Wildlife of S. E. Asia and S. America. A Photo Journal by Francis Burlingham.: The Wildlife of Ho Chi Minh City

Introduction

Over the last few years I have been lucky enough to live in Thailand, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Colombia and now Brunei. In my spare time I have had the opportunity to travel fairly widely, camera in hand, in search of wildlife. In these posts I aim to share some of these experiences and show you some of the extraordinary wildlife that can be found in these regions. All of the photographs you see within the posts and pages here are my own unless otherwise stated. Copyright © Francis Burlingham 2015

Monday 30 April 2018

The Wildlife of Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon compared with other SE Asian cities is not a very green city. There are however, a few parks and other green spaces, particularly along the numerous waterways, where a surprisingly diverse range of wildlife manages to cling on.

District 7 is about as green as it gets and the parks outside of Crescent Mall offer some good opportunities to spot wildlife if you know what you are looking for.

Most of the following photographs were taken in the area near the mall.

Psittacula alexandri (red-breasted parakeet) HCMC Vietnam

Flocks of Psittacula alexandri (red-breasted parakeet) can be seen flying around the trees in this area squwaking noisily as they move from tree to tree. I took these shots just outside of my condominium.

Psittacula alexandri (red-breasted parakeet) HCMC Vietnam

Halcyon chloris (White Collared Kingfisher) can also regularly be seen patrolling the park and crescent lake area.

Halcyon chloris (White Collared Kingfisher) HCMC Vietnam

Three species of lizard can be easily found in the park. The most eye catching of these is the beautiful Calotes bachae. This blue headed lizard has only recently been confirmed as a distinct species endemic to southern Vietnam. More about this discovery here. The blue colour is present in both males and females in the breeding season and is used for display. The lizard is capable of changing colour rapidly. At night or when not displaying it changes to a dull mottled brown to hide on tree branches.

Calotes bachae HCMC Vietnam

Calotes bachae Ho Tram Vietnam

Calotes bachae HCMC Vietnam

Calotes versicolor (Garden Fence Lizard) is a common lizard found across tropical Asia. It can be distinguished from C. bachae by the less mottled colouration and the fact that its head changes to an orange rather than blue colour when it displays.

Calotes versicolor HCMC Vietnam

Takydromus sexlineatus (long-tailed grass lizard) is a small species with a disproportionately long tail that can be found hunting for insects in the small shrubs around the park at crescent mall. These lovely little lizards are sometimes sold as pets in local pet shops.

Takydromus sexlineatus (long-tailed grass lizard) HCMC Vietnam

There are also a number of snakes that can be found in the city. I have seen Chrysopelea ornata (Golden Tree Snake) in HCMC, although I have yet to photograph it here. I took the following shot a few years back in Thailand.

Chrysopelea ornata (Golden Tree Snake) Kho Chang Thailand

I have also seen Ptyas korros (Indo-Chinese Rat Snake) in district 7. This beautiful rat snake crossed the path in front of me and dived into cover near a pond, then poked its head out to check if I was following, before disappearing off into the undergrowth.

Ptyas korros (Indo-Chinese Rat Snake) HCMC Vietnam

Interesting insects sometimes get caught up in the cities lighting. I picked up this dazed and confused Pseudophyllus titan (Giant False Leaf Katydid) near our condo. It was pretty big, longer than my finger!

Pseudophyllus titan (Giant False Leaf Katydid) HCMC Vietnam

Wherever there are lantana bushes in the tropics, you can be sure to come across a variety of butterflies and HCMC is no exception. These photos were all taken in District 7.