Borneo
gregladen | December 13, 2012The Slow Loris (Genus Nycticebus) is a category of prosimian (primates that are neither monkey or ape) that lives in southeast Asia. Most prosimian species live on the island of Madagascar, but there are several African and Asian forms, all of which are nocturnal. The Slow Loris is special because it is the only primate we know of that has a toxic bite.
The total number of nocturnal primates known has increased considerably over the years and I'd wager there are many more to be found. “Technological advances have improved our knowledge about the diversity of several nocturnal mammals,”…
awild | January 8, 2010ANT COURSE 2010
Danum Valley Field Centre, Sabah Borneo, August 16 - 26
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: April 1, 2010
click here for application form
COURSE OBJECTIVES. â ANT COURSE is designed for systematists, ecologists, behaviorists, conservation biologists, and other biologists whose research responsibilities require a greater understanding of ant taxonomy and field research techniques. Emphasis is on the identification of the ant genera and species occurring in Southeast Asia. Lectures will include background information on the ecology, life histories and evolution of ants. Field trips…
edyong | April 7, 2008The invasion of land by the tetrapods - four-limbed animals that include mammals, reptiles and amphibians - was surely one of the most evocative events in animal evolution. The march onto terra firma began some 365 million years ago and was driven by a suite of innovative adaptations that allowed back-boned animals to live out of water.
Lungs were among the most crucial of these for they allowed the first land-lubbers to extract oxygen from the surrounding air. That ability is so important that it's rare for tetrapods to lose their lungs completely. Until now, the only groups that we know…
zooillogix | March 15, 2007A new species of clouded leopard was identified today in the jungles of Borneo. In fact, over 400 new species of animals have been discovered in the rain forests of Borneo since 1994.
Most of the species shown below were found through the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) spectacular Heart of Borneo Initiative.
Bornean Clouded Leopard, neofelis diardi
Catfish with suction cups on its belly and protruding teeth
Lizard - new species of skink
(By far our favorite), Unidentified "Mystery Mammel"
retrospectacle | June 27, 2006Reuters (through Yahoo News) reports the discovery of a color-changing snake in the Borneo rainforest. The venomous snake represents an unknown species, and was found by biologists working with the WWF. The ability of reptiles to manipulate their skin pigmentation has been documented before, but is extremely rare in snakes.
"I put the reddish-brown snake in a dark bucket," said Mark Auliya, a reptile expert and a consultant for the group. "When I retrieved it a few minutes later, it was almost entirely white."
(It puts the snake in the basket. It does this whenever it's told.....)
Seriously…
retrospectacle | June 18, 2006A recent post by Stranger Fruit about the rare rhinos in Borneo reminded me of what a special, unique place Borneo is, in terms of beauty and diversity of life. I have been to the island of Borneo twice, both times to the state of Sabah. Sabah is one of 13 states in Malaysia, and one of two on the island of Borneo which is located in the South China Sea. This is, hands-down, the most gorgeous example of nature I have ever seen; crystal clear water on white beaches, dense rainforests (some of which have never been explored by humans), tall snow-capped mountains. While it is being threatened by…