Cát Tiên National Park ( vi, Vườn quốc gia Cát Tiên) is a
national park located in the south of
Vietnam, belonging to the area of 3 provinces
Đồng Nai,
Bình Phước and
Lâm Đồng Lâm is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Lin in Chinese and Im in Korean.
Lam is the anglicized variation of the surname Lâm.
Lam is also a commonly held surname of Cantonese speakers of Chinese descent. Large populations in ...
. It is approximately 150 km north of
Ho Chi Minh City. It has an area of about 720 km
2 and protects one of the largest areas of lowland
tropical forest
Tropical forests (a.k.a. jungle) are forested landscapes in tropical regions: ''i.e.'' land areas approximately bounded by the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, but possibly affected by other factors such as prevailing winds.
Some tropical for ...
s left in Vietnam.
History
The surrounding area was originally occupied by the
Ma people - especially in the area that is now Cat Loc (in the 1960s eastern Nam Cat Tien was described as "''inhabité'' - uninhabited") and
Stieng people
The Stieng people ( vi, Xtiêng) are an ethnic group of Vietnam and Cambodia. They speak Stieng, a language in the Bahnaric group of the Mon–Khmer languages.
Most Stieng live in Bình Phước Province (81,708 in 2009) of the Southeast regio ...
in western
Dong Nai Province
Dong or DONG may refer to:
Places
* Dong Lake, or East Lake, a lake in China
* Dong, Arunachal Pradesh, a village in India
* Dong (administrative division) (동 or 洞), a neighborhood division in Korea
Persons
*Queen Dong (1623–1681), princes ...
. After the formation of the Park, many of these people were re-settled in
Talai village, to the south-west of Nam Cat Tien.
Cát Tiên National Park (CTNP) was protected initially in 1978 as two sectors, Nam Cat Tien and Tay Cat Tien. Another sector, Cat Loc, was gazetted as a rhinoceros reserve in 1992 upon the discovery of a population of the
Vietnamese Javan rhinoceros
The ''Vietnamese Javan Rhino'' (''Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus'') also known as the '' Indo-Chinese Javan Rhino'' is a possibly extinct subspecies of the Javan rhinoceros that formerly lived in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, and ma ...
, an occasion that brought the park into the world's eye. The three areas were combined to form one park in 1998. Nam Cat Tien is contiguous with
Vĩnh Cửu nature reserve thus providing an enlarged area for species to breed. The forest is now protected by the ''
Kiểm lâm'' (VN Forest Rangers) with responsibilities for managing poaching, fire control, and other issues.
Parts of the park area suffered historically during the
Vietnam War when it was extensively sprayed with defoliant
herbicides. However, substantial further damage was done by
logging up until the 1990s. To this day these areas have extensive
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, but ...
and
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natu ...
cover and trees have not yet grown back.
Archaeology
The
Cát Tiên archaeological site
Cát Tiên archaeological site or Cát Tiên Sanctuary ( vi, Thánh địa Cát Tiên) is an archaeological site located between the two sectors of Cát Tiên National Park, Cát Tiên District, Lâm Đồng Province, southern Central Highlands ...
is located just outside the park boundary on the northern bank of the Dong Nai river (between Cat Loc and Nam Cat Tien, facing towards the latter). Excavations carried out between 1994 and 2003 revealed a group of temples, belonging to a previously unknown Hindu civilization which probably inhabited the area between the 4th century and 9th centuries AD (possibly later). A large number of gold, bronze, ceramic, coloured stone, and glass artefacts are currently displayed in the
Da Lat
Da Lat (also written as Dalat, vi, Đà Lạt; ), is the capital of Lâm Đồng Province and the largest city of the Central Highlands region in Vietnam. The city is located above sea level on the Langbian Plateau. Da Lat is one of the mo ...
museum.
Habitats and flora
Cát Tiên National Park (CTNP) consists of
seasonal tropical forest
Seasonal tropical forest, also known as moist deciduous, semi-evergreen seasonal, tropical mixed or monsoon forests, typically contain a range of tree species: only some of which drop some or all of their leaves during the dry season. This tropic ...
s,
grasslands and
riparian areas, with Park Authorities identifying five major habitat types
as follows:
1.
Primary evergreen forest areas perhaps comprise only about 2% of the Nam Cat Tien area; can be highly diverse but are dominated by trees in two families (for other Families and Species see below):
*
Fabaceae: ''
Afzelia xylocarpa
''Afzelia xylocarpa'' is a tree from Southeast Asia. It grows in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Burma in deciduous forests. It can reach 30 metres tall with a trunk up to 2 metres in diameter in a mature specimen.
Uses
The seeds are ...
'' (Caesalpinoidea) and rosewoods (Papilionoideae): including the
endemic ''
Dalbergia mammosa
''Dalbergia oliveri'' is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae which grows in tree form to 15 – 30 meters in height (up to 100 ft.). The fruit is a green pod containing one to two seeds which turn brown to black when ripe. It is thre ...
''.
*
Dipterocarpaceae: notably ''
Dipterocarpus alatus
''Dipterocarpus alatus'' ( th, ยางนา, , ; Khmer: ''chhë tiël ba:y, chhë tiël tük, chhë tiël thom''DY PHON Pauline, 2000, Plants Used In Cambodia, self-published, printed by Imprimerie Olympic, Phnom Penh or ឈើទាល (''ch ...
'', which occurs naturally, but with a good survival rate, it is widely used for replanting; ''
Hopea odorata
''Hopea odorata'', or ta-khian ( th, ตะเคียน), is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is a large tree reaching up to 45 m ...
'' is also used for replanting.
2. Primary and
secondary
Secondary may refer to: Science and nature
* Secondary emission, of particles
** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products
* The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...
mixed or deciduous forest (dry season):
Where soils are well-drained the following trees are common:
* ''
Lagerstroemia calyculata
''Lagerstroemia calyculata'' known as the "Guava Crape Myrtle" (Vietnamese name : ''Bằng Lăng Ổi'', ''Bằng Lăng Cườm''; th, ตะแบก ''tabaek''; Cambodian name: Srolao "ដើមស្រឡៅ"); the name is derived from its v ...
'' (
Lythraceae
Lythraceae is a family of flowering plants, including 32 genera, with about 620 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees. The larger genera include '' Cuphea'' (275 spp.), '' Lagerstroemia'' (56), '' Nesaea'' (50), '' Rotala'' (45), and '' Lythrum' ...
),
* ''
Tetrameles nudiflora
''Tetrameles'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Tetramelaceae with one species, ''Tetrameles nudiflora''. It grows as a large deciduous tree and is found across southern Asia from India through southeast Asia, Malesia, and into north ...
'' (
Tetramelaceae
The Tetramelaceae are a family of plants formerly classed in the Datiscaceae
The Datiscaceae are a family of dicotyledonous plants, containing two species of the genus ''Datisca''. Two other genera, '' Octomeles'' and '' Tetrameles'', are now ...
), of there are spectacularly large specimen trees,
* ''
Anogeissus acuminata
''Terminalia phillyreifolia'' is an Asian species of tree in the family Combretaceae. It has been called buttontree or yon (from ; IPA: ). It is a medium-sized tree found in both primary and secondary tropical and sub-tropical forests. It is rec ...
'' (
Combretaceae
The Combretaceae, often called the white mangrove family, are a family of flowering plants in the order Myrtales. The family includes about 530 species of trees, shrubs, and lianas in ca 10 genera. The family includes the leadwood tree, '' Combr ...
).
The abundance ''L. calyculata'' is discussed by Blanc et al.
especially as an indicator of
secondary forest
A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a timber harvest or clearing for agriculture, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident. ...
. "It appears to be a very good competitive species able to regenerate on denuded areas: along roads and on land abandoned after cultivation. Human disturbances have mostly affected Dipterocarpaceae for resin and Fabaceae for their wood."
The
low canopy and under-story zones contains species such as the endemic ''
Cycas inermis''; a number of palms are common, including ''
Caryota mitis
''Caryota mitis'', known as the clustering fishtail palm or fishtail palm, is a species of palm native to Tropical Asia from India to Java to southern China, now sparingly naturalized in southern Florida and in parts of Africa and Latin America. ...
'', ''
Licuala
''Licuala'' is a genus of palms, in the tribe Trachycarpeae, commonly found in tropical forests of southern China, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, New Guinea and the western Pacific Ocean islands.
Description and uses
''Licuala'' spp. are fan ...
'' and ''
Pinanga
''Pinanga'' is a genus of flowering plant of the palm family in the subtribe Arecinae. It is native to eastern and southern Asia (India, China, Indo-China, Malesia) across to New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua ...
'' spp., together with a wide range of fruit species (important food for animals) such as figs (''e.g.
Ficus racemosa
''Ficus racemosa'', the cluster fig, red river fig or gular, is a species of plant in the family Moraceae. It is native to Australia and tropical Asia. It is a fast-growing plant with large, very rough leaves, usually attaining the size of a lar ...
'') and wild bananas (''
Musa acuminata'').
3.
Secondary forest
A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a timber harvest or clearing for agriculture, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident. ...
with abundant bamboo species: this due to human activity, the forest having been degraded by
logging,
forest fires
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identif ...
and in some areas war-time
defoliants
A defoliant is any herbicidal chemical sprayed or dusted on plants to cause their leaves to fall off. Defoliants are widely used for the selective removal of weeds in managing croplands and lawns. Worldwide use of defoliants, along with the ...
, which have caused the forest canopy to be replaced with bamboos. Common trees include ''Lagerstroemia calyculata'', ''
Mesua
''Mesua'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Calophyllaceae,Stephens, P.F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/ native to tropical southern Asia. Common names inc ...
'' sp. and ''
Xylia xylocarpa'', with bamboo species present.
4.
Bamboo forest (some 40% of the Park area) may also have been affected by human activity, including areas where forest was previously cleared for
subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no ...
creating favourable conditions for bamboos; species include: ''
Bambusa balcooa
''Bambusa balcooa'' is a clumping bamboo native from the Indian subcontinent to Indo-China.
Description
''Bambusa balcooa'' is a very large, thick-walled, clumping or sympodial bamboo: growing up to a height of , and a thickness of .
Uses
...
'', ''
B. procera'', and ''
Gigantochloa
''Gigantochloa'' is a tropical Asian and Papuasian genus of giant clumping bamboos in the grass family. It is found in southern China, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and New Guinea.
;Species
;Formerly included
see ''Bambusa
''Bamb ...
'' spp.
5. Seasonally flooded grasslands: CTNP has substantial (approximately 10%) area of grassland (including disused farmland) and
wetlands
* In the rainy season, Dong Nai river water floods into an area of 2,500 ha area of northern Nam Cat Tien, along the Da Kluo which is a reverse flow stream (like
Tonlé Sap
Tonlé Sap (; km, ទន្លេសាប, ; or commonly translated as 'Great Lake'; vi, Biển Hồ, Chữ Hán: 湖海/壺海) is a lake in the northwest of Cambodia. It belongs to the Mekong River system. It is the largest freshwater ...
) replenishing the lakes: Bau Sau (crocodile lake), Bau Chim, Bau Co and the surrounding grasslands.
* In the flat eastern half of Nam Cat Tien especially, there are a number of
swamps (see above) surrounding isolated, poorly-drained small open areas – typically 3-10 ha - that might best be described as
wet meadows - that are often surrounded with
swamp forest
Freshwater swamp forests, or flooded forests, are forests which are inundated with freshwater, either permanently or seasonally. They normally occur along the lower reaches of rivers and around freshwater lakes. Freshwater swamp forests are found ...
and may also contain
vernal pools.
Lianas and epiphytes
As in most
seasonal tropical forest
Seasonal tropical forest, also known as moist deciduous, semi-evergreen seasonal, tropical mixed or monsoon forests, typically contain a range of tree species: only some of which drop some or all of their leaves during the dry season. This tropic ...
s the Park has an abundance of
epiphytes (such as
ferns,
orchid
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
s and 'ant plants' such as ''
Myrmecodia'').
Lianas
A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...
are abundant and include:
''
Ancistrocladus tectorius'', box beans: ''
Entada
''Entada'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, in the mimosoid clade of the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It consists of some 30 species of trees, shrubs and tropical lianas. About 21 species are known from Africa, six from ...
'' spp., 'monkey ladders': ''
Lasiobema
''Lasiobema'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, most of which are lianas. It belongs to the subfamily Cercidoideae. It was recently synonymized with ''Phanera'' on the basis of morphology, but this move has been quest ...
scandens'' and
Rattan
Rattan, also spelled ratan, is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed-canopy old-growth tropical forests o ...
s: especially ''
Calamus'' spp. in wet areas.
Riparian areas
In flat lowland areas and especially along streams, areas of
freshwater swamp forest notable tree species often include: ''
Ficus benjamina
''Ficus benjamina'', commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree, and often sold in stores as just ficus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia. It is the official tree of Bangkok. The ...
'', ''
Livistona saribus
''Livistona saribus'', also known as taraw palm in English, is a species of palm tree found in tropical Southeast Asia.
Common names
One of the vernacular names in the Cambodian language is ''triëk''. In Malay it is known as ''serdang'', or ...
'', ''
Crateva
''Crateva'' is a genus of flowering plants in the caper family, Capparaceae.
Species
Accepted species include:
* '' Crateva adansonii'' DC.
* '' Crateva excelsa'' Bojer
* '' Crateva greveana'' Baill.
* '' Crateva humblotii'' (Baill.) Hadj-M ...
'', ''
Syzygium
''Syzygium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1200 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific. ...
'' and ''
Horsfieldia
''Horsfieldia'' is a genus of evergreen trees. The genus consists of about 100 species and is distributed across South Asia, from India to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Some species are used for timber. Species in the genus sometimes con ...
'' spp. Naturally occurring patches of ''
Bambusa blumeana
''Bambusa blumeana'',J.J.Roemer & J.A.Schultes, 1830 ''In: Syst. Veg. 7: 1343'' also known as spiny bamboo or thorny bamboo, is a species of clumping bamboo occurring in Tropical Asia.
This bamboo is known locally as: ''kawayang tinik'' in the ...
'' (''tre gai'' or ''tre la ngà'') are also abundant in riparian areas and flooding forest. Other plants include ''
Schumannianthus dichotomus'' ("cool mat") which occurs in muddy areas along streams.
Scientific and conservation activities
Numerous endemic species, having their
type locality at CTNP, have been described by Vietnamese and international scientists: including those at the
Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre. More than 20 species of organisms have the name "''catienensis''" or similar, including two palms (''Licuala'' illustrated here), the bracket fungus ''
Tomophagus cattienensis'', two reptiles and 4 insects to date.
Between the Park headquarters and
Ta Lai village there are substantial replanting areas, including a 200 ha area supported by
European Community between 1996-98.
Fauna
Mammals
The park hosts many mammal species; the following may be encountered:
Primates include the
endemic golden-cheeked gibbon ''
Nomascus gabriellae
The yellow-cheeked gibbon (''Nomascus gabriellae''), also called the golden-cheeked gibbon, the yellow-cheeked crested gibbon, the golden-cheeked crested gibbon, the red-cheeked gibbon, or the buffed-cheeked gibbon, is a species of gibbon native ...
''
*
black-shanked douc langurs ''Pygathrix nigripes''
*
Indochinese lutung (silvered langur) ''Trachypithecus germaini''
*
stump-tailed macaque
The stump-tailed macaque (''Macaca arctoides''), also called the bear macaque, is a species of macaque native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. In India, it occurs south of the Brahmaputra River, in the northeastern part of the country. Its range ...
(=bear macaque) ''Macaca arctoides
*
crab-eating macaque
The crab-eating macaque (''Macaca fascicularis''), also known as the long-tailed macaque and referred to as the cynomolgus monkey in laboratories, is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. A species of macaque, the crab-eating macaqu ...
(=long-tailed macaque) ''Macaca fascicularis''
*
northern pig-tailed macaque
The northern pig-tailed macaque (''Macaca leonina'') is a vulnerable species of macaque in the subfamily Cercopithecidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Traditionally, ''M. leonina'' was c ...
''Macaca leonina''
*
pygmy slow loris
The pygmy slow loris (''Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus'') is a species of slow loris found east of the Mekong River in Vietnam, Laos, eastern Cambodia, and China. It occurs in a variety of forest habitats, including tropical dry forests, semi-everg ...
''Nycticebus pygmaeus''
Scandentia ("tree shrews", family
Tupaiidae: more related to primates than shrews):
* ''
Dendrogale murina'' - Northern smooth-tailed treeshrew
* ''
Tupaia belangeri'' - Northern treeshrew
Carnivores:
*
sun bear
The sun bear (''Helarctos malayanus'') is a species in the family Ursidae (the only species in the genus ''Helarctos'') occurring in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the smallest bear, standing nearly at the shoulder and weighin ...
''Helarctos malayanus''
*
asiatic black bear
The Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), also known as the Asiatic black bear, moon bear and white-chested bear, is a medium-sized bear species native to Asia that is largely adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. It lives in the Himalayas, sout ...
''Ursus thibetanus'' (in th
bear sanctuary but wild status is debated)
* Large-toothed Ferret Badger ''
Melogale personata
The Burmese ferret-badger (''Melogale personata''), also known as the large-toothed ferret-badger, is a mustelid native to Southeast Asia.
Description
The Burmese ferret-badger has a head and body length of , a tail length of and a body weight ...
pierrei''
*
Yellow-throated Marten ''Martes flavigula'' subsp. ''indochinensis''
*
oriental small-clawed otter
The Asian small-clawed otter (''Aonyx cinereus''), also known as the oriental small-clawed otter and the small-clawed otter, is an otter species native to South and Southeast Asia. It has short claws that do not extend beyond the pads of its web ...
''Aonyx cinerea''
*
crab-eating mongoose ''Herpestes urva''
*
binturong
The binturong (''Arctictis binturong'') (, ), also known as the bearcat, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is uncommon in much of its range, and has been assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because of a declining popu ...
civet ''Arctictis binturong''
*
large Indian civet
The large Indian civet (''Viverra zibetha'') is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The global population is considered decreasing mainly because of trapping-driven declines in hea ...
''Viverra zibetha''
*
Asian Palm Civet
The Asian palm civet (''Paradoxurus hermaphroditus''), also called common palm civet, toddy cat and musang, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. Since 2008, it is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern as it accommodates to a broad range ...
''Paradoxurus hermaphroditus''
*
small-toothed palm civet
The small-toothed palm civet (''Arctogalidia trivirgata''), also known as the three-striped palm civet, is a palm civet native to dense forests of Southeast Asia, from the Assam district of India to Indochina and the Malay Peninsula and on Sumatr ...
''Arctogalidia trivirgata''
*
leopard cat
The leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') is a small wild cat native to continental South, Southeast, and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as it is widely distributed although threatened by hab ...
''Prionailurus bengalensis''
Bats (confirmed records):
* fruit bats
Pteropodidae 4 spp.
* false vampire bats
Megadermatidae
Megadermatidae, or false vampire bats, are a family of bats found from central Africa, eastwards through southern Asia, and into Australia. They are relatively large bats, ranging from 6.5 cm to 14 cm in head-body length. They have la ...
2 spp.
* horseshoe bats
Rhinolophidae 5 spp.
* leaf-nosed bats
Hipposideridae 3 spp.
* evening bats
Vespertilionidae 12 spp.
Rodents
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are roden ...
and Lagomorphs - the Park list includes:
* squirrels
Sciuridae 5 spp.
* mice & rats
Muridae
The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia.
The name Muridae comes ...
14 spp.
* porcupines
Hystricidae:
** east Asian porcupine ''
Hystrix brachyura''
** brush-tailed porcupine ''
Atherurus macrourus''
* the Siamese hare ''
Lepus peguensis'' (
Lagomorpha
The lagomorphs are the members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, of which there are two living families: the Leporidae (hares and rabbits) and the Ochotonidae (pikas). The name of the order is derived from the Ancient Greek ''lagos'' (λαγ� ...
:
Leporidae)
Other notable mammal species, including some that are
vulnerable or
endangered, include:
*
Sunda flying lemur
The Sunda flying lemur (''Galeopterus variegatus''), also known as Sunda colugo, Malayan flying lemur and Malayan colugo, is a colugo species. It is native throughout Southeast Asia ranging from southern Myanmar, Thailand, southern Vietnam, Malay ...
(colugo) ''Galeopterus variegatus''
*
Asian elephant ''Elephas maximus'' (
Proboscidea
The Proboscidea (; , ) are a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family (Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. Fr ...
) - EN
*
Sunda pangolin
The Sunda pangolin (''Manis javanica''), also known as the Malayan or Javan pangolin, is a species of pangolin.
It is found throughout Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and the islands of ...
''Manis javanica'' (
Pholidota) - CR
*
gaur ''Bos gaurus'' (
Artiodactyla
The even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla , ) are ungulates—hoofed animals—which bear weight equally on two (an even number) of their five toes: the third and fourth. The other three toes are either present, absent, vestigial, or pointing poster ...
) - VU
Besides the gaur, recently confirmed even-toed ungulate records include:
*
Eurasian wild boar ''Sus scrofa''
*
lesser mouse-deer
The lesser mouse-deer, lesser Malay chevrotain, or kanchil (''Tragulus kanchil'') is a species of even-toed ungulate in the family Tragulidae.
Distribution
The lesser mouse-deer is found widely across Southeast Asia in Indochina, Myanmar (Kra I ...
''Tragulus kanchil''
*
barking deer
Barking may refer to:
Places
* Barking, London, a town in East London, England
** London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham () is a London borough in East London. It lies around 9 miles (14.4 km) ...
(= red muntjac) ''Muntiacus muntjak annamensis''
*
sambar deer ''Rusa (=Cervus) unicolor''
The park fauna included the
Javan rhinoceros, and was one of only two populations in the world, until poachers shot and killed the last rhino in Cát Loc in 2010. There are also records of
banteng
The banteng (''Bos javanicus''; ), also known as tembadau, is a species of cattle found in Southeast Asia. The head-and-body length is between . Wild banteng are typically larger and heavier than their domesticated counterparts, but are otherw ...
and
kouprey, but the latter may now be globally extinct, and
wild Asian water buffalo
The wild water buffalo (''Bubalus arnee''), also called Asian buffalo, Asiatic buffalo and wild buffalo, is a large bovine native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as ''Endangered'' in the IUCN Red List since 198 ...
no longer occur in Cat Tien. Some accounts also list
Indochinese tiger
The Indochinese tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies that is native to Southeast Asia. This population occurs in Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. In 2011, the population was thought to comprise 342 individuals, including ...
s,
leopard
The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus ''Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...
s,
clouded leopard
The clouded leopard (''Neofelis nebulosa''), also called the mainland clouded leopard, is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia into South China. In the early 19th century, a cl ...
s and
dholes; however, a recent series of surveys did not confirm this.
Birds
The park has an impressive list o
bird speciesincluding:
*
Red junglefowl
The red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus'') is a tropical bird in the family Phasianidae. It ranges across much of Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. It was formerly known as the Bankiva or Bankiva Fowl. It is the species that gave rise to the ...
*
Green peafowl
* Pheasants
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular gamebirds. The family is a large one and i ...
: include
Germain's peacock-pheasant,
**
Siamese fireback
The Siamese fireback (''Lophura diardi''), also known as Diard's fireback, is a fairly large, approximately long, pheasant. The male has a grey plumage with an extensive facial caruncle, crimson legs and feet, ornamental black crest feathers, re ...
s (although found elsewhere, these are especially easy to see in the park)'
**
Orange-necked partridge
The orange-necked partridge (''Arborophila davidi'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in eastern Cambodia and southern Vietnam. Its habitats are lowland forests, shrubland, and plantations. It was described in 1927 and ...
;
*
Kingfishers
Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...
: include
tree kingfishers: ''Halcyon'' (4) spp
** Smaller -
Alcedinidae: 3 spp. including the
blue-eared kingfisher
The blue-eared kingfisher (''Alcedo meninting'') is found in Asia, ranging across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is found mainly in dense shaded forests where it hunts in small streams. It is darker crowned, with darker rufous und ...
''Alcedo meninting''
* Pied kingfisher -
Cerylidae: ''
Ceryle rudis''
* Bee-eaters
Meropidae
*
Hornbills
Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a casque on the upper man ...
:
Great,
Oriental pied and the
Wreathed hornbill
The wreathed hornbill (''Rhyticeros undulatus'') is an Old World tropical bird of the hornbill family Bucerotidae, also called bar-pouched wreathed hornbill due to its distinctive blue-black band on its lower throat sac. It is named after its ch ...
*
Pitta
Pittas are a family, Pittidae, of passerine birds found in Asia, Australasia and Africa. There are thought to be 40 to 42 species of pittas, all similar in general appearance and habits. The pittas are Old World suboscines, and their closest re ...
s:
Bar-bellied,
blue rumped,
blue-winged pitta
The blue-winged pitta (''Pitta moluccensis'') is a passerine bird in the family Pittidae. It forms a superspecies with three other pittas, the Indian pitta (''P. brachyura''), the fairy pitta (''P. nympha'') and the mangrove pitta (''P. megar ...
*
Broadbills: including the
black and red,
dusky and
banded species
* Endemic sub-species of the
red-vented barbet
The red-vented barbet (''Psilopogon lagrandieri'') is an Asian barbet native to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, where it inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Description
Its plumage ...
*
Grey-faced tit babbler
*
Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions ...
: including:
**
pale-headed,
white-bellied woodpecker
The white-bellied woodpecker or great black woodpecker (''Dryocopus javensis'') is found in evergreen forests of tropical Asia, including the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It has 14 subspecies, part of a complex including the Andaman w ...
,
**
black-and-buff,
Heart-spotted woodpecker
The heart-spotted woodpecker (''Hemicircus canente'') is a species of bird in the woodpecker family. It has a contrasting black and white plumage, a distinctively stubby body and a large wedge-shaped head making it easy to identify while its fre ...
,
**
great slaty woodpecker ''Mulleripicus pulverulentus''
*
Asian fairy-bluebird
The Asian fairy-bluebird (''Irena puella'') is a medium-sized, arboreal passerine bird. This fairy-bluebird is found in forests across tropical southern Asia, Indochina and the Greater Sundas. Two or three eggs are laid in a small cup nest in a ...
*
Lesser adjutant
The lesser adjutant (''Leptoptilos javanicus'') is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Like other members of its genus, it has a bare neck and head. It is however more closely associated with wetland habitats where it is solitary ...
birds, various herons and egret species
*
Milky stork
The milky stork (''Mycteria cinerea'') is a stork species found predominantly in coastal mangroves around parts of Southeast Asia. It is native to parts of Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. They were once part of the genus Ibis, but is c ...
and the
woolly-necked stork
The Asian woollyneck and African woollyneck (''Ciconia episcopus'' and ''Ciconia microscelis'') are two species of large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It breeds singly, or in small loose colonies. It is distributed in a wide varie ...
have also been reported in recent years
* a wide variety of resident and migratory waterfowl; although recorded,
white-winged duck
The white-winged duck or white-winged wood duck (''Asarcornis scutulata'') is a large species of duck, formerly placed in the genus ''Cairina'' with the Muscovy duck (''Cairina moschata'') and allied with the dabbling ducks. However, mtDNA cyto ...
s may no longer be present in the park
* Birds of prey including
osprey
The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
,
lesser fish eagle
The lesser fish eagle (''Haliaeetus humilis'') is a species of ''Haliaeetus'' found in the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the foothills of the Himalayas, and south-east Asia. There are records from Gujarat, Central India and in more recent t ...
,
grey-headed fish eagle
The grey-headed fish eagle (''Haliaeetus ichthyaetus'') is a fish-eating bird of prey from South East Asia.Robson, C. (2000). ''A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia''. UK: New Holland Publishers. It is a large stocky raptor with adults h ...
,
crested serpent eagle
The crested serpent eagle (''Spilornis cheela'') is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range across the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia, there are considera ...
,
collared
Collar may refer to:
Human neckwear
*Clerical collar (informally ''dog collar''), a distinctive collar used by the clergy of some Christian religious denominations
*Collar (clothing), the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck
...
and other
falconets.
Reptiles
Th
reptile listincludes the following notable species:
*
Siamese crocodile
The Siamese crocodile (''Crocodylus siamensis'') is a medium-sized freshwater crocodile native to Indonesia (Borneo and possibly Java), Brunei, East Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The species is critically endangered a ...
''Crocodylus siamensis''
*
Vietnamese leaf turtle ''Cyclemys pulchristriata''
and two endemic species (illustrated):
* ''
Cyrtodactylus cattienensis'': the Cat Tien bent-toed gecko
* ''
Oligodon
''Oligodon'' is genus of colubrid snakes that was first described by the Austrian zoologist Fitzinger in 1826. This genus is widespread throughout central and tropical Asia. The snakes of this genus are commonly known as kukri snakes..
Descr ...
cattienensis'' the Cat Tien kukri snake.
Lizards
Agamidae
* Indo-Chinese spiny lizard, green pricklenape ''
Acanthosaura capra''
* crowned spiny lizard ''
Acanthosaura coronata''
* Indo-Chinese tree agama ''
Calotes bachae''
* Indo-Chinese water dragon ''
Physignathus cocincinus''
* spotted gliding lizard ''
Draco maculatus''
Gekkonidae
* tokay ''
Gekko gecko
The tokay gecko (''Gekko gecko'') is a nocturnal arboreal gecko in the genus '' Gekko'', the true geckos. It is native to Asia and some Pacific Islands.
Subspecies
Two subspecies are currently recognized.
*''G. g. gecko'' (Linnaeus, 1758): tr ...
''
* bent-toed gecko ''
cyrtodactylus cattienensis''
Scincidae
* many-striped sun skink (and variants on the name) ''
Eutropis (=Mabuya) multifasciata''
* Indian forest skink ''
Sphenomorphus indicus''
Lacertidae
* long-tailed lizard ''
Takydromus sexlineatus''
Varanidae
*
water monitor
The Asian water monitor (''Varanus salvator'') is a large varanid lizard native to South and Southeast Asia. It is one of the most common monitor lizards in Asia, ranging from coastal northeast India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, mainland Southeast ...
''Varanus salvator macromaculatus''
*
clouded monitor
The clouded monitor (''Varanus nebulosus'') is a species of monitor lizard, native to Burma, Thailand and Indochina to West Malaysia, Singapore, Java, and Sumatra. They are excellent tree climbers. It belongs to the subgenus ''Empagusia'' ...
''Varanus nebulosus''
Snakes - 43 species recorded including:
*
Pythonidae
The Pythonidae, commonly known as pythons, are a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Among its members are some of the largest snakes in the world. Ten genera and 42 species are currently recognized.
Distribution ...
**
reticulated python
The reticulated python (''Malayopython reticulatus'') is a python species native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the world's longest snake, and is among the three heaviest. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List because of its ...
''Python reticulatus''
**
Burmese python
The Burmese python (''Python bivittatus'') is one of the largest species of snakes. It is native to a large area of Southeast Asia and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Until 2009, it was considered a subspecies of the Indian python ...
''Malayopython bivittatus''
*
Colubridae
Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...
** oriental vine snake ''
Ahaetulla prasina
''Ahaetulla prasina'' is a species of snake in the family Colubridae to southern Asia. Its common names include Asian vine snake, Boie's whip snake, Gunther's whip snake, Oriental whip snake, (Thai: งูเขียวหัวจิ้งจ� ...
''
** cat snakes: ''
Boiga
''Boiga'' is a large genus of rear-fanged, mildly venomous snakes, known commonly as cat-eyed snakes or simply cat snakes, in the family Colubridae. Species of the genus ''Boiga'' are native to southeast Asia, India, and Australia, but due to ...
'' (4) spp.
***
many-spotted cat snake ''Boiga multomaculata''
***
green cat snake ''Boiga cyanea''
**
golden tree snake ''Chrysopelea ornata''
** wolf snakes: ''
Lycodon
''Lycodon'' is a genus of colubrid snakes, commonly known as wolf snakes. The New Latin name ''Lycodon'' is derived from the Greek words λύκος (''lykos'') meaning wolf and οδόν (''odon'') meaning tooth, and refers to the fang-like ant ...
'' (2) spp.
***
Blanford's bridle snake ''Lycodon davisonii''
***
common wolf snake
''Lycodon capucinus'', also known as the Oriental wolf snake, is a species of colubrid snake, which is commonly found in the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Named after their enlarged front teeth, which gives them a muzzled appearance similar to ca ...
''Lycodon capucinus''
** red-tailed racer ''
Gonyosoma oxycephalum''
** kukri snakes: ''
Oligodon
''Oligodon'' is genus of colubrid snakes that was first described by the Austrian zoologist Fitzinger in 1826. This genus is widespread throughout central and tropical Asia. The snakes of this genus are commonly known as kukri snakes..
Descr ...
'' (5) spp. including ''O. cattienensis''
** keelback snakes: (2) spp.
***
red-necked keelback ''Rhabdophis subminiatus''
***
yellow-spotted keelback ''Fowlea flavipunctatus''
***
checkered keelback
The checkered keelback (''Fowlea piscator''), also known commonly as the Asiatic water snake, is a common species in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Asia. It is non-venomous.
Description
The eye of ...
''Fowlea piscator''
*
Pareatidae: 2 spp. of slug-eating snakes (''
Pareas'')
*
Lamprophiidae
The Lamprophiidae are a family of snakes found throughout much of Africa, including the Seychelles. There are 89 species as of July 2022.
Biology
Lamprophiids are a very diverse group of snakes. Many are terrestrial but some are fossorial (e.g. ...
: mock-viper ''
Psammodynastes pulverulentus''
*
Elapidae
**
banded krait
The banded krait (''Bungarus fasciatus'') is a species of elapid snake found on the Indian Subcontinent, in Southeast Asia, and in southern China. It is the largest species of krait, with a maximum length up to .
Although the banded krait is ven ...
''Bungarus fasciatus''
**
Malayan krait (VN form) ''Bungarus candidus''
**
king cobra ''Ophiophagus hannah''
** Indo-Chinese spitting cobra ''
Naja siamensis
The Indochinese spitting cobra (''Naja siamensis'') ( th, งูเห่า, pronounced: nguu hao) also called the Thai spitting cobra, Siamese spitting cobra, is a species of spitting cobra found in Southeast Asia.
Description
This is a medium ...
''
*
Viperidae
** ruby-eyed green pit viper ''
Trimeresurus rubeus
''Trimeresurus rubeus'', commonly known as the ruby-eyed green pitviper, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Southeast Asia. It occurs in southern Vietnam and eastern Cambodia. No subspecies are currently recognized.
''Trimeresurus rubeu ...
''
Invertebrates
The most develope
insect listscurrently cover ants, butterflies, dragonflies, mosquitoes and termites; of the latter, ''
Macrotermes
''Macrotermes'' is a genus of termites belonging to the subfamily Macrotermitinae and widely distributed throughout Africa and South-East Asia. Well-studied species include '' Macrotermes natalensis'' and '' M. bellicosus.''
Like other genera ...
'' spp. have an important ecological role, with large colony mounds very commonly encountered in the forest.
In 2007, the velvet-worm ''
Eoperipatus totoro
''Eoperipatus totoro'' is a species of velvet worm of the family Peripatidae discovered in Vietnam in 2007. As of 2013, it is the only velvet worm known from Vietnam. The specific name is derived from caterpillar-like Catbus from the Japanese an ...
'' was discovered in the Crocodile Lake area by scientists of the
Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre.
Threats
Cat Tien comprises an important reserve in Vietnam, both for the
habitat it protects and the number of species it contains. Although the population of the
Javan rhinoceros went into extinction, it is still home to 40
IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...
species, and protects around 30% of Vietnam's species. The park is, however, threatened by encroachment from local communities,
illegal logging and
poaching
Poaching has been defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights.
Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set a ...
.
[Polet & Ling (2004). Protecting mammal diversity: opportunities and constraints for pragmatic conservation management in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, ''Oryx'', 38] In addition, the park is too small for the larger species found inside it. This has led to either their local
extinction or conflict with local people as these animals move beyond the confines of the park. This problem is particularly intense for the park's elephant population, which is prone to wandering and is considered too small to be self sustainable.
Since the early 1990s, partly as a result of the discovery of rhinos in the park, international
donor
A donor in general is a person, organization or government which donates something voluntarily. The term is usually used to represent a form of pure altruism, but is sometimes used when the payment for a service is recognized by all parties as rep ...
s and the Vietnamese government began to invest more money in protecting the park and managing the resources of local State Forest Enterprises, nearby and adjoining forests (including
Vinh Cuu Nature Reserve), in co-ordination with the park as a whole. There have been moves to combine a management plan that allows for both traditional park management and some limited resource utilisation by local people, which include the Stieng, Chau Ma (now concentrated in Ta Lai) and Cho'ro
minorities.
In 2008 the Forestry Protection Department collaborating with th
Endangered Asian Species Trust(UK), Monkey World Ape Rescue(UK) and Pingtung Wildlife Rescue Centre (Taiwan) founded the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species Centre. The centre focusses on the rescue, rehabilitation and release of the four endangered primates found in Cat Tien (golden-cheeked gibbon, black-shanked douc, pygmy loris and silvered langur), developing Government guidelines for release of primates. The centre conducts informative daily educational tours explaining the centre's work, with a chance to see young rehabilitated gibbons in the trees.
References
External links
*
*
Cat Tien National Park: further information including species listsGibbon rehabilitation at Cat Tien WWF in Cat TienWildlife rescue centre based in HCMC - helps fund moon bear project in Cat Tien National Park.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cat Tien National Park
National parks of Vietnam
Biosphere reserves of Vietnam
Geography of Bình Phước province
Geography of Đồng Nai province
Geography of Lâm Đồng province
Protected areas established in 1978
Ramsar sites in Vietnam