The wildlife of

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...

is rich in flora and fauna as reflected by its unique biodiversity. Rare and endemic antelope-like animal, categorized under the bovine subfamily, was found in 1992, in

Bạch Mã National Park Bạch Mã National Park ( vi, Vườn quốc gia Bạch Mã) is a protected area in central Vietnam, near the city of Huế. It covers 220 km2 and comprises three zones: a strictly protected core area, an administrative area and a buffer zo ...

. In the 1990s, three other large mammal species, the deer-like

Truong Son muntjac The Truong Son muntjac or Annamite muntjac (''Muntiacus truongsonensis'') is a species of muntjac deer. It is one of the smallest muntjac species, at about , half the size of the Indian muntjac (or common muntjac). It was discovered in the Truo ...

giant muntjac The giant muntjac (''Muntiacus vuquangensis''), sometimes referred to as the large-antlered muntjac, is a species of muntjac deer. It is the largest muntjac species and was discovered in 1994 in Vũ Quang, Hà Tĩnh Province of Vietnam and in ce ...

and

Pu Hoat muntjac The Pu Hoat muntjac (''Muntiacus puhoatensis'') is a species of muntjac only known from Pu Hoat region in Vietnam, which is bordering Laos. It is sometimes considered to be conspecific with Roosevelt's muntjac, and its habitat and behavior are ...

, were also discovered, the first two in the same park. Conservation protection and scientific studies of the ecology of Vietnam, particularly in the protected forest areas, have been given priority attention by the Government of Vietnam. Laws were enacted to set up Xuân Thủy Wetland National Park, four

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments. MAB's work enga ...

s, and

Hạ Long Bay Hạ Long Bay or Halong Bay ( vi, Vịnh Hạ Long, ) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular travel destination in Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam. The name Hạ Long means "descending dragon". Administratively, the bay belongs to Hạ Lon ...

and

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park Phong may refer to: Computer graphics * Phong shading * Phong reflection model * Blinn–Phong shading model * Bui Tuong Phong - creator of the Phong shading interpolation method and reflection model. Other * Phong-Kniang language * Nam Phon ...

s; the last two are also designated as

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

s. The rich diversity of Vietnam's wildlife includes 11,400 species of

vascular plant Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They ...

s, 1030 species of

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and ...

, 310 species of mammals, 296 reptile species, 162 amphibian species, 700 freshwater species of fish and 2000 species of marine fish. There are about 889 species of birds and over 850 species of land

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is es ...

s. However, a study by the WWF has reported that nearly 10% of the wildlife in the country is threatened with extinction. Vietnam is placed 16th highest among 152 countries studied in terms of the proportion of its wildlife species found to be in danger.

National parks

While the national reserves cover small areas of scientific significance with restricted access, the national parks also cover wetlands of Ramsar designated areas and

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

inscribed bird areas. The largest of the national parks initially covered were the Cuc Phuong National Park, the Cat Tien National Park, the Con Dao National Park and Con Dao National Park, which to start with, were forest areas cum reserves or prohibited areas. The objective for creating national parks was to allow access to the reserved areas as a part of

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...

and cultural needs with full attention to the basic approach of conservation of natural environmental resources. The national parks and reserves, as per present status, (as reported by the national parks of Vietnam) conforming to the topography of the country which cover terrestrial, deltas of rivers, and coastal zones are: Five national parks and four reserves in the

Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta ( vi, Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long, lit=Nine Dragon River Delta or simply vi, Đồng Bằng Sông Mê Kông, lit=Mekong River Delta, label=none), also known as the Western Region ( vi, Miền Tây, links=no) or South-weste ...

; two national parks in the northeastern area; five reserves in the north western area; three parks in the

Red River Delta The Red River Delta or Hong River Delta ( vi, Châu thổ sông Hồng) is the flat low-lying plain formed by the Red River and its distributaries merging with the Thái Bình River in northern Vietnam. ''Hồng'' (紅) is a Sino-Vietnamese wor ...

; two parks and one reserve in the North Central Coastal area; two reserves in South Central Coastal area; three parks and one reserve in Central Highlands; one park and one reserve in south eastern area.

Flora

The flora of Vietnam has existed in its current form since at least the Oligocene, as evidenced by the assemblage known as the Ha Long megafossil flora from the Oligocene-aged Dong Ho Formation, which outcrops in the Ha Long region. The country was once totally covered with forests but over the years due to the war and deforestation and anthropological pressures some areas have lost their biodiversity value. The floral richness of the rain forest habitats comprise a broad range of evergreens. According to the Conservation International List Vietnam is identified as the fifth biodiversity hot spot in the world, on account of its exotic flora and fauna. Between 1997 and 2007, almost 1000 new species have been discovered. However, many areas still remain to be explored, and more species are likely to appear in the future. Natural forests are at higher elevations in the northwest and mangrove swamps are in the coastal areas. Rainforest in the hilly region has wild

rhododendrons ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nativ ...

in the northwest along with dwarf

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, ...

s and numerous types of

orchids 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 ...

. The central dry region has

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...

s and the river deltas have mangrove forests. The largest and the most conspicuous find in recent years is of the plant species in the

Halong Bay Halong may refer to: * Ha Long, also known as Hong Gai, the capital city of Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam * Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam * Halong naval base, an Indonesian Navy (previously Dut ...

area known as

Halong fan palm Halong may refer to: * Ha Long, also known as Hong Gai, the capital city of Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam * Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam * Halong naval base, an Indonesian Navy (previously Dutch ...

. The largest species was the gum tree. Considered one of the world biological diversification centers, the flora estimated is of the order of 12,000 species (veined flora) of which 9,628 have been recorded under 291 families. It includes 1000 endemic species. Trees, which provide timber, are of 1,000 species. Timber plants are 100 species. Commercially usable species are 352 species including 42 listed as precious tree species. Further categorization of the flora relates to 76 aromatic spices, 160 species providing vegetable oils, and also herbal species. Some of the well known herbal species are:

ginseng Ginseng () is the root of plants in the genus '' Panax'', such as Korean ginseng ('' P. ginseng''), South China ginseng ('' P. notoginseng''), and American ginseng ('' P. quinquefolius''), typically characterized by the presence of ginsenosides ...

, ''

Coscinium fenestratum ''Coscinium fenestratum'', or yellow vine as it is sometimes referred to in English, is a flowering woody climber, native to South Asia and Mainland Southeast Asia. It is rare and critically endangered in many of its habitats. ''Coscinium fene ...

'', ''

Coptis teeta ''Coptis teeta'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the buttercup family. Medicinal uses It is a species of importance in Chinese herbology. Known as Yunnan goldthread (), its rhizome is used as an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. Hab ...

'', ''

Panax vietnamensis The ''Panax'' (ginseng) genus belongs to the ''Araliaceae'' (ivy) family. ''Panax'' species are characterized by the presence of ginsenosides and gintonin. ''Panax'' is one of approximately 60 plant genera with a classical disjunct east Asian and ...

'', ''

Stephania ''Stephania'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Menispermaceae, native to eastern and southern Asia and Australia. They are herbaceous perennial vines, growing to around four metres tall, with a large tuber. The leaves are arranged ...

'' spp.

Fauna

Faunal species noted are accounted as 11,217 species of animals, in Vietnam's hot and humid climate. These are broadly:

Indian elephant The Indian elephant (''Elephas maximus indicus'') is one of four extant recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to mainland Asia. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List as the wild po ...

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the N ...

s (

black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations grou ...

and honey bear),

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 and

Indochinese leopard The Indochinese leopard (''Panthera pardus delacouri'') is a leopard subspecies native to mainland Southeast Asia and southern China. In Indochina, leopards are rare outside protected areas and threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation as ...

s as well as smaller animals like pygmy lorises,

monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incom ...

s (such as snub-nosed monkey), bats, flying squirrels,

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked ...

s and otters. Reptiles such as

crocodile Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant ...

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

s and

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia al ...

s are also reported. Specifically the faunal species which are endemic to Vietnam are the following. While many variety of animals have become extinct like the

Northern Sumatran rhinoceros The Northern Sumatran rhinoceros (''Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis''), also known as Chittagong rhinoceros or northern hairy rhinoceros was the most widespread subspecies of Sumatran rhinoceros, as well as the only known subspecies native to m ...

, the protection of large animals have been addressed. 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 may ...

used to live throughout the region of Vietnam but was declared extinct in 2010 when the last remaining individual was found dead with the horn removed. There are also 2,470 species of fish, more than 23,000 species of

corals Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secre ...

and many species of invertebrates recorded in the wildlife of Vietnam.

Mammals

Primates

Red-Shanked duoc in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park

Hatinh langur The Hatinh langur (''Trachypithecus hatinhensis'') is a highly threatened Old World monkey found in limestone forests in Vietnam, primarily in the Quảng Bình Province. A recent survey discovered a small population living in the Quảng Trị ...

* Francois' Langur *

Black-crested gibbon The black crested gibbon (''Nomascus concolor'') is a Critically Endangered species of gibbon found in China, Laos, and northern Vietnam, with four subspecies. Taxonomy The taxonomy of the species is confused. Previously grouped in the gen ...

White-cheeked gibbon ''Nomascus'' is the second-most speciose genus of gibbons (family Hylobatidae). Originally, this genus was a subgenus of ''Hylobates'', and all individuals were considered one species, ''Hylobates concolor''. Species within ''Nomascus'' are char ...

Southern white-cheeked gibbon The southern white-cheeked gibbon (''Nomascus siki'') is a species of gibbon native to Vietnam and Laos. It is closely related to the northern white-cheeked gibbon (''Nomascus leucogenys'') and the yellow-cheeked gibbon (''Nomascus gabriellae' ...

Red-shanked douc The red-shanked douc (''Pygathrix nemaeus'') is an arboreal and diurnal Old World monkey belonging to the Colobinae subfamily. They are endemic to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. They are known for their bright colors and express exhibit sexual dimo ...

Black-shanked douc The black-shanked douc (''Pygathrix nigripes'') is an endangered species of douc found mostly in the forests of Eastern Cambodia, with some smaller populations in Southern Vietnam. The region they are mostly found in is called the Annamite Range, ...

* Gray-shanked douc *

Tonkin snub-nosed monkey The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey or Dollman's snub-nosed monkey (''Rhinopithecus avunculus'') is a slender-bodied arboreal Old World monkey, endemic to northern Vietnam. It has black and white fur, a pink nose and lips, and blue patches around the ey ...

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 ...

Pygmy 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 ...

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 ...

Pig-tailed macaque The pig-tailed macaques are two macaque sister species. They look almost identical and are best distinguished by their parapatric ranges: * Northern pig-tailed macaque, ''Macaca leonina'' (Bangladesh to Vietnam, south to northern Malaysia) * South ...

Cats

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 ha ...

Marbled cat The marbled cat (''Pardofelis marmorata'') is a small wild cat native from the eastern Himalayas to Southeast Asia, where it inhabits forests up to an elevation of . As it is present in a large range, it has been listed as Near Threatened on the ...

Jungle cat The jungle cat (''Felis chaus''), also called reed cat, swamp cat and jungle lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to the Middle East, the Caucasus, South and Southeast Asia and southern China. It inhabits foremost wetlands like swamps, litto ...

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 ...

Asian golden cat The Asian golden cat (''Catopuma temminckii'') is a medium-sized wild cat native to the northeastern Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and China. It has been listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List since 2008, and is threatened by po ...

Civets

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 heavi ...

Large-spotted civet The large-spotted civet (''Viverra megaspila'') is a viverrid native to Southeast Asia that is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Characteristics Pocock described the large-spotted civet as varying in colour from silvery-grey to golden- ...

Small Indian civet The small Indian civet (''Viverricula indica'') is a civet native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its widespread distribution, widespread habitat use and healthy populations living in ag ...

Owston's palm civet Owston's palm civet (''Chrotogale owstoni'') is a civet native to Vietnam, Laos and southern China. It is listed as Endangered by IUCN because of an ongoing population decline, estimated to be more than 50% over the last three generations, inf ...

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 ran ...

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 po ...

Masked palm civet The masked palm civet (''Paguma larvata''), also called the gem-faced civet, is a palm civet species native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008 as it occurs in many ...

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 ...

Deer

Giant muntjac The giant muntjac (''Muntiacus vuquangensis''), sometimes referred to as the large-antlered muntjac, is a species of muntjac deer. It is the largest muntjac species and was discovered in 1994 in Vũ Quang, Hà Tĩnh Province of Vietnam and in ce ...

Indian muntjac The Indian muntjac or the common muntjac (''Muntiacus muntjak''), also called the southern red muntjac and barking deer, is a deer species native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. In popular local l ...

Vietnamese sika deer The Vietnamese sika deer (''Cervus nippon pseudaxis'') also known as the indochinese sika deer is one of the many subspecies of the sika deer. It is one of the smaller subspecies, due to the tropical environment they live in. They were previously ...

Sambar deer The sambar (''Rusa unicolor'') is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local ins ...

Elephants

Bovine

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 othe ...

Kouprey The kouprey (''Bos sauveli''), also known as forest ox is a forest-dwelling, wild bovine species native to Southeast Asia. A young male was sent to the Paris Zoological Park in 1937 and was described by the French zoologist Achille Urbain who ...

Saola The saola (''Pseudoryx nghetinhensis''), also called spindlehorn, Asian unicorn, or infrequently, Vu Quang bovid, is one of the world's rarest large mammals, a forest-dwelling bovine native to the Annamite Range in Vietnam and Laos. It was desc ...

Gaur The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 ...

Water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, S ...

Rhinoceros

which is officially extinct in Vietnam and on the

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 biol ...

. *

which is officially extinct in Vietnam and on the

Cetacea

Chinese white dolphin The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (''Sousa chinensis'') is a species of humpback dolphin inhabiting coastal waters of the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans. This species is often referred to as the Chinese white dolphin in mainland Chi ...

Finless porpoise ''Neophocaena'' is a genus of porpoise native to the Indian and Pacific oceans, as well as the freshwater habitats of the Yangtze River basin in China. They are commonly known as finless porpoises. Genetic studies indicate that ''Neophocaena'' ...

( Narrow-ridged finless porpoise) *

Irrawaddy dolphin The Irrawaddy dolphin (''Orcaella brevirostris'') is a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in scattered subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia. It closely resembles the ...

Spinner dolphin The spinner dolphin (''Stenella longirostris'') is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which it rotates around its longitudinal axis as it leaps through the air. It is a ...

Sirenia

Dugong The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its close ...

Reptiles

Turtles/Tortoises

Elongated tortoise The elongated tortoise (''Indotestudo elongata'') is a species of tortoise found in Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. Description Shell considerably depressed, more than twice as long as deep, with flat vertebral region; anterior and post ...

''Indotestudo elongata'' *

Vietnamese pond turtle The Vietnamese pond turtle or Annam leaf turtle (''Mauremys annamensis'') is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. It can be distinguished from its relatives by its color pattern: the head is dark with three or four yellow stripes down ...

''Mauremys annamensis'' *

Asian forest tortoise The Asian forest tortoise (''Manouria emys''), also known Common name, commonly as the Mountain tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the Family (biology), family Testudinidae. The species is Endemism, endemic to Southeast Asia. It is believed to ...

''Manouria emys'' *

Green sea turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range ...

''Chelonia mydas'' *

Hawksbill turtle The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution, that is largel ...

''Eretmochelys imbricata'' *

Leatherback sea turtle The leatherback sea turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea''), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, reaching lengths of up to and weights ...

''Dermochelys coriacea'' *

Asian giant softshell turtle The Asian giant softshell turtle (''Pelochelys cantorii''), also known commonly as Cantor's giant softshell turtle and the frog-faced softshell turtle, is a species of freshwater turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is native to South ...

''Pelochelys cantorii'' *

Yangtze giant softshell turtle The Yangtze giant softshell turtle (''Rafetus swinhoei''), also known as the Red River giant softshell turtle, the Shanghai softshell turtle, the speckled softshell turtle, and Swinhoe's softshell turtle, is an extremely rare species of turtle ...

''Rafetus swinhoei''

Lizards

Agamids

Chinese water dragon The Chinese water dragon (''Physignathus cocincinus'') is a species of agamid lizard native to China and mainland Southeast Asia. It is also known as the Asian water dragon, Thai water dragon, and green water dragon. The genus name is Greek for ...

''Physignathus cocincinus'' *Short-footed lizard ''Acanthosaura brachypoda'' *Mountain horned-dragon ''Acanthosaura capra'' *Crowned spiny lizard ''Acanthosaura coronata'' *Brown pricklenape ''Acanthosaura lepidogaster'' *Murphy's agama ''Acanthosaura murphyi'' *Natalie's agama ''Acanthosaura nataliae'' *Phong Dien agama ''Acanthosaura phongdienensis'' *Short-spined agama ''Acanthosaura prasina'' *Banded japalure ''Diploderma fasciatum''

Geckos

*Adler's gecko ''Gekko adleri'' *Ba Na dwarf gecko ''Hemiphyllodactylus banaensis''

Monitors

*Clouded monitor ''Varanus nebulosus'' *Water monitor ''Varanus salvator''

Skinks

*Chinese short-limbed skink ''Ateuchosaurus chinensis''

Snakes

Venomous

*Mountain pit viper ''Ovophis monticola'' *Sharp-nosed viper ''Deinagkistrodon acutus'' *Jerdon's pit viper ''Protobothrops jerdonii'' *Brown-spotted pit-viper ''Protobothrops mucrosquamatus'' *Three-horned pit-viper ''Protobothrops sieversorum'' *Stejneger's bamboo viper ''Trimeresurus stejnegeri'' *Ruby-eyed pit-viper ''Trimeresurus rubeus'' *White-lipped pit-viper ''Trimeresurus albolabris'' *King Cobra ''Ophiophagus hannah'' *Monocled cobra ''Naja kaouthia'' *Indochinese spitting cobra ''Naja siamensis'' *Chinese cobra ''Naja atra''

Non-venomous

*Reticulated python *Burmese python *Gonyosoma oxycephalum, Red-tailed green ratsnake Siamesecroc

Crocodilians

*Saltwater crocodile, which has been extinct in Vietnam since at least the 1980s. *Siamese crocodile which is critically endangered on the

and, in Vietnam, is currently only found within Cat Tien National Park, but was much more widespread historically.

Birds

Rare and little known birds have been identified such as the Edward's pheasant which was believed to be extinct, the white-winged wood duck and the white-shouldered ibis. The country lies on the east Asian flyway of Siberian birds and is an important stopover for migratory waders. According to the

records of 2011, the avifauna recorded are of 889 species, which includes 18 endemic species, 44 globally threatened species and 6 introduced species. The globally threatened species are listed under the following three categories, excluding vulnerable category. ;Near-threatened: The near threatened species listed by IBA are: *Falcated duck (''Anas falcata'') *Ferruginous duck (''Aythya nyroca'') *Chestnut-necklaced partridge (''Arborophila charltonii'') *Siamese fireback (''Lophura diardi'') *Germain's peacock-pheasant (''Polyplectron germaini'') *Platalea minor (''Ichthyophaga humilis'') *Gray-headed fish-eagle (''Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus'') *Cinereous vulture (''Aegypius monachus'') *White-rumped falcon (''Polihierax insignis'') *Laggar falcon (''Falco jugger'') *Corn crake (''Crex crex'') *Band-bellied crake (''Porzana paykullii'') *Malaysian plover (''Charadrius peronii'') *Eurasian curlew (''Numenius arquata'') *Black-tailed godwit (''Limosa limosa'') *Asian dowitcher (''Limnodromus semipalmatus'') *Black-bellied tern (''Sterna acuticauda'') *Nicobar pigeon (''Caloenas nicobarica'') *Blue-rumped parrot (''Psittinus cyanurus'') *Long-tailed parakeet (''Psittacula longicauda'') *Black-bellied malkoha (''Phaenicophaeus diardi'') *Ward's trogon (''Harpactes wardi'') *Blyth's kingfisher (''Alcedo hercules'') *Black hornbill (''Anthracoceros malayanus'') *Great hornbill (''Buceros bicornis'') *Austen's brown hornbill, Brown hornbill (''Anorrhinus austeni'') *White-crowned hornbill (''Aceros comatus'') *Red-collared woodpecker (''Picus rabieri'') *Japanese paradise-flycatcher (''Terpsiphone atrocaudata'') *Collared crow (''Corvus torquatus'') *Yellow-billed nuthatch (''Sitta solangiae'') *Streaked bulbul (''Ixos malaccensis'') *Black-headed parrotbill (''Paradoxornis margaritae'') *Chinese grassbird, Rufous-rumped grassbird (''Graminicola bengalensis'') *Short-tailed scimitar-babbler (''Jabouilleia danjoui'') *Black-hooded laughingthrush (''Garrulax milleti''); *Vietnamese cutia (''Cutia legalleni'') *Scarlet-breasted flowerpecker (''Prionochilus thoracicus'') *Mekong wagtail (''Motacilla samveasnae'') *Vietnamese greenfinch (''Chloris monguilloti'') *Asian golden weaver (''Ploceus hypoxanthus'') ;Endangered: The endangered list covers the following species. Male edwards' pheasant

*White-winged duck (''Cairina scutulata'') *Baer's pochard (''Aythya baeri'') *Scaly-sided merganser (''Mergus squamatus'') *Orange-necked partridge (''Arborophila davidi'') *Edwards's pheasant (''Lophura edwardsi'') *Vietnamese pheasant *Black-faced spoonbill *Lesser fish-eagle (''Platalea minor'') *Nordmann's greenshank (''Tringa guttifer'') *Collared laughingthrush (''Garrulax yersini'') *Gray-crowned crocias (''Crocias langbianis'') *Sooty babbler (''Stachyris herberti'') ;Critically endangered: The list of critically endangered species identified by IBA is given below. Eurynorhynchus pygmeusIbis1869P012AA

*Christmas Island frigatebird (''Fregata andrewsi'') *White-shouldered ibis (''Pseudibis davisoni'') *Giant ibis (''Pseudibis gigantea'') *White-rumped vulture (''Gyps bengalensis'') *Indian vulture (''Gyps indicus'') *Red-headed vulture (''Sarcogyps calvus'') *Bengal florican (''Houbaropsis bengalensis'') *Spoon-billed sandpiper (''Eurynorhynchus pygmeus'')

Molluscs

Marine molluscs

The marine molluscan fauna of Vietnam includes numerous species of chitons, Gastropoda, gastropods, tusk shells, cephalopods and Bivalvia, bivalves.

Non-marine molluscs

Vietnam's fauna of non-marine molluscs comprises various species of freshwater gastropods, freshwater bivalves and terrestrial gastropods. The terrestrial gastropod fauna is highly diverse and includes more than 850 described land snail and slug species; many species inhabit Karst, limestone karst hills.

Threats and conservation

The protected areas in Vietnam have suffered a decline over the past several decades. The reasons adduced to this situation are; the Vietnam war, deforestation, hunting, export of animals under CITES agreement which is generally violated by illegal activity due to inadequate patrolling. Illegal wildlife trade, Illegal trade in wildlife is flourishing in Vietnam as there is great demand for these animals in China and also within the country. They have commercial value both at home and abroad Trade in wildlife resources in Vietnam is of considerable value. In respect of faunal species, trade varies between 3,700 and 4,500 tons; the use of faunal species are also for medical purposes, pets, and as food and ornamentation but excludes trade in aquatic species. Insects are also a valuable source of trade with ''Coleopterus'' and ''Lepidoptera'' species contributing towards a major share. Medicinal plants are also harvested and its trade is of the order of 20,000 tons. Continuous conservation efforts by the Government of Vietnam have brought more and more areas under protected status. Logging operations have been banned. The conservation efforts are showing positive results with wildlife becoming re-established in many reforested areas. Mangrove forest areas are on the rise due to renewed planting. Fish fauna and crustaceans are proliferating and birds are seen more frequently. As a result of conservation efforts, Siamese crocodile numbers have recovered on account of their reintroduction to ponds within the parks.

References

Bibliography

* {{Vietnam topics Fauna of Vietnam, . Environment of Vietnam Natural history of Vietnam Wildlife by country, Vietnam

National parks

Flora

Fauna

Mammals

Primates

Cats

Civets

Deer

Elephants

Bovine

Rhinoceros

Cetacea

Sirenia

Reptiles

Turtles/Tortoises

Lizards

Agamids

Geckos

Monitors

Skinks

Snakes

Venomous

Non-venomous

Crocodilians

Birds

Molluscs

Marine molluscs

Non-marine molluscs

Threats and conservation

See also

References

Bibliography