INTRODUCTION
Attlr3.Ti/tlE;tna 6 Joltn N. Iliksic
A WEALTH OF WILDLIFE
Tony W/titten
G e o l o g i c a l H i s t o r y . , . . . " " 1 0 Tim Wltitmore
P r e h i s t o r i c A n i m a | s . . . " " " " 1 2 John de Vos
Z o o g e o g r a P h y . . . . , . . . ' . . . . Tony Wrtitten
L a n d S n a i l s , . " 1 6 JaaP Vermeulen
L a n d a n d F r e s h w a t e r C r a b s . . , , . . . , . . . . , " " " ' 1 8 Peter Ng
S p i d e r s a n d t h e i r R e l a t i v e s , . . . " " . " " , " " " 2 O C. L. D ee Iema n-Rein/t o /d
B u t t e r f l i e s , . . . . " " " ' 2 2 Mohammad Amir I Djunianti Peggie
B e e t l e s . . . " " " " 2 4 Ian Krifrfren
O t h e r In s e c t s " " " " 2 6 Tonl Wfiitten
F r e s h w a t e r F i s h e s . ' . . . ' . . " " " " ' 2 8 Maurice Kottelat
A m p h i b i a n s . . " " " 3 0 Ronald Lilley
S n a k e s . . . " " " " " 3 2 Indraneil Das
L i z a r d s . . . , " " " " 3 4 Indraneil Das
B i r d s o f W e s t e r n I n d o n e s i a . . . . ' . . . " " " " " " 3 6 Sebastianus oan Balen
P h e a s a n t s . , . . " " " 3 8 Sebastianus aan Balen
B i r d s o f E a s t e r n I n d o n e s i a ' . . . " " " " " " " ' 4 0 Reni Delrter
B i r d s o f P a r a d i s e . . . . . " " " " " ' 4 2 Reni DertIer
M a m m a l s o f W e s t e r n I n d o n e s i a . , . . . " " " " " " " " 4 4 Tonlt W/titten
P r i m a t e s . . . . . Tony W/titten
C a r n i v o r e s . . . " " " 4 8 Jane Wrtirten
M a m m a l s o f E a s t e r n I n d o n e s i a . . . 5 0 Timothy FlannerY
I n t r i g u i n g M a m m a l s o f l r i a n J a y a . . . , " """"52 Timothy FlannerY
P o s s u m P r o f i l e s . . . " " " " " ' 5 4 Tinot/t1 FIannerY
8 a t s . . . , . . . , . . . " 5 6 Darre Il Kitchener
F O R E S T H A B I T A T S A N D T H E I R F A U N A
Tony W/titten
A n i m a l s o f L o w l a n d R a i n F o r e s t s . . . ' 6 0 Asep S. Adhifrerana
Canopy Animals of Lowland Rain Forests """62 Marfr Leighton
G e t t i n g A r o u n d . . . . . " " 64 Dar:id Stone
A n i m a l s o f t h e F o r e s t F | o o r . . . " " " " " " " 6 6 Iane Whitten
T h e D e c o m p o s e r C o m m u n i t y . . . 6 8 Daaid Jones
F o o d W e b s . . " " " " ' 7 0 Daoid Stone
F i g T r e e s a n d t h e i r V i s i t o r s " . . . ' . " " " " " " " " ' 7 2 Tony W/tirrcn
Wildlife of Monsoon Forests and Savannas""74 Katltryn Mont
4 6
Snakes
ffinmo nf tho tcrnact SnakeS in the WOfld, bOth pOiSOnOUS and nOn-
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W poisonous, are found in lndonesia. Many species are restricted to a single or small group of rslands within the Archipelago, People are often wary of snakes and, although a snake will rarely attack a person, it is sensib/e to treat all snakes as poisonous if one rs uncertain of lhe species.
This fear of snakes has often led to them being killed on srght, which ts unfortunate as many specles are beneficial in reducing the number of agricultural pests, particularly rodents.
(Top to borton) Head o.f t/te mangft)L)t cat snale (Boiga dendrophlla), an eager ltredator o;f lizarrls, hats and
birds. Hearl o;f Orienta/ tL/tip snale /Ahaetulla prasina/
measuring about lzoo metres long and u,/ticlt
feeds on small i nzt erte h ra les s uc/t as frogs and lizanls.
Head of rhe Asian rat sna*e (Pytas mucosns/. Head oJ'
Ilttrgler\ pit r.tiper /Tiopidolaemus rvagleri/. T/tis oiper neOSare.t aboul one
tilelr€ long /nd in/tahir.r foresrs and
mangro|es.
Enchanting Cobras
Poisonous snakes are a minority in Indonesia and, as in most other countries, the incidence of snake bite is almost entrrely restricted to people living ,p sn6 around forest and scrubland. The most common poisonous snakes found n Indonesia are the southern spitting cobra (Naja sputatrix) which occur from Java to Alor, and the equatorial spitting cobra (N. sumatrand in Borneo and Sumaira, Cobras are the easiest snakes to recognise as they rise up when t h r e a t e n e d , s p r e a d i n g t h e i r l o n g , t h i n n e c k r i b s t o form a distinctive hood around the head. Their poison is neurotoxic; it affects the nerves of the victim and death can be fairly rapid if the patient does not receive attention once bitten.
The wodd's largest poisonous snake is rhe king cotsra (Ophiophagus hannah), which can reach a length of 5.8 metres, A specialised snake-eater, this is a shy forest-dwelling species which only attacks humans when provoked, lts large venom glands contain enough poison to kill an elephant, The king cobra is the only snake known to make a nest of soil and leaf litter, gathering fallen leaves from the forest floor, The nest is about 30 centimetres high and may contain 20 to 40 eggs. These are guarded by the mother until ihey hatch,
Colourful Coral Snakes
The bright colours of coral snakes skins. which have probably evolved as a warning to potent,al
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(Elapidae) The blue coral snar<e (Maticora bivirgata) and the striped coral snake (M. intestinalis) are deadly poisonous, although the latter is very small (54 centimetres long) and is u n l i k e l y t o k i l l a n a d u l t h u m a n . T h e b l u e c o r a l snake. however, may reach a length of up to 1.5 metres and has a venom gland that measures one-third of the body length. Fortunately for humans,
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mainly on other snakes. The similarity between the harmless eight-lined kukri snake (Oligodon octolineatus) and the strioed coral snake is remarkable - even a bioloqist can have a hard time telling the two species apart. Predators which
leave the coral snake alone oresumablv do not d i s t u r b i t s m i m i c .
Camouflaged Hunters
Vipers bear a single pair of long hollow fangs on the
T I N Y T R A V E L L E R
No account oflndonesian snakes would be complete without mention of the tiny blind s-cl*
(Ramphofuphlops braminus), sometimes knom rm the two-headed snake because the head and t:fr
fertilisation: no male has ever been foanil, Living in soils and drains, the blind snak has a worldwide distribution.
upper jaw. All vipers possess haematoxic ve-- - w h i c h a c t s o n t h e v i c t i m s b l o o d , A l l s p e c i e s = . active hunters that strike their prey quickly, r'.:-r s m a l l a m o u n t o ' l e t h a l t o x i n s i n th e p r o c e s s , - - = main orev includes lizards, small birds and rr^'- I n d o n e s i a h a s a l a r g e n u m b e r o f v i p e r s , i n c l u ; - ; -r common pit viper (Calloselasna rhodostoma l,' r is an aggressive species, Although bites fron :- : s p e c i e s a r e c o m m o n , t h e y a r e f o 4 u n a t e l y r c -:-irr, f a t a l . U n l i k e m o s t v i p e r s , w h i c h p r o d u c e l i v e . : - - , ; . t h e c o m m o n p i t viper l a y s e g g s a n d g u a r o s i - = -
O t h e r p i t v r p e r s , s u c h a s th e g e n e r a l l y a r c : ' = : white-lippeo viper (Trimeresurus albolabris).' = Bornean flat-nosed viper I borneensis) and Wagle. s pit viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri) are ' -' :- dangerous, Mosr of these species are sluggis- a n i m a l s t h a t a r e g e n e r a l l y n o n - a g g r e s s i v e , a : - - - =' they should be treated with caution. The bite. :-: - in"
excruciatingly painful, is seldom fatal.
The largest of the land vipers is Russell's ', :=' (Vipera russellii) which shows a highly disjunct d i s t r i b u t i o n w i t h i n r h e b r o a d r a n g e o f t h i s s p e c = = - from Pakistan to Java.
Heatl ol hlind snakc Hrad ol an equatoinl /Ramphopyphlops spittingsnakc b r a m i n r r s / . N a j a s u m a t r a n a / .
A W E A L T H O F W I L D L ] F E
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Goliaths of the Snake World One of the largest snakes in the world, the reticulated python (Python reticulatus) occurs in Indonesia. This species can reach 10 metres in lengih - similar to, although lighter than, the South American anaconda. This species is more slender than any other python. but is nonetheless a formrdable snake because of its size and vicious
lemperament, lt occurs ln undisturbed and secondary forests, plantations and even in villages and towns, feeding on pigs, deer, pangottns, monkeys, civet cats, rats, domestic cats, dogs, birds and even the occasional hapless human Unlike most other snakes which rely on poisonous injections to suppress their prey. a python suffocates its prey by coiling lts body around the helpless animal' Female reticulated pythons lay a variable number of eggs' ranging from B to 1OO. Females brood the eggs {or about 1OO days, leaving the nest only to drink or to shed their skin, Large numbers of this species are caught each year in Indonesia to supply the Asian python skin trade.
Water-loving Snakes The Asian wart snakes are an
unusual grouP of snakes commonlY found in coastal streams. Most
: \ ,
species are easily recognised: the banded file snake (Acrochordus granulatus), for example, resembles an overstuffed stocking, while the elephant trunK snaKe (A. javanicus) actually looks like a dismembereo elephant's trunk. Both snakes are fish-eating species and their fat bodies make movements on land very l a b o r i o u s a n d te d i o u s .
The long coastline of Indonesia with its shallow seas and coral reefs provides suitable habitat for many kinds of sea snakes, all of which are poisonous, Although sometlmes abundant, sea snakes are rarelY aggressive. OnlY the sea kraits (Laticauda) venture on land to lay thetr eggs on rocky islands; all other species give birth to live young at sea. Eels and fish eggs constitute their diet.
Two snakes which are likely to be seen in drains and other water bodies in cittes and villages are the checkered keelback water snake (Xenochropis piscator) and the rainbow water snake (Enhydris enhydils) The puff- faced water snake (Homalopsis buccata) (measuring about 1.2 metres long) is also aquatic, living in smat
rivers, ponds, swamPS and flooded rice fields. lt feeds on small
fish, frogs and crustaceans, and produces 9 to 21
l i v e y o u n g i n a c l u t c h .
il,lji:j:l.l,.,rliF
& Asian rat snale /Coluber korrosf
&Wagler\ Pir aiPer (Tiopidolaemus wagleri/.
& Equatorial ,:Piting snale (Naia sumatrana/.
& Red-sPorted flf ing -snahe (ChrysoPelea paradisi/
An adult green PYt/ton (ChondroPvthon viridis/ and its loung a/ticl are J'e/lottt.
":*- << A rotl Pttlton fr,/Python molurusl
_strangles its PreY to deat/t hefore p: saalloaingitaP
..;.a!!* * a/to/e. Alt/tough dangerous ro human lteing.s, it Pre;t'ers small utarm-b/ooded animals.
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