Roughly just over a month since my last visit to Cat
Tien NP I got the chance to return for a few days. The highlight of this trip
was to find the ruby-eyed green pit viper (Cryptelytrops rubeus), a species
unknown to science until 2011, and endemic to this part of Vietnam.
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| Cryptelytrops rubeus (Ruby-eyed green pit viper) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
The snake
was in vegetation close to the path to the crocodile lake. It was a young
female roughly 40cm in length.
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| Cryptelytrops rubeus (Ruby-eyed green pit viper) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
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| Cryptelytrops rubeus (Ruby-eyed green pit viper) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
At the crocodile lake, a lesser Adjutant
was hunting.
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| Leptoptilos javanicus (Lesser Adjutant) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
Standing at about 1m 20cm tall, this large stork seemed unconcerned by the people in the viewing platform as it wandered by after hunting on the lake edge.
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| Leptoptilos javanicus (Lesser Adjutant) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
The wet season was well underway and the
river through the park was much fuller than before.
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| Ben Cu Rapids |
The vegetation along the
trails was visibly higher and the swarms of butterflies that were present on my
last visit had all but disappeared. However, different species were now present.
Gone were the Graphium puddles on the banks of the rapids. Instead, Papilio (Swallowtail) species now were more common on the road through the park.
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| Papilio nephelus chaon (Yellow Helen) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
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| Papilio nephelus chaon (Yellow Helen) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
The most numerous were the Yellow Helen butterflies,
but also present was the slightly larger Red Helen.
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| Papilio helenus (Red Helen) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
Previously I had also encountered the rare Blue
Helen, making it 3 Helens for the park.
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| Papilio prexaspes (The Blue Helen) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
Other Papilio included the Lime, Great Mormon,
Common Mormon and rather rare Raven.
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| Papilio polytes (Common Mormon) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
The Graphium species the Common Jay and
Great Jay were also still numerous.
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| From left: Papilio castor (The Common Raven) , Papilio memnon (Great Mormon),Graphium doson (Common Jay), Graphium eurypylus (Great Jay) and Graphium sarpendon (Blue Bottle). |
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| Papilio demoleus (Lime Butterfly) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
The Pagoda Flower, Clerodendrum
paniculatum, a tall red flower was blooming throughout the park and attracting
a variety of butterflies including loads of wanderer butterflies.
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| Pareronia hippia (Common Wanderer) on Pagoda Flower, Clerodendrum paniculatum. Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
I was lucky enough one night to witness
the emergence of thousands of flying termites. These winged male and female
termites only emerge once a year to breed and start new colonies. They were
attracted by the lights of the hotel.
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| King and Queen winged termite swarm |
Many termites were caught by the local
weaver ants, working together on the lamp shades to hold down the queens.
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Weaver ant (Oecophylla longinoda)
attacking termite queen |
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Weaver ants (Oecophylla longinoda)
attacking termite queen |
Other termites that fell to the floor were
rapidly consumed by the local amphibians.
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| Kaloula pulchra (Banded Bull Frog) eating termites |
Another highlight was this beautiful iridescent
blue, day flying moth. A toxic species that mimics the Blue Crow butterflies
for protection.
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| Cyclosia midamia Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
Other butterflies included this fruit eating Banded Marquis
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| Bassarona teuta - (Banded Marquis) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
The dragontail butterflies were also numerous on the main road through the park.
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| Lamproptera meges (Green Dragontail) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
It was good to be back in the park and to
see how the changing season was affecting the wildlife.
I will definitely return
again soon.
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| Cryptelytrops rubeus (Ruby-eyed green pit viper) Cat Tien NP Vietnam |
