biodiversity
Due to its sprawling size and its unique geographical position, Indonesia is one of the world's most rich in biodiversity countries, in fact, it has the second highest level of biodiversity in the world! There are over 500 species of mammals, 1500 species of birds, 3000 species of fish and numerous reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.
Fauna
Fauna
Anoa
There are two types of anoas, the low-land anoa, and the mountain anoa, found only on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. They are a species of pygmy buffalo and are the smallest of the wild cattle. Anoas are an endangered species, they are threatened by the clearing of forests and their habitats and being hunted for their horns, meat and pelt.
Anoas are herbivores, eating mainly grass, saplings, ferns and fallen fruit. Some people say that the anoas gain additional minerals by drinking seawater.
The anoa is a timid animal but when threatened can attack violently with their sharp horns.
When anoas reach the age of two or three years, they are ready to mate. They only give birth once a year. There isn't a distinct breeding season but when the females give birth, the young feed on their mother's milk for six to nine months.
The average life span of an anoa is from fifteen to twenty years in the wild.
There are two types of anoas, the low-land anoa, and the mountain anoa, found only on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. They are a species of pygmy buffalo and are the smallest of the wild cattle. Anoas are an endangered species, they are threatened by the clearing of forests and their habitats and being hunted for their horns, meat and pelt.
Anoas are herbivores, eating mainly grass, saplings, ferns and fallen fruit. Some people say that the anoas gain additional minerals by drinking seawater.
The anoa is a timid animal but when threatened can attack violently with their sharp horns.
When anoas reach the age of two or three years, they are ready to mate. They only give birth once a year. There isn't a distinct breeding season but when the females give birth, the young feed on their mother's milk for six to nine months.
The average life span of an anoa is from fifteen to twenty years in the wild.
Babirusa
The babirusa is the last remaining species in the Babyrousinae family. Babirusa is a word from the Malay language and is translated as 'pig-deer'.
They are found in moist swampy forests and in the lush thickets of tropical rainforests and they tend to live near rivers. Babirusas build nests made of straw. They usually travel in groups and are most active early in the morning.
Babirusas eat both meat and plants, making them omnivores, but they prefer to consume leaves, berries and fruits. They use their strong hooves to dig at the earth or in rotting trees to forage for roots and insect larvae.
They can grow up to 67 centimetres tall, but the females are slightly smaller than the males. They have rough, wrinkled skin that is brown or dark grey in colour with bits of spiny hairs. Unlike many other pigs, Babirusas have long slender legs but their most distinguishable feature are the males' teeth. They grow through the snout area out of the lips and then curl upwards and then backwards over the eyes. They grow very big and if the animal doesn't grind or break its tusks in a fight, then they will grow long enough to penetrate its own skull. The female, on the other hand, have small tusks or, in some cases, no tusks at all.
The babirusa is the last remaining species in the Babyrousinae family. Babirusa is a word from the Malay language and is translated as 'pig-deer'.
They are found in moist swampy forests and in the lush thickets of tropical rainforests and they tend to live near rivers. Babirusas build nests made of straw. They usually travel in groups and are most active early in the morning.
Babirusas eat both meat and plants, making them omnivores, but they prefer to consume leaves, berries and fruits. They use their strong hooves to dig at the earth or in rotting trees to forage for roots and insect larvae.
They can grow up to 67 centimetres tall, but the females are slightly smaller than the males. They have rough, wrinkled skin that is brown or dark grey in colour with bits of spiny hairs. Unlike many other pigs, Babirusas have long slender legs but their most distinguishable feature are the males' teeth. They grow through the snout area out of the lips and then curl upwards and then backwards over the eyes. They grow very big and if the animal doesn't grind or break its tusks in a fight, then they will grow long enough to penetrate its own skull. The female, on the other hand, have small tusks or, in some cases, no tusks at all.
Javan Rhinoceros
The Javan rhinoceros is the rarest of the five species of rhinoceros. There are only about sixty left in the wild!
Javan rhinoceroses live in lowland tropical rainforests near rivers and mud wallows where it is wooded and they can't be spotted and where they can roll in the mud to keep cool from the sun and away from biting insects. They are quite solitary animals, except at breeding time.
The skin of the Javan rhinoceros is rough, grey and thick with folds, making it look like armour. Each foot ends in three hoofed toes. Males have a horn of about 25 centimetres and females have a smaller horn or none at all. They are 165 centimetre tall and weigh up to two tonnes. These rhinoceroses have poor eyesight and therefore depend on their sense of hearing and smell. The Javan rhinoceros is a herbivore, feeding on shoots, twigs, leaves and fallen fruit.
The female rhinoceros mates at the age of four years. Sixteen months after mating, the females rhinoceros gives birth to one calf, which she protects by charging at enemies and attacking with her horn. The young suckle their mother for two years and after that, they leave her. The lifespan for an Javan rhinoceros is 35 to 40 years.
The Javan rhinoceros is the rarest of the five species of rhinoceros. There are only about sixty left in the wild!
Javan rhinoceroses live in lowland tropical rainforests near rivers and mud wallows where it is wooded and they can't be spotted and where they can roll in the mud to keep cool from the sun and away from biting insects. They are quite solitary animals, except at breeding time.
The skin of the Javan rhinoceros is rough, grey and thick with folds, making it look like armour. Each foot ends in three hoofed toes. Males have a horn of about 25 centimetres and females have a smaller horn or none at all. They are 165 centimetre tall and weigh up to two tonnes. These rhinoceroses have poor eyesight and therefore depend on their sense of hearing and smell. The Javan rhinoceros is a herbivore, feeding on shoots, twigs, leaves and fallen fruit.
The female rhinoceros mates at the age of four years. Sixteen months after mating, the females rhinoceros gives birth to one calf, which she protects by charging at enemies and attacking with her horn. The young suckle their mother for two years and after that, they leave her. The lifespan for an Javan rhinoceros is 35 to 40 years.
Komodo Dragon
The komodo dragon is a reptile and the largest of all lizards.
Their natural home is among rocks or in tropical rainforest areas. They are extremely solitary animals, only being together with another to mate. They sleep in underground burrows at night and come out in the day.
Komodos grow to about 2.5 metres long and weigh around 100 kilograms. Females are smaller, weighing 85 kilograms. The komodo dragon's neck is long and its tail is even longer than its body. The tail of a komodo dragon is so strong that it can deliver a crushing blow. All komodos have short, powerful legs that allow them to run and climb very fast. Also they have long, sharp claws to help them hunt, climb and dig.
They are covered in greyish-brown, scaly skin and have sharp, jagged teeth. Their tongues are yellow and flick in and out. When the tongue flicks out, it collects scents in the air and when the tongue flicks in, information is received from the scent by a special organ inside the komodo dragon's mouth that lets its brain know what it is.
Komodo dragons are carnivores and eat wild pigs, young buffalo, deer and sometimes even monkeys, while younger komodos eat smaller creatures such as mice, snakes and insects.
The komodo dragon is a reptile and the largest of all lizards.
Their natural home is among rocks or in tropical rainforest areas. They are extremely solitary animals, only being together with another to mate. They sleep in underground burrows at night and come out in the day.
Komodos grow to about 2.5 metres long and weigh around 100 kilograms. Females are smaller, weighing 85 kilograms. The komodo dragon's neck is long and its tail is even longer than its body. The tail of a komodo dragon is so strong that it can deliver a crushing blow. All komodos have short, powerful legs that allow them to run and climb very fast. Also they have long, sharp claws to help them hunt, climb and dig.
They are covered in greyish-brown, scaly skin and have sharp, jagged teeth. Their tongues are yellow and flick in and out. When the tongue flicks out, it collects scents in the air and when the tongue flicks in, information is received from the scent by a special organ inside the komodo dragon's mouth that lets its brain know what it is.
Komodo dragons are carnivores and eat wild pigs, young buffalo, deer and sometimes even monkeys, while younger komodos eat smaller creatures such as mice, snakes and insects.
Orangutan
The orangutan is the only ape to make its home in the continent of Asia. Orangutans live in rainforest, on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Female orangutans travel in groups consisting of sisters, mothers and offspring, and only come in contact with males when mating.
They travel in the trees and only come to the ground when necessary. Orangutans are very agile when swinging from tree to tree, but when it comes to walking on the ground, they are extremely clumsy.
Like humans, orangutans have two hands and two feet. Each hand has a thumb and each foot has an opposable toe and like most animals, the males are larger than the females - males weigh 77 kilograms while females weigh 37 kilograms. They are covered in reddish-brownish hair, except for their face which is blackish-greyish and hairless. The males have puffy cheek pads which attract females and pouches under their throat to amplify their noises, making them bale to be heard about a kilometre away.
Orangutans live for 35 to 40 years in the wild and perhaps longer in captivity.
The orangutan is the only ape to make its home in the continent of Asia. Orangutans live in rainforest, on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Female orangutans travel in groups consisting of sisters, mothers and offspring, and only come in contact with males when mating.
They travel in the trees and only come to the ground when necessary. Orangutans are very agile when swinging from tree to tree, but when it comes to walking on the ground, they are extremely clumsy.
Like humans, orangutans have two hands and two feet. Each hand has a thumb and each foot has an opposable toe and like most animals, the males are larger than the females - males weigh 77 kilograms while females weigh 37 kilograms. They are covered in reddish-brownish hair, except for their face which is blackish-greyish and hairless. The males have puffy cheek pads which attract females and pouches under their throat to amplify their noises, making them bale to be heard about a kilometre away.
Orangutans live for 35 to 40 years in the wild and perhaps longer in captivity.
Sumatran Tiger
The Sumatran tiger is the smallest tiger species and is currently listed as critically endangered with less than 400 left in the wild because they are being hunted for their fur and other body parts and their habitats are being cleared.
Sumatran tigers are only found on the island of Sumatra. They are usually found in rainforests, marshy swamps and mountainous areas near water sources and thick bushes, where they can hide when hunting prey. They are very territorial, marking their territory with urine or scratching trees.
The fur of these tigers, like most other tigers, is short and orangish-yellow, sometimes with a slight tinge of red in colour. They have black stripes to camouflage them with their surroundings. They have long whiskers along their cheeks.
These tigers eat just about anything that has meat and also scavenge any dead animals that they find. When hunting, the tigers rely on their sharp eyesight and hearing to find their prey and when they get close enough, they pounce with their powerful hind legs and crushes it with its strong jaws.
The Sumatran tiger is the smallest tiger species and is currently listed as critically endangered with less than 400 left in the wild because they are being hunted for their fur and other body parts and their habitats are being cleared.
Sumatran tigers are only found on the island of Sumatra. They are usually found in rainforests, marshy swamps and mountainous areas near water sources and thick bushes, where they can hide when hunting prey. They are very territorial, marking their territory with urine or scratching trees.
The fur of these tigers, like most other tigers, is short and orangish-yellow, sometimes with a slight tinge of red in colour. They have black stripes to camouflage them with their surroundings. They have long whiskers along their cheeks.
These tigers eat just about anything that has meat and also scavenge any dead animals that they find. When hunting, the tigers rely on their sharp eyesight and hearing to find their prey and when they get close enough, they pounce with their powerful hind legs and crushes it with its strong jaws.
Sun Bear
Sun bears are only found in South-east Asia in thick tropical rainforests in lowlands. They spend a great deal of their time in the treetops. They are nocturnal, resting and enjoying the sun in the day and unlike other bears, sun bears don't hibernate for the winter.
Although the sun bear is the smallest species of bears, they are believed to be the fiercest. The males grow up to 70 centimetres when standing, and weigh up to 65 kilograms. The females are a little bit smaller. Their body is covered in dark brown, almost black, thick fur. Their skin is loose which allows them, when bitten by a predator, to turn around and attack back. The muzzle of the bear is short and lighter in colour than the rest of the bear's fur. They have long claws which helped them to climb trees. Their most distinctive feature of the sun bear is the crescent shaped patch of fur on their chest which is golden yellow. This feature of the bear gave it the name 'sun bear', as it looks like a rising or setting sun.
The sun bear is an omnivore and eats berries, ants, termites, small rodents, insects, lizards, birds, fruit and earthworms. It also eats honey which they can reach with their long tongue.
Due to their decreasing numbers and timid personalities, not much is known about their reproductive patterns. Their habitats are being rapidly destroyed.
Sun bears are only found in South-east Asia in thick tropical rainforests in lowlands. They spend a great deal of their time in the treetops. They are nocturnal, resting and enjoying the sun in the day and unlike other bears, sun bears don't hibernate for the winter.
Although the sun bear is the smallest species of bears, they are believed to be the fiercest. The males grow up to 70 centimetres when standing, and weigh up to 65 kilograms. The females are a little bit smaller. Their body is covered in dark brown, almost black, thick fur. Their skin is loose which allows them, when bitten by a predator, to turn around and attack back. The muzzle of the bear is short and lighter in colour than the rest of the bear's fur. They have long claws which helped them to climb trees. Their most distinctive feature of the sun bear is the crescent shaped patch of fur on their chest which is golden yellow. This feature of the bear gave it the name 'sun bear', as it looks like a rising or setting sun.
The sun bear is an omnivore and eats berries, ants, termites, small rodents, insects, lizards, birds, fruit and earthworms. It also eats honey which they can reach with their long tongue.
Due to their decreasing numbers and timid personalities, not much is known about their reproductive patterns. Their habitats are being rapidly destroyed.