Koh Chang Wildlife Species

Thai Rainbow Millipede

Posted on by Dave in Koh Chang Invertebrate Species, Koh Chang Millipedes and Centipedes, Koh Chang Wildlife Species Leave a comment

Thai Rainbow Millipede (Tonkinbolus dollfusi)

thai rainbow millipede koh chang

Image Copyright 2015 David Vinot

Last Observed: February 2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: David Vinot

The Thai Rainbow Millipede is a beautifully coloured member of the millipede family that is commonly found on Koh Chang. Like all millipedes it is slow moving and has four legs to each segment in contrast to the faster centipede family who have only two legs to each of their segments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Caucasus Beetle

Posted on by Dave in Koh Chang Beetles, Koh Chang Insects, Koh Chang Invertebrate Species, Koh Chang Wildlife Species Leave a comment

Caucasus Beetle (Chalcasoma caucasus)

Caucasus Beetle Koh Chang 03

Image Copyright 2011 David Hinchliffe

Last Observed: July 2011, Pearl Beach – Koh Chang
Observed By: Dave Hinchliffe

There’s something about Koh Chang that seems to attract the largest of any kind of animal. This is the case with the mighty Caucasus Beetle which is a member of the Rhinocerous beetle family. These huge creatures can actually fly, not very well, but getting all that weight off the ground is an achievement in itself.

The large horns are a feature of the male of the species and they use them in displays of beetle machismo to fight each other and impress the female of the species.
The individual pictured was over five inches in length.

Caucasus Beetle Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Atlas Moth

Posted on by Dave in Koh Chang Butterflies and Moths, Koh Chang Insects, Koh Chang Invertebrate Species, Koh Chang Wildlife Species Leave a comment

Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas)

Atlas Moth Koh Chang

Image Copyright 2015 David Vinot

Last Observed: February 2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: David Vinot, Iris Gerardi

The huge Atlas Moth is the second largest of the world’s moth species with the larger female of the species achieving a wingspan of up to 25cm. They are a reasonably common sight on koh Chang and have a very distinctive wing pattern.

Atlas Moth Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

 

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Adamson’s Rose

Posted on by Dave in Koh Chang Butterflies and Moths, Koh Chang Insects, Koh Chang Invertebrate Species, Koh Chang Wildlife Species Leave a comment

Adamson’s Rose (Byasa adamsoni)

Adamson's Rose Koh Chang

Image Copyright 2015 David Vinot

Last Observed: February 2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: David Vinot

The Adamson’s Rose is a Koh Chang native butterly that is a member of the Swallowtail butterfly family.

Adamson’s Rose Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

 

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Giant Leopard Moth

Posted on by Dave in Koh Chang Butterflies and Moths, Koh Chang Insects, Koh Chang Invertebrate Species, Koh Chang Wildlife Species Leave a comment

Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia)

Giant Leopard Moth-03

Image Copyright 2012 David Hinchliffe

Last Observed: November 2012, Koh Chang
Observed By: Dave Hinchliffe

The Giant Leopard Moth is a large, pale coloured Koh Chang native moth with distinctive reddish brown or black spots.

Giant Leopard Moth Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Crimson Dropwing

Posted on by Dave in Koh Chang Dragonflies, Koh Chang Insects, Koh Chang Invertebrate Species, Koh Chang Wildlife Species Leave a comment

Crimson Dropwing (Trithemis aurora)

Crimson dropwing koh Chang-02

Crimson dropwing koh Chang-01

Last Observed: February 2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: David Vinot

The Crimson Dropwing, also known as the Crimson Marsh Glider is a brilliantly-coloured memebr of the dragonfly family. Their four wings give them complete mastery of flight, including the ability to hover and even to fly backwards.

Crimson Dropwing Wikipedia

Crimson dropwing koh Chang-01

Image Copyright 2015 David Vinot

 

 

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Katydid

Posted on by Dave in Koh Chang Insects, Koh Chang Invertebrate Species, Koh Chang Stick Insects, Koh Chang Wildlife Species Leave a comment

Katydid (Pseudophyllus hercules)

Katydid-02

Image Copyright 2011 David Hinchliffe

Last Observed: November 2015 at Lonely Beach, Koh Chang
Observed By: David Newman, Tijl Adriaen, Dave Hinchliffe, Suthanai Krupanich

This huge insect is a master of disguise and is one of several Koh Chang jungle insects that protect themselves from predators by looking like leaves or twigs. As with many Koh Chang species it is the world’s largest example of the animal family, and it’s particularly surprising to find one of them crawling across your computer monitor.

Katydid Wikipedia

 

 

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White-Bellied Sea Eagle

Posted on by Dave in Koh Chang Birds, Koh Chang Vertebrate Species, Koh Chang Wildlife Species Leave a comment

White-Bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

white bellied sea eagle koh chang

Image Copyright 2015 David Vinot

Last Observed: February 2015 – Koh Chang
Observed By: David Vinot

These majestic birds are thankfully a common sight on Koh Chang, either circling gracefully in the jungle thermals or swooping down to grab huge fish out of the sea. You’ll often see them in mating pairs. The female is slightly larger than the male and her wingspan can reach 2.2 metres. With a body-weight of up to 4.5 kilogrammes this is a oneĀ  of Koh Chang’s biggest and most photogenic birds.

White Bellied Sea Eagle Wikipedia

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Pacific Reef Heron

Posted on by Dave in Koh Chang Birds, Koh Chang Vertebrate Species, Koh Chang Wildlife Species Leave a comment

Pacific Reef Heron (Egretta sacra)

pacific reef heron 01

Image Copyright David Vinot

Pacific-Reef-egret-Egretta-sacra-12-2015-SK

Image Copyright Sam Kettel

Last Observed: December 2015 – Koh Chang
Last Observed By: David Vinot, Sam Kettel

The Pacific Reef Heron is a large waterbird with a wingspan of around a metre. It exists in two colours, white and grey (or light morph and dark morph if you’re being technical).

Pacific Reef Heron Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Giant Golden Orb Weaver Spider

Posted on by Dave in Koh Chang Invertebrate Species, Koh Chang Spiders and Arachnids, Koh Chang Wildlife Species Leave a comment

Giant Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Nephila Pelipes)

Giant Golden Orb Weaver Spider 02

Image Copyright David Vinot

Last Observed: October 2015 – Koh Chang
Observations by By: Heli Pohjolainen, David Vinot, Tiger Maa, Dave Hinchliffe, Perry Stevens

This beautiful, but admittedly large and potentially scary spider is a common sight in the woodlands of Koh Chang. It builds huge and intricate webs and seldom if ever leaves them, waiting instead for lunch to fly into the trap.

If we could manufacture Golden Orb Web Spider silk, it would have a million uses; from parachutes, bullet-proof vests, lightweight clothing, seatbelts, light but strong ropes, as sutures in operations and artificial tendons and ligaments. The silk is almost as strong as Kevlar, the strongest man-made material which is drawn from concentrated sulphuric acid.

Giant Golden Orb Weaver Spider Wikipedia

 

 

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