Chien C. Lee

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  • Without seeing it move, you could almost mistake the Golden Mantella (Mantella aurantiaca) for a bright orange plastic toy. This is one of Madagascar’s most endangered amphibians and is an icon for conservation of the island’s threatened wildlife. Efforts targeted at protecting this frog’s habitat, coupled with ex-situ breeding programs and reintroduction have helped to protect it from extinction in the wild, but it remains highly threatened and is still known to exist at only two small isolated patches of rainforest. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • Without seeing it move, you could almost mistake the Golden Mantella (Mantella aurantiaca) for a bright orange plastic toy. This is one of Madagascar’s most endangered amphibians and is an icon for conservation of the island’s threatened wildlife. Efforts targeted at protecting this frog’s habitat, coupled with ex-situ breeding programs and reintroduction have helped to protect it from extinction in the wild, but it remains highly threatened and is still known to exist at only two small isolated patches of rainforest. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • Endemic to northern Borneo, the Black-and-crimson Pitta (Pitta ussheri) is a shy forest bird which feeds on worms and other terrestrial invertebrates. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A male Whiskered Treeswift (Hemiprocne comata). Unlike true swifts, these birds can often be seen perching on exposed branches from which they make short sallying flights after insects. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • During a rare mass fruiting season winged seeds of a dipterocarp tree (Dryobalanops lanceolata) whirl their way down to the forest floor like miniature helicopters. This adaptation allows the seeds to scatter over a larger area, thus increasing their chance of survival. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Penang Hairy Huntsman (Rhitymna pinangensis), male. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Dung beetle (Proagoderus watanabei), male feeding on herbivore scat. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • In the dense tropical rainforests of Borneo, plants struggle to compete for their share of the sunlight. As little as 2% of sunlight reaches the forest floor. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The Malay Civet (Viverra tangalunga) is a shy nocturnal animal of the rainforest.  This individual was photographed by means of an infrared camera trigger. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Sunrise and mist over virgin rainforest in northern Borneo. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia.
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  • Dung beetle (Paragymnopleurus sparsus), rolling scat of Sambar Deer. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Superbly adapted for its specific microhabitat, this Bornean Bark Mantis (Theopompa borneana) blends almost seamlessly with the tree where it lives. These efficient predators hunt for insects on the sides of trees using their superb vision, speed, and spiny raptorial front legs. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Monsters do exist - at least in the Borneo rainforest. Another of the island's amazing katydids, this is the Malaysian Giant Katydid (Arachnacris tenuipes), one of the world's largest insects (measuring 15cm in length without the wings open). Despite their alarming size they are rather gentle herbivores, that is unless you make the mistake of trying to grab one with your bare hands. Kicking with their powerful spiny hind legs they can inflict some serious pain, but at least they usually warn predators first by emitting very loud raspy clicks with their wings. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A Giant Forest Ant (Dinomyrmex gigas) receives a droplet of sweet honeydew from the abdomen of a juvenile leaf-footed bug (Notobitus sp.). The bugs, which obtain more sugar than they need from the plant juices they feed on, are fiercely guarded by the ants in return. Mutually beneficial trophobiotic relationships such as this are very advantageous in the competitive ecosystem of the rainforest. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The small and nocturnal Sunda Stink-badger (Mydaus javanensis lucifer) is a relative of the skunks (family Mephitidae) occurring in Borneo, Sumatra, and Java. It feeds on invertebrates and small animals as well as tuberous roots. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Black-headed Cat Snake (Boiga nigriceps). Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The poor soils of many of Borneo’s natural habitats are home to many unusual plants, the most famous of which are undoubtedly the carnivorous pitcher plants (Nepenthes). The slippery-rimmed traps are designed to lure and consume insects and even small animals to supplement the plant’s nutrition. One of the most extraordinary is Nepenthes veitchii, seen here growing up the side of a small tree, it’s pitchers open and ready for unsuspecting visitors. Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Bee killed by entomopathogenic fungi (Ophiocordyceps sp.). Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Triangle Keelback (Xenochrophis trianguligerus). Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Mossy stick insect (Phobaeticus foliatus), female. Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Spotted Cat Snake (Boiga drapiezii). Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Lanternfly (Saiva transversolineata). Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A Maroon Langur (Presbytis rubicunda) pauses for a break while munching on his chosen leaf. Endemic to Borneo and a few offshore islands, these leaf monkeys feed on a wide range of foliage and unripe fruits, traveling in groups of up to a dozen individuals. One theory regarding their distinctive bright orange coloration is that this may help to confuse some predators into mistaking them for a much larger and stronger Orangutan, and thus deter attacks. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Sunrise and mist over virgin rainforest in northern Borneo. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia.
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  • The Maroon Langur (Presbytis rubicunda) is endemic to Borneo and nearby Karimata Island, with several subspecies occurring throughout its range. Like other leaf monkeys they are almost completely arboreal and feed on foliage, seeds, and some fruits.  Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia.
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  • Rising mist spills over the forested plateau of Maliau Basin, a large conservation area in the remote interior of northern Borneo. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Jumping spider (Hyllus sp.). Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys cf. lobata) standing guard over her egg sac. Such behavior might enable her to deter parasitoid wasps from destroying her brood, a common threat for mantises. Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A cluster of large mushrooms (Armillaria sp.) emerges from the forest floor in Maliau Basin Conservation Area in northern Borneo. Parasitic on woody plants, Armillaria fungi can spread over large areas and be fatal to many tree species. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Sabah Keelback (Hebius flavifrons). Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A pre-dawn light casts a blue glow over rising mist in Sabah's Danum Valley Conservation Area, northern Borneo. Sabah, Malaysia.
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  • Iridescent Bark Mantis (Metallyticus splendidus), juvenile. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Parashorea malaanonan, buttress roots. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Horned Gliding Lizard (Draco cornutus), male displaying gular flap. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Lanternfly (Saiva transversolineata). Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Draco cornutus, in flight. Flying lizards of the genus Draco are superbly adapted for their arboreal lifestyle. They are capable of gliding from tree to tree on wing-like flaps of skin supported by their movable ribs. They feed primarily on ants. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Bornean Crested Fireback (Lophura ignita), male. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Mantispid (family Mantispidae), also known as a ‘mantidfly’. Looking something like a praying mantis crossed with a lacewing, this tiny predator uses the same raptorial front legs to grab its prey and hold them fast while eating them alive. Contrary to their appearance, they are not closely related to mantids, implying that this effective hunting strategy has evolved on more than one occasion in the insect kingdom. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Deforested savannah in the central highlands of Madagascar. Fianarantsoa, Madagascar.
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  • Nearly a thousand kilometers from the nearest landmass, the islands of the Seychelles are distantly isolated at the western end of the Indian Ocean. Much of these granitic islands were once cloaked in dense rainforest, harboring a unique array of flora and fauna found nowhere else. Here, a grove of the Seychelles Stilt Palm (Verschaffeltia splendida) dominates the lower forest canopy with its enormous undivided leaves. Like many of the endemic plants it is under threat from both invasive species and habitat loss.
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  • Madagascan Reed Frog (Heterixalus madagascariensis), possibly killed by chytrid fungus which has arrived in Madagascsar in recent years. Akanin'ny Nofy, Madagascar.
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  • Asian Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus), an introduced and invasive species in New Guinea. Nimbokrang, Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Morning sun illuminates emergent baobab trees (Adansonia rubrostipa) in Madagascar's dry deciduous forest, one of the island's most endangered habitats. Despite receiving no rain for up to nine months each year, these forests are home to an astonishing diversity of wildlife, including Madam Berthe's Mouse Lemur, the world's smallest primate. Sadly, due to logging and land clearing, these forests have been reduced to less than 3% of their original extent, and now remain in only a few reserves along the western coast. Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar.
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  • Lowland rainforest on hilly terrain is cleared and terraced for planting of oil palm.
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  • Lowland rainforest on hilly terrain is cleared and terraced for planting of oil palm.
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  • Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantation showing small riparian buffer zones along rivers. Northern Borneo.
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  • Spanning nearly 7 million square kilometers, it is difficult to conceptualize just how vast the Amazon rainforest is. Here, the Tiputini River winds its way through a tiny corner of the Amazon Basin in eastern Ecuador, eventually emptying its waters into Peru, Brazil, and then the Atlantic Ocean nearly 3 thousand kilometers away. Having lost nearly 20% of its forest cover in recent decades, the Basin is still under siege today from threats such as mining, oil drilling, and clearing for farming. Despite these losses, much still remains intact and just as imperative as ever to continue protective efforts for these invaluable forests. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantation showing small riparian buffer zones along rivers. Northern Borneo.
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  • The Chocoan Rainforest along the Pacific coast of Panama, Colombia, and northern Ecuador is one of the world's most endangered rainforest habitats. It is separated from the Amazon rainforest by the Andes mountains, and is home to a great diversity of endemic species. Utría National Natural Park, Colombia.
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  • Forest cleared by tree felling and burning. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A wide swath of virgin rainforest cloaks the foothills of the Kobowre Mountains in western Papua. Indonesian New Guinea hosts some of the largest remaining tracts of primary tropical rainforest in the world.
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  • A captive Bear Cuscus (Ailurops ursinus) peers out of a small wooden cage behind a village in Central Sulawesi. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, the Bear Cuscus is endemic to Sulawesi and a few offshore islands where it is restricted to undisturbed rainforest. Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
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  • Bornean Oakleaf (Kallima buxtoni), sleeping at night among dead foliage. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Weevil (Episomus sp.). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • In the Borneo rainforest, a leaf isn't always what it seems. Many tropical trees and shrubs have pale or reddish young leaves as part of a strategy to deter herbivory: the absence of green chlorophyll reduces their nutritive value. Here, an orange morph leaf-legged katydid (Eulophophyllum lobulatum) mimics this exact foliage type. This insect  has been found to have a variety of colorations ranging from green to yellow and red, an adaptation that probably makes it more difficult for their predators to learn a fixed search image for any particular color. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A metallic darkling beetle (Strongylium sp.), frequently found in association with decaying wood and fungi. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tiger Leech (Haemadipsa sp. aff. picta). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Golden Forest Ant (Polyrhachis ypsilon). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Flower mantis (Theopropus elegans), female. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Aerial view of primary forest during a mass flowering event. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Violin Beetle (Mormolyce matejmiciaki). Violin Beetles are found in forested habitats in tropical Southeast Asia. Their bizarre flattened wing-sheaths allow them to maneuver under tree bark and cracks where they hunt for other insects. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Although occurring widely in Borneo, Sumatra, and Peninsular Malaysia, the Striped Wren-babbler (Kenopia striata) is nowhere abundant and is considered Near Threatened due to habitat loss. Inhabiting lowland forests, its presence is often first confirmed by its loud clear and persistent whistling calls. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • You might think that an animal with an excessively long neck would be predisposed to unfortunate injuries, but such eccentricities in body form can become justified in the competitive arena of sexual selection. This tiny Bornean weevil (Cycnotrachelus satelles), closely related to the famous Giraffe Weevil of Madagascar, uses his lengthy neck in wrestling matches to dislodge rival males off their food plants during mating season. Having intimidating physical attributes can sometimes mean combat is not even necessary: males have been observed facing off, nodding their heads (the necks are hinged in the middle) before one makes a retreat. The females, which are not thus pressured by competition, have much shorter necks. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf katydid (Tympanophyllum arcufolium), female. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • This predaceous ground beetle (Lioptera plato) exhibits a distinctive warning color pattern which is commonly repeated among many different species of beetles (including a commonly associated fungus beetle Epicaustes) that all share a similar habitat niche. Because all species appear to share a distasteful chemical defense this may be a possible example of Mullerian mimicry. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf insect (Phyllium agnesagamaae) , male. Unlike their larger and more heavily bodied female counterparts, male Leaf Insects (family Phyllidae) have fully developed wings and are capable of flight. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The Oriental Vine Snake (Ahaetulla prasina) is an agile climber, feeding on small birds and lizards with its excellent binocular vision. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A master of camouflage, this praying mantis (Theopompa borneana) conceals itself against the bark of a tree. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Named in honor of singer-songwriter David Bowie, this large huntsman spider (Heteropoda davidbowie) occurs in rainforests from Thailand to Sumatra and Borneo.
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  • Hammerhead worm (Diversibipalium sp. nov.). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Fungus beetle (Nesitis attenuata) exhibiting Muellerian mimicry of associated ground beetles (Lioptera sp.). Both fungus beetles and ground beetles show the same orange and black patterns and are similarly distasteful to predators. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Humpback Cyclosa (Cyclosa insulana). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Like other small animals of the forest understory, this Borneo Forest Dragon (Gonocephalus bornensis) must juggle his attention between searching for prey (insects and spiders) while keeping a watchful eye out for larger predators. Although this species is unable to glide like the closely-related Dracos, it is nevertheless an agile climber and can move swiftly up and down trees. The impressive mane on the back of this male signifies his maturity - we will readily defend his territory against rival males. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Barred Eagle-owl (Ketupa sumatrana). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Lanternfly (Pyrops sidereus), a rare species endemic to northern Borneo, here feeding on the sap of Garcinia sp. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Borneo Horned Frog (Pelobatrachus nasutus). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Fanged frog (Limnonectes cf. asperatus). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Nectar-feeding bats play an essential role in the pollination of many rainforest trees. Here, a Long-tongued Nectar Bat (Macroglossus minimus) arrives at the night-blooming blossoms of a durian tree (Durio zibethinus). Prized for its delectable aromatic fruit, the productivity of many durian plantations is under threat where the native bat populations have been killed off by hunters. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The strikingly beautiful blooms of this epiphytic orchid (Dendrobium cinnabarinum var. cinnabarinum) can almost be mistaken for a hibiscus flower. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Found throughout the lowland rainforests of Sarawak, the loud honking call of the Bornean Horned Frog (Pelobatrachus nasutus) is commonly heard before the onset of heavy thunderstorms. When disturbed it remains completely motionless, relying on its excellent camouflage to escape detection from potential predators. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The warning coloration of these juvenile Leaf-footed Bugs (Prionolomia sp.), which have a noxious taste to predators, is accentuated by their tightly grouped behavior. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A Trefoil Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus trifoliatus) rests while hanging from a twig of an understory forest tree in Danum Valley. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A Red-bearded Bee-eater (Nyctyornis amictus) living up to its name: here with a large black carpenter bee (Xylocopa sp.) it has caught in mid-air. While most bee-eaters prefer open woodlands and forest edges, this species is unusual in that it is typically found deep within rainforest. Flashy colors in birds are often possessed only by the males and typically function as a means of advertising for a mate. However, in this species both males and females sport a bright red face, which suggests that the coloration may serve a different purpose. One theory is that this may serve to attract flower-feeding insects to venture closer for a look - a convenient way for the bird to catch an easy meal. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A view of a hanging Trefoil Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus trifoliatus) from below reveals its remarkable face. The elaborate noseleaves help the bat to focus its echolocation calls, with the various parts shaped for different frequencies. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Wallace's Flying Frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus) is one of the largest of all tree frogs in Borneo. It is capable of gliding down from the forest canopy by using its enlarged webbed feet as parachutes. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Bird Dropping Crab Spider (Phrynarachne decipiens) preying on cockroach (Ectobiidae). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Hooktip moth caterpillar (family Drepanidae). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo)
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  • Under the cover of darkness, a female katydid (Tympanophyllum arcufolium) uses her stout ovipositor to deposit eggs under tree bark where they will be concealed from predators. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The Black-headed Cat Snake (Boiga nigriceps) is an arboreal predator of birds and other snakes. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Unidentified mushrooms. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • File-eared Tree Frog (Polypedates otilophus). Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Bornean Gliding Frog (Rhacophorus borneensis), pair in amplexus. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Dense mist often cloaks Borneo's rainforest at dawn, this being the water vapor rising from the transpiration of the forest itself. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • This Yellow Meranti (Richetia faguetiana) is the tallest tropical tree yet known, measured at 100.8m in height. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Blue-headed Pitta (Hydrornis baudii), male. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Northeast Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus morio), adult male. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea), male on nest. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A male Great Argus Pheasant (Argusianus argus) is one of the most magnificent birds in the Bornean rainforest. Despite its large size it is shy and seldom seen, though its haunting call is frequently heard. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Horsfield's Gliding Gecko (Gekko horsfieldii). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A male Rough Guardian Frog (Limnonectes finchi) transports tadpoles on its back to a suitable pool of water where it will release them. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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