Wildlife of Cambodia

The wildlife of Cambodia is very diverse with at least 162 mammal species,[1] 600 bird species,[1] 176 reptile species (including 89 subspecies),[2] 900 freshwater fish species,[1] 670 invertebrate species, and more than 3000 plant species.[1] A single protected area, Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, is known to support more than 950 total species, including 75 species that are listed as globally threatened on the IUCN Red List.[3] An unknown amount of species remains to be described by science, especially the insect group of butterflies and moths, collectively known as lepidopterans.[4]

Asian elephant
Sun bear

Many species in Cambodia, including several endemic ones, are recognized by the IUCN or World Conservation Union as threatened, endangered, or critically endangered due to deforestation and habitat destruction, poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, and farming, fishing, and forestry concessions. Intensive poaching may have already driven Cambodia's national animal, the kouprey, to extinction, wild tigers to extirpation, and Eld's deer, wild water buffaloes and hog deer are at critically low numbers.

Wildlife in Cambodia includes dholes, elephants, deer (sambar, Eld's deer, hog deer and muntjac), wild oxen (banteng and gaur), panthers, bears, and tigers. Cormorants, cranes, ibises, parrots, green peafowl, pheasants, and wild ducks are also found, and species of venomous snakes and constrictors are numerous. Deforestation, mining activities, and unregulated hunting, have diminished the country's wildlife diversity rapidly.

Cambodia also has many endangered species, including Asian elephant, Siamese crocodile, wild water buffalo, and the Germain's silver langur.

Much work is being done in this area to help conserve and protect Cambodia's unique wildlife. Wildlife conservation organizations operating in Cambodia include Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Fauna and Flora International, BirdLife International, Wildlife Alliance, and many others. On 20 December 2016, 163 new animal species were reported in Southeast Asia including one known as the Klingon newt for its resemblance to a Klingon from Star Trek.[5]

Fauna
Dhole
Leopard cat
Siamese crocodiles

Some animals native to Cambodia:

Mammals

Main article: List of mammals of Cambodia

Reptiles

Fish

Birds

Main article: List of birds of Cambodia

Molluscs

Main article: List of non-marine molluscs of Cambodia

Insects

There are several species of insects in Cambodia still undescribed by science.

Only preliminary research has been done on butterflies and moths (lepidopterans) in Cambodia, even though it is an abundant lifeform in the country. No identification literature exists for Cambodia on this group yet.[4]

  • Pileated gibbon.Cambodia has the largest population in the world of this endangered ape.
    Pileated gibbon.
    Cambodia has the largest population in the world of this endangered ape.
  • Gaur
    Gaur
  • Banteng
    Banteng
  • Binturong (bearcat)
    Binturong (bearcat)
  • King cobra.Cambodia has many different kinds of snakes.
    King cobra.
    Cambodia has many different kinds of snakes.
  • Mangrove snake
    Mangrove snake
  • Asian water monitor
    Asian water monitor
  • Tokay gecko, one of several gecko species
    Tokay gecko, one of several gecko species
  • Leatherback sea turtle
    Leatherback sea turtle

Flora
See also: List of trees of Cambodia
Rumdul flower, Cambodia's national flower.

Cambodia supports more than 3000 identified plant species, many of which are endemic to unique local ecosystems, such as the Tonlé Sap floodplain, forests of the Cardamom and Dâmrei Mountains, and elevated plains.[9]

Several plant species in Cambodia are rare and/or endangered:[10]

Threat

Sand mining in waterways, overfishing, illicit fishing methods, and the illegal wildlife trafficking are the three main threats to biodiversity in Cambodia.[11] In the Cardamom Mountain region, Poaching through Snaring is another major factor in the decline in the population of Pileated Gibbons, Dhole, Serow, Spotted Linsang & many more.[12]

See also

notes and references
  1. "Cambodia Clearing House Mechanism Species Database". Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  2. Reptile Database, accessed 3 March 2013
  3. Griffin, Olly. 2019. The Biodiversity of Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary ជីវចម្រុះនៅក្នុងដែនជម្រក សត្វព្រៃកែវសីមា. WCS Cambodia, Phnom Penh.
  4. REPORT 4 Fauna and flora diversity studies in Botum Sakor National Park, Cambodia April 2005 – September 2009 Frontier Cambodia, January 2010. Society for Environmental Exploration 2010.
  5. "Cambodia's Islands - Species". Cambodia islands – Island Species Cambodia. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  6. Insectes Sociaux: Predation on large millipedes and self-assembling chains in Leptogenys ants from Cambodia
  7. Bug Squad: An Amazing Ant/Millipede Video
  8. Khmer Times: Cambodia’s Blue Ants Use Teamwork to Pull Prey
  9. R. Jalonen; Choo, K.Y.; Hong, L.T.; Sim, H.C., eds. (2009). Forest genetic resources conservation and management: status in seven South and Southeast Asian countries. Bioversity International. pp. 3–. ISBN 978-967-5221-21-7.
  10. Note: Many species are now extinct or near extinct in neighbouring countries and Cambodia happens to hold some of the last refuges.
  11. "Cambodia Wildlife and Biodiversity | WorkingAbroad". Working Abroad. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  12. "Crisis in Cambodia – New threat to the glorious biodiversity of the Cardamom Mountains". Fauna & Flora.
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