Cat Tien National Park at Night. Snakes, Scorpions and Tarantulas.

'The night is dark and full of terrors.'

Cat Tien National Park in the South of Vietnam is the nearest place to HCMC to get away and have the chance of seeing decent wildlife. Most of the forest around the park headquarters is recovering secondary forest but is still full of life. Staying within the park boundary is the best way to experience the forest here as it is then possible to go walking at night.

Boiga cyanea (Green Cat Snake) Cat Tien NP Vietnam

The forest at night has a completely different feel to the day as a different set of creatures come out to take advantage of the protection of the darkness. Walking with a lamp a night therefore reveals many animals that would be otherwise unseen.  Walking through the forest on my first night proved productive and I did not have to go far before finding the biggest whip scorpion I have ever seen.

Thelyphonida species Cat Tien NP Vietnam

Fittingly the whip scorpion encounter was followed by an encounter with a true scorpion that ran across the path in front of me. Over the next few nights, I encountered no fewer than seven scorpions out hunting.  The first two pictures show one that ran out in front of me across the main path through the park. When I followed to photograph it, it adopted this aggressive defensive posture, with its sting raised and its claws up.

Heterometrus laoticus (Vietnam forest scorpion).Cat Tien NP Vietnam

Heterometrus laoticus (Vietnam forest scorpion).Cat Tien NP Vietnam

Heterometrus laoticus (Vietnam forest scorpion).Cat Tien NP Vietnam

Heterometrus laoticus (Vietnam forest scorpion).Cat Tien NP Vietnam

At dusk walking along the main trail in the park, I also came across the tunnel web of this blue-legged tarantula. Despite my best efforts, I failed to coax it out of its hole but I did manage to get this shot of it in its lair. I decide to return later for another go on my last night. However, I was thwarted by a large heard of wild boar, which had taken up residence in the area. 

Chilobrachys sp (Blue Legged Tarantula) Cat Tien NP Vietnam

I also came across this otherworldly looking, long-legged centipede feasting on a moth.

Scutigeridae (long legged centipede) Cat Tien NP Vietnam

I always enjoy seeing snakes but on this occasion it took me four nights before I found one. On my final night in the forest, I found this beautiful young cat snake. It was in the grounds of the lodge and emerged from a lantern where it had been sheltering.

Boiga cyanea (Green Cat Snake) Cat Tien NP Vietnam

Boiga cyanea (Green Cat Snake) Cat Tien NP Vietnam

The nights in the park were alive with moths and I found these fruit moths feasting on fallen star fruit.

Thyas coronata (3 face fruit moth) Cat Tien NP Vietnam

I never grow bored of seeing tokay geckos. These big geckos seem to have largely disappeared from HCMC, sadly often ending up in jars of local spirit, so I was glad to see a few on the buildings in the park.

Gekko gecko (Tockay) Cat Tien NP Vietnam