cambodia's national animal, the kouprey, to extinction, wild tigers to extirpation, and Eld's deer, wild water buffaloes and hog deer are at critically low numbers.

Wildlife in Cambodia includes dholes, elephants, deer (sambar, Eld's deer, hog deer and muntjac), wild oxen (banteng and gaur), panthers, bears, and tigers. Cormorants, cranes, ibises, parrots, green peafowl, pheasants, and wild ducks are also found, and species of venomous snakes and constrictors are numerous. Deforestation, mining activities, and unregulated hunting, have diminished the country's wildlife diversity rapidly.

Cambodia also has many endangered species, including Asian elephant, Siamese crocodile, wild water buffalo, and the Germain's silver langur.

Much work is being done in this area to help conserve and protect Cambodia's unique wildlife. Wildlife conservation organizations operating in Cambodia include Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Fauna and Flora International, BirdLife International, Wildlife Alliance, and many others. On 20 December 2016, 163 new animal species were reported in Southeast Asia including one known as the for its resemblance to a Klingon from Star Trek.[5]

Fauna[]

Dhole
Leopard cat
Siamese crocodiles

Some animals native to Cambodia:

Mammals[]

Main article: List of mammals of Cambodia

Reptiles[]

Fish[]

Birds[]

Main article: List of birds of Cambodia

Molluscs[]

Main article: List of non-marine molluscs of Cambodia

Insects[]

There are several species of insects in Cambodia still undescribed by science.

Only preliminary research has been done on butterflies and moths (lepidopterans) in Cambodia, even though it is an abundant lifeform in the country. No identification literature exists for Cambodia on this group yet.[4]

  • Indian moon moth (Actias selene), a common moth across Asia
  • Common evening brown butterfly (Melanitis leda), common in Cambodian woodlands

  • Pileated gibbon.
    Cambodia has the largest population in the world of this endangered ape.

  • Gaur

  • Banteng

  • Binturong (bearcat)

  • King cobra.
    Cambodia has many different kinds of snakes.

  • Mangrove snake

  • Asian water monitor

  • Tokay gecko, one of several gecko species

  • Leatherback sea turtle

Flora[]

See also: List of trees of Cambodia
Rumdul flower, Cambodia's national flower.

Cambodia supports more than 3000 identified plant species, many of which are endemic to unique local ecosystems, such as the Tonlé Sap floodplain, forests of the Cardamom and Dâmrei Mountains, and elevated plains.[9]

  • Cambodia's national flower is the rumdul flower, officially Mitrella mesnyi.
  • The white cheesewood, also known as rumdul, is the official flower of Sisaket Province.

Several plant species in Cambodia are rare and/or endangered:[10]

  • Nepenthes bokorensis, one of two rare pitcher plants endemic to Cambodia. Found growing in the Dâmrei Mountains.
  • Aquilaria crassna, or chankreussna, is a tree species valued for its perfume which is currently critically endangered.
  • Cinnamomum cambodianum a non-scented species of cinnamon tree endemic to Cambodian forests, primarily the Cardamom and Dâmrei Mountains. Perhaps also present in Thailand at the Cambodia-Thailand border region in the northeast. Endangered by illegal logging.

See also[]

notes and references[]

  1. ^ a b c d "Cambodia Clearing House Mechanism Species Database". Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  2. ^ Reptile Database, accessed 3 March 2013
  3. ^ Griffin, Olly. 2019. The Biodiversity of Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary ជីវចម្រុះនៅក្នុងដែនជម្រក សត្វព្រៃកែវសីមា. WCS Cambodia, Phnom Penh.
  4. ^ a b REPORT 4 Fauna and flora diversity studies in Botum Sakor National Park, Cambodia April 2005 – September 2009 Frontier Cambodia, January 2010. Society for Environmental Exploration 2010.
  5. ^ "Cambodia's Islands - Species". Cambodia islands – Island Species Cambodia. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  6. ^ Insectes Sociaux: Predation on large millipedes and self-assembling chains in Leptogenys ants from Cambodia
  7. ^ Bug Squad: An Amazing Ant/Millipede Video
  8. ^ Khmer Times: Cambodia’s Blue Ants Use Teamwork to Pull Prey
  9. ^ R. Jalonen; Choo, K.Y.; Hong, L.T.; Sim, H.C., eds. (2009). Forest genetic resources conservation and management: status in seven South and Southeast Asian countries. Bioversity International. pp. 3–. ISBN 978-967-5221-21-7.
  10. ^ Note: Many species are now extinct or near extinct in neighbouring countries and Cambodia happens to hold some of the last refuges.

External links[]

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