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.
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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.
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Psittacula alexandri (red-breasted parakeet) HCMC Vietnam |
Halcyon chloris (White Collared Kingfisher)
can also regularly be seen patrolling the park and crescent lake area.
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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.
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Calotes bachae HCMC Vietnam |
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Calotes bachae HCMC Vietnam |
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Calotes bachae Ho Tram Vietnam |
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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.
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Calotes versicolor HCMC Vietnam |
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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.
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Takydromus sexlineatus (long-tailed grass lizard) HCMC Vietnam |
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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Danaus genutia (Common Tiger) HCMC Vietnam |
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Cethosia cyane (Leopard Lacewing) male HCMC Vietnam |
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Euploea core (Common Indian Crow) HCMC Vietnam |
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Papilio demoleus pair (Lime Butterfly) HCMC Vietnam |
Hopefully I will continue to find and photograph more interesting wildlife within the city.
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