Chien C. Lee

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  • Water trumpet (Cryptocoryne ferruginea). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Perched at the edge of a quiet stream in the Bornean rainforest, a Flexible-legged Spider (Hygropoda sp.) waits patiently for the telltale signs of struggling prey before racing across the water to grab its meal. Rather than spend the effort in building a web to ensnare insects, this species has made use of the water as its personal trap. Its remarkably long front legs are delicately placed on the water surface; these are able to detect the minute ripples created by a drowning insect. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A pair of Short-nosed Tree Frogs (Leptomantis gauni) in amplexus, perched on the foliage of a tree on the bank of a clear stream. Eggs will be deposited in a foam nest overhanging the water so that the emerging tadpoles can drop directly into the stream below. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Slow-moving streams with tea-colored water are characteristic of tropical peat swamp forests such as this one in northwestern Borneo. Binyo-Penyilam, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • This tiny orchid (Crepidium damusicum) grows only on the rocky banks of streams in northern Borneo.  Like other rheophytic plants, the slender leaves of this species are adapted to tolerate occasional floods of swiftly running water. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A crystal-clear stream flows through the forest at Khao Nor Chuchi Wildlife Sanctuary.  These spring-fed waters which emerge from limestone rock are highly alkaline and contain high amounts of dissolved calcium carbonate. Krabi, Thailand.
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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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  • 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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  • 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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  • Dipteris lobbiana, a primitive rheophytic fern.  Like many rheophytes, this plant has slender leaves which are not easily torn in rushing flood waters. Bako National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A clear stream cascades down layered beds of sandstone amidst lowland rainforest. Samarakan, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Udzungwa Scarp Nature Reserve. Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania.
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  • Jasper Falls. Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
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  • Stained with the acidic tannins of heath forest, a dark colored stream drains from the ever-wet mountains above the Bada Valley in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
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  • A waterfall cascades through a red rock canyon in Karijini National Park, Western Australia.
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  • A waterfall cascades through a red rock canyon in Karijini National Park, Western Australia.
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  • A stream cascades over sandstone layers in Lambir Hills National Park. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Dinding Waterfall. Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo)
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  • Batang Ai National Park. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A waterfall cascades through a red rock canyon in Karijini National Park, Western Australia.
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  • The impressive Sailfin Lizard (Hydrosaurus celebensis) is the largest agamid lizard in the world, reaching over 1 m in length.  They are very agile swimmers and are seldom found far from rivers.  They feed on leaves and insects. Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
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  • Pristine coral reefs bordering white sand beaches and magical rainforest – it’s hard to get better than the remote Kwatisore Peninsula. Located deep within Cenderwasih Bay National Park, this oasis is connected to mainland New Guinea by only a thin ribbon of land. The rainforests here hold an abundance of birds (including several species of bird-of-paradise), but it is the incredible marine life that provides the star attraction. This is one of the best places to swim with world’s largest fish: the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus).
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  • A stream through lowland rainforest. Mulu National Park, Sarawak (Borneo).
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  • Lowland rainforest in Masoala National Park. Antsiranana, Madagascar.
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  • One of the many waterfalls draining the remote highland Payeh Maga plateau. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Oxbow lake. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • In one of the most magnificent remaining stands of virgin rainforest in northern Borneo, the Temburong River winds its way into the interior of the 500 sq. km. Ulu Temburong National Park in Brunei. With most of this tiny nation’s wealth coming from offshore oil, its forests have largely been spared from logging and oil palm plantations. Temburong, Brunei Darussalam.
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  • This pond amid lowland forest is a prime breeding habitat for many species of amphibians. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Lowland rainforest in Masoala National Park. Antsiranana, Madagascar.
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  • Waterfall in Isalo National Park, Madagascar.
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  • A waterfall cascades over the immense cliff of Mount Roraima, but dissipates into a fine mist before reaching the ground. Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
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  • Orchid (Otostylis lepida) growing by streamside. Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
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  • Large granite boulders decorate the coastline at Tanjung Datu National Park at the western tip of Borneo. Sarawak, Malaysia.
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  • Lowland Paca (Cuniculus paca). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). Sungai Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, Malaysia (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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  • The beautiful 3-tiered Takob-Akob Waterfall is located deep within a steep sandstone gorge of Maliau Basin. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A newly hatched Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) makes its way down the beach and feels the touch of the sea for the first time in its life. Many predators lie in wait and young sea turtles have an astonishingly low survival rate, but if it reaches adulthood it may well return to the same beach years in the future to lay eggs of its own. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A tannin-colored stream meanders through freshwater swamp forest in Sarawak. Trees with stilt roots, pneumatophores, and buttresses, are more abundant in this waterlogged habitat, which is frequently flooded by rains. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Vereh River. Cartago, Costa Rica.
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  • Crystal clear streams flow from undisturbed rainforest habitats in the interior of Batang Ai National Park in southern Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • An increasingly rare sight, clear rocky streams are an important and indicative component of pristine habitats in Borneo rainforests. Sarawak, Malaysia.
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  • Giant Groundsel (Dendrosenecio eric-rosenii ssp. alticola) and Lobelia growing at edge of Bisoke Volcano crater lake. Ruhengeri, Rwanda.
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  • Understory palm (Asterogyne martiana). Utría National Natural Park, Chocó, Colombia.
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  • Forest stream in Sinharaja National Park, Sri Lanka.
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  • Forest Water Snake (Thamnosophis infrasignatus). Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Water lillies (Nymphaea sp.) in Dogamit Lake. Wasur National Park, South Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • With its rough skin texture and mottled green coloration, it’s easy to see how the Mossy Rain Frog (Pristimantis museosus) is well equipped to blend in with the damp forests in which it dwells. This frog is endemic to the mountains of central Panama, a region which has seen drastic declines in many amphibians over the past few decades due to the introduction of the virulent chytrid fungus. Like other species of Pristimantis, the females of P. museosus lay large eggs that do not require water – the tadpoles transform into froglets entirely within the egg itself. This adaptation may have provided this species with some protection against chytrid, since the fungus most easily transfers among those species which breed in bodies of water. Nevertheless, this frog remains highly threatened and has disappeared from multiple sites across its range. Panamá Oeste, Panama.
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  • Endemic to the mountains of northern Borneo, the Kinabalu Horned Frog (Pelobatrachus baluensis) breeds only in clear rocky streams with cold water. By day they lie camouflaged among the leaf litter on the forest floor, but they emerge at night to call for mates. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • This female Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher (Corythornis madagascariensis) has just been gifted a small lizard (Madascincus melanopleura) by her mate as part of a courtship ritual. Despite their name, these birds are not dependent on water, and typically hunt for insects and small vertebrates on the forest floor. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Near the summit of Gunung Murud (Sarawak's highest mountain), an newly described species of tiny bush frog (Philautus nepenthophilus) hides within the fluid of a carnivorous pitcher plant (Nepenthes mollis), apparently unaffected by the plant's digestive juices therein. Phytotelmata (water bodies held by plants) provide living quarters and breeding grounds for many unique creatures which are completely dependent on them. Pulong Tau National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The White-eared Tree Frog (Feihyla kajau) lays its eggs in clusters on leaves overhanging small streams. When the tadpoles emerge they drop down into the water below. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A Harlequin Gliding Frog (Rhacophorus pardalis) struggles futilely as it is being slowly swallowed alive by a Black-Headed Cat Snake (Boiga nigriceps). Stagnant pools of water in the Borneo rainforest serve as important breeding grounds for many tree frogs which gather around in great numbers, a fact that some predators wisely take advantage of. Kubah National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Perhaps one of the most beautiful of all damselflies, Neurobasis longipes is an inhabitant of clear rocky streams within lowland rainforest. The males (pictured here) utilize their metallic golden and green wings in courtship displays above swift flowing water. Sarawak, 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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  • As pretty as a bouquet of flowers, but with a sinister intent: a clump of Sun Pitchers (Heliamphora sarracenioides) advertises its lethal traps with bright colors and the offer of sweet nectar, amid the stunted vegetation of a tepui summit. Unwary insects that venture onto the inner surface of the pitcher easily lose their foothold and tumble into the water below where they are quickly drowned and digested by the plant. With annual rainfall sometimes exceeding four meters and virtually no mineral-rich soil available, nutrients are in scarce supply on Venezuela’s tepui mountains. This has fueled the diversification of many carnivorous plant species here, chief among them being the near-endemic genus Heliamphora with over 20 species. This species (H. sarracenioides) grows on the summit of only a single isolated tabletop mountain, accessible only by helicopter. Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
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  • The glass-like quality of a White-spotted Clearwing (Greta annette) becomes revealed against the dappled light of the cloud forest understory. Although a great variety of marine organisms utilize transparency as a functional means of underwater invisibility, this type of optical camouflage is rare among terrestrial species for several reasons. Animals not living in water must protect their internal organs from damaging UV light and also possess rigid structural support for their bodies because they live in a non-buoyant medium; both of these are accomplished by pigments and opaque structures. In addition, the refractive index between living tissues and air means that reflections of light are a potential problem. Clearwing butterflies overcome this last hindrance by having the transparent portions of their wings covered with randomly-sized microscopic “nanopillars” – this results in their wings being remarkably unreflective from nearly all angles. Researchers studying this propose that these butterfly wings could be applied as a model to increase the efficiency of solar cells and in the manufacture of other non-reflective surfaces.  El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico.
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  • “Parasitoids” are defined as different from “parasites” in that they ultimately kill their host, and among the most nefarious of these are those that are able to manipulate the behavior of their host, keeping them alive only until they no longer need them. This unfortunate katydid is in the process of having a horsehair worm (Nematomorpha) vacate its body. Although the katydid is still alive, the worm has slowly devoured most of its internal organs while growing inside to many times the length of its host’s body. Even when fully developed, the worm keeps from killing the insect because it uses it for transport – somehow compelling the katydid to seek out a source of water where the worm can finally complete its life cycle. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • The Hole-in-the-head Frog (Huia cavitympanum) is the only amphibian in the world which is known to be capable of communicating with purely ultrasonic calls, beyond the range of human hearing, and it has a recessed eardrum built specifically for this purpose. It is endemic to clear water streams in Borneo. Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Male parental care is quite rare in nature, but a variety of frogs throughout the tropics show instances where the father transports the young on his back. In most cases this involves carrying either eggs or tadpoles, but in a few New Guinean species, such as this Sphenophryne cornuta, actual froglets ride in piggyback fashion. A member of the Microhylidae, these frogs have direct-development larvae which means that the tadpoles morph into tiny frogs before leaving the egg, an adaptation enabling them to negate the need for a pool of water. The froglets will hitch a ride on the back of their father for several days before being dispersed in the rainforest understory. Digul River, South Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea)
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  • Although completely non-venomous, the Painted Mock Viper (Psammodynastes pictus) defends itself by aggressively striking if threatened. It often hunts aquatic animals such as frogs and fish by perching on a low branch over the surface of the water. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Endemic to the mountains of northern Borneo, the Kinabalu Horned Frog (Pelobatrachus baluensis) breeds only in clear rocky streams with cold water. By day they lie camouflaged among the leaf litter on the forest floor, but they emerge at night to call for mates. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A large fishing spider (Dolomedes sp.) waits by the edge of a small stream for the telltale ripples of a drowning insect. With the ability to both run on the surface of water as well as dive beneath, these spiders can occasionally also catch small fish. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Many rheophytic (streamside) plants, such as the Bornean endemic palm Pinanga tenella, posses narrow leaves which are capable of withstanding occasional floods of swift water without being torn. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A pair of Bornean Gliding Frogs (Rhacophorus borneensis) in amplexus. Like other Rhacophorid tree frogs, the female will deposit a mass of eggs on a leaf overhanging a pool of water which are then fertilized by the male. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Although completely non-venomous, the Painted Mock Viper (Psammodynastes pictus) defends itself by aggressively striking if threatened. It often hunts aquatic animals such as frogs and fish by perching on a low branch over the surface of the water. Central Kalimantan, Indonesia (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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  • With his crop full of food and water, a male Plain-pouched Hornbill (Rhyticeros subruficollis) returns to his nest in the cavity of a tree wherein the female waits sealed inside. During the nesting period, which can last several months, his mate will be completely dependent on his regular visits to provide her with everything she needs while she incubates the young and raises the chicks. Unfortunately, his duties on this day have been complicated by the annoying attentions of a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) which has perhaps also been nesting nearby. Although much smaller than the hornbill, drongos are known for their bold and aggressive behavior, especially towards other birds that could be potential predators of their nests. Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand.
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  • A tiny undescribed species of dwarf toad (Pelophryne sp.) perches on the lid of a carnivorous pitcher plant (Nepenthes villosa) high in the mossy forests of Mount Tambuyukon in northern Borneo. It is suspected that these toads and other amphibians utilize the water-filled pitchers in which to breed, but the remoteness of these locations makes this behavior difficult to study, and their exact relationship remains unconfirmed. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • ore than just a death trap: the watery chamber of this carnivorous pitcher plant (Nepenthes ampullaria) in the Borneo rainforest is home to a brood of tiny tadpoles. One of the world's smallest frogs (Microhyla nepenthicola), this species will lay its eggs nowhere else, making them completely dependent on the plants. Here, the tadpoles grow in relative safety, except when they are faced with other water-dwelling predators including huge carnivorous mosquitoes. After several weeks they will mature into tiny froglets and make their escape from the pitcher. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The smallest frog in Borneo at scarcely over 1 cm in length, a male Matang Narrow-mouthed Frog (Microhyla nepenthicola), perches on the lip of a pitcher plant (Nepenthes ampullaria) where he will entice a female to lay her eggs. These tiny frogs are so far known to breed only in the water-filled chambers of certain pitcher plants, and their small size may be an adaptation for this lifestyle. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • At nightfall, a Tepui Tree Frog (Tepuihyla obscura) emerges from the folds of a carnivorous bromeliad (Brocchinia reducta) in which it has sheltered for the day. Although receiving rain almost daily, the summits of Venezuela’s tepui mountains are exposed to volatile weather patterns, with mist often giving way to brutally intense sunlight over a span of a few minutes. A lack of shade-providing trees means that there is little to protect delicate animals such as amphibians, hence these water-filled bromeliads provide an ideal refuge from the harsh climate fluctuations. The slippery wax-coated leaves, which are designed to trap insects, are no hindrance to the frogs. Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
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  • Endemic to the Amazon Basin, the Reticulated Poison Frog (Ranitomeya ventrimaculata) is a small species, reaching only 2cm in length. Adults live on the forest floor but venture up to 40m in the canopy to deposit their eggs in the water-filled bromeliads. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • At nightfall, a Tepui Tree Frog (Tepuihyla obscura) emerges from the folds of a carnivorous bromeliad (Brocchinia reducta) in which it has sheltered for the day. Although receiving rain almost daily, the summits of Venezuela’s tepui mountains are exposed to volatile weather patterns, with mist often giving way to brutally intense sunlight over a span of a few minutes. A lack of shade-providing trees means that there is little to protect delicate animals such as amphibians, hence these water-filled bromeliads provide an ideal refuge from the harsh climate fluctuations. The slippery wax-coated leaves, which are designed to trap insects, are no hindrance to the frogs. Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
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  • Endemic to the lowland Chocó rainforests of northwestern Ecuador and southwestern Colombia, the Little Devil Poison Frog (Oophaga sylvatica) is another species whose continued existence is dependent on the preservation of these dwindling habitats. Although it can occasionally be found in secondary forests and agricultural plantations, it can only survive where nearby intact rainforest provides the epiphytic water-filled bromeliads it needs to breed. Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • The Malayan Box Turtle (Cuora amboinensis) is one of the commonest turtles in Borneo and occurs in a wide variety of habitats. Here a mature specimen enters the tanin-colored waters of a small creek in heath forest. Belait, Brunei Darussalam (Borneo).
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  • One of the world’s least studied crocodilians, the False Gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) is a rare inhabitant of the dark tannin colored waters of peat swamps in Borneo, Sumatra, and Malaysia. Due to their narrow snout they were once believed to feed exclusively on fish, however large specimens can reach lengths of over 5 meters and have more recently been observed to consume prey as large as Proboscis Monkeys, or in one unfortunate instance, a grown man. Although much remains unknown about their life history, it is clear that they are rapidly becoming endangered due to destruction of their peat swamp habitats. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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