Nature and fauna of Vietnam. Animals in Vietnam. Flora of Vietnam

Historically, nature occupies a special place in the life of the Vietnamese people. People and their homes fit seamlessly into the world without disturbing its harmony and diversity. For a naturalist researcher, the flora and fauna of Vietnam is a real treasure trove. It’s not for nothing that animals previously unknown to science are still found in the country’s forests and new plant species are discovered.

So, In 1994, scientists, together with employees of the Ministry of Forestry and representatives of WWF, while surveying the forests of Vu Quang, near the border of Vietnam with Laos, in the Annam Mountains, discovered the forest cow Saola, which is also called “spindle-horned”. These large animals weigh up to 100 kg, and on the head of the saola there are two pointed horns 50 cm long. The last confirmed sighting of the saola was in 1999 from camera traps installed in the province of Laos. In 2010, local residents managed to catch one of the animals, which subsequently died. One of the last photographs of the saola dates back to 2013. There are about 200 saolas in Vietnam.

Also over the past 10-20 years, a species of rhinoceros that was thought to be extinct, three species of deer, 63 species of land-dwelling vertebrates, and 45 species of fish have been found here. Many of the rare animal species live in the Annamite Mountains, which straddle the border of Vietnam and Laos, and are found nowhere else in the world.

Animal world Vietnam

Monkey


Tonkinese rhinopithecus

In addition to the usual gibbons, macaques, monkeys, and lemurs, Vietnam is home to the rarest primates in the world - the Tonkinese rhinopithecus. These monkeys are found in the provinces of Tien Kwang, Vac Tai and some others and are on the verge of extinction. From rare species monkeys can also be called the golden-headed langur, Delacour's langur (endemic to Vietnam, there are only about 300 of them left), the black-capped (Kampuchean) gibbon living on the island of Phu Quoc.

Predators


Marble cat

Malayan bear, marbled cat, tiger, panthers, leopards, tree civets - the world of Vietnam's predators is rich and varied. However, many of the animals are already listed in the IUCN Red List. Only about 100 tigers remain in the country's forests, the clouded leopard population is decreasing, and the Asian golden cat (Temminki's cat) is becoming rare.

Elephants and rhinoceroses

Vietnam is home to Asian and Indian elephants, as well as rhinoceroses. Although it was long believed that the last rhinoceros in Vietnam was killed in 1915, however, today rhinoceroses can be found in the country's national parks.

Dugong

In the marine environs of the Con Dao archipelago, located 185 kilometers south of the city of Vung Tau, lives an amazing mammal of the siren order - the dugong. Dugongs are capable of making sad sounds, similar to crying. Thanks to dugongs and other sirens, the legend of mermaids was born. Females usually raise only one young during their long lives. In unfavorable environmental conditions they do not reproduce at all. The Vietnamese dugong population is on the verge of extinction. Dugongs can also be seen around Phu Quoc Island and in the Kien Giang Coastal Nature Reserve. Animals are being exterminated en masse by poachers and their population is rapidly declining.

Artiodactyls


Kanchil small

In Vietnam live deer, a rare species of wild Banteng bulls, gaur tapirs, Vu Quang antelope bulls, and buffaloes. Among the unusual animals, one can note the Asian deer (small kanchile). This small artiodactyl with thin legs weighs only about 2.5 kg. It does not have horns, but the upper jaw of males is armed with sharp long fangs. It feeds on plants and at night goes out to water bodies to catch small mollusks and insects. Found in southern Vietnam in national park Cat Tien. In all the forests of Vietnam you can find the Indian sambar - a large animal weighing up to 300 kg.

Rodents and bats


Fine-toothed mole

In 1998, the Timmins rabbit (tiger rabbit) was discovered in the Annam Mountains, becoming a sensation in Vietnam. lost world" The top 100 rarest species of mammals on earth include the small-toothed mole, a small insectivorous animal that few have seen. Among the endemic animals of Vietnam - othe common tupaya and other tupai species, long considered an intermediate link between insectivores and primates. This reddish-brown animal looks like a rat and a squirrel at the same time. Forests, parks, and gardens are inhabited by beautiful squirrels (that is the name of this species), reminiscent of ordinary squirrels. They come in black, red and striped colors.

Birds


Racket-tailed drongo

More than a thousand species of birds live in the forests of Vietnam. Among them are peacocks, pheasants, wild pigeons and chickens, green and white parrots, pink flamingos, pelicans, storks, herons, geese, wild ducks, partridges and eagles. Rare species include the hornbill (kalao two-horned), racket-tailed drongo, red-cheeked bulbul, Vietnamese tropical partridge, Javan frogmouth.

Crocodiles, turtles, snakes, lizards, frogs, monitor lizards


Flying dragon

Turtles, snakes and lizards are the most common reptiles (there are about 270 species in total). The Indochinese flying dragon of the agamidae family is the main attraction of the forests of Vietnam. The only lizard capable of flying over a distance of up to 30 m. The male is decorated with an orange throat pouch. The “wings” are pink folds of leather stretched over six elongated false ribs. In the south of Vietnam it is not difficult to meet a dragon. It lives exclusively in trees and feeds on ants.

Among this part of the country's fauna there are also completely unusual species, for example, frogs masquerading as moss or bird droppings (Theloderma). According to the Ministry of Agriculture of Vietnam, there are currently no crocodiles left in the country’s rivers. They are only found in zoos and farms.

Vegetable world Vietnam


Bamboo

Tropical evergreen forests grow in mountainous areas up to 700 m above sea level in the north and up to 1300 m in the south and cover about 40% of the country's territory. Many species of rare trees grow here, such as ironwood, mahogany, teak, cinnamon (lim), black (gu), sandalwood and ebony trees, camphor laurel, dalbergia, pine trees, numerous vines and more than 30 types of bamboo. 76 species of forest plants produce aromatic substances, 600 species produce tannin, 200 species produce dyes, and 260 species produce oils.

Mangroves grow on the coast. In the southern part of the country, due to the warmer climate, mangroves reach a height of 25-30 m (for comparison, in the north their height is only 2-3 m). Coconut palm groves grow in the lowlands, and the southwestern plateaus are occupied by savanna forests and savannas with thickets of cereals and bamboo.

The Vietnamese consider the banyan tree (a type of ficus) to be a sacred tree, which often grows near pagodas (according to legend, it was under the banyan tree that Buddha practiced self-contemplation).

Many Vietnamese plants are essential plants and are used as valuable raw materials for the production of various medicines.


Lotus

A huge number of flowers grow in the country. Starting with hyacinth and lotus, which can be found in every pond and lake, and ending with the rarest species that grow only in Vietnam. Recently, 63 such plants were discovered in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, among them choc mau (Salacia chinensis), a vine whose substances limit the proliferation of cancer cells in the body.

There are about 2,500 species of orchids in Vietnam. The richest collection of precious and rare species of orchids in Vietnam can be seen in Dalat. New species of orchids, in particular lady's slippers (subfamily Cypripedioideae), continue tocan still be found in the forests of the country.

The fauna of Vietnam includes 3,850 species of medicinal plants.

Some tourists, having read various Internet forums, sometimes panic, and they have thoughts about abandoning the place, which is supposedly infested with poisonous inhabitants that pose a mortal danger. Let's figure out what representatives of the animal world tourists can meet on vacation, and whether they really are dangerous.

Marine life

Touching the tentacles of these jellyfish to the human body causes severe burns and can even be fatal. However, the presence of jellyfish in the water does not mean that tourists should spend their entire vacation by the pool. In order to protect yourself from meeting unpleasant creatures, you should pay attention to the notices posted on the beach, and also avoid swimming in the rain and during strong surf. If unwanted contact with a jellyfish occurs, the affected area of ​​skin should be washed with lime juice or vinegar solution and immediately consult a doctor.

  • Sharks

It should be noted that many tourists are afraid of sharks. This fear can be called practically groundless, since sharks do not swim into areas of mass tourist bathing, and over the past decade, not a single attack on a person has occurred in the coastal waters of Vietnam.

  • Sea snakes

Tourists are also concerned about sea snakes, of which about three dozen species live off the coast of Vietnam. But, find sea ​​snake possible only on a wild beach in one of the sparsely populated areas of Vietnam.

Land dwellers

Land snakes, like sea snakes, live in sparsely populated areas, mainly where they can only be encountered local residents. Sometimes small snakes crawl out onto the streets of resort towns in the evening, but they are not aggressive and do not pose a danger.

  • Sand fleas

Also, tourists are often frightened by sand fleas, which periodically appear on Vietnamese beaches. Indeed, some visitors may encounter these insects, but their bites are more unpleasant than dangerous. Flea bites are not painful, but they can itch for a long time and not heal. To protect yourself from flea bites, vacationers are not recommended to lie on bare sand.
Serious harm to tourists can be caused by mosquito bites that carry

The nature of Vietnam is unique and extraordinarily beautiful. Most of the Vietnamese territories are mountainous, along which stretch for many kilometers rainforests. Thanks to the subequatorial monsoon, tropical and subtropical climate, Vietnam has a wide variety of flora and fauna.

The northern part of the country is characterized by an average temperature of +15 degrees, and the southern part is +26. Winters also differ in different regions of the country: dry winters predominate in the south, and wet winters in the north. Vietnam often experiences heavy rainfall, which contributes to the appearance of lush vegetation.

Flora of Vietnam

Vietnam's forests account for at least 7.8 million hectares. They are located mostly in the mountains at an altitude of 700-1300 meters above sea level. High altitude forests are subtropical broadleaf thickets dominated by bamboo. There are also forests with mixed vegetation, where ash, oak, maple and conifers grow. Below are evergreen tropical forests with high level humidity. The southern part of the country has a drier climate, so there are savannas and sparse tropical vegetation. Vietnam has high timber reserves (565.6 million cubic meters).

In Vietnamese forests there are many different types of trees that are of great value in the world: black, brown, red, pink, ironwood, camphor, aromatic sandalwood, ebony. About 30 species of bamboo grow here, which provides Vietnam with building materials.

Vietnam is a country in which there are 76 varieties of aromatic plants, 600 types of tannin, about 200 types of dyes, 260 types of oils. Plants such as cinnamon, shellac, anise and pine extract are widely used in industry. Among the medicinal plants common here are cardamom and ginseng.

Mangrove forests stretch across the coastal plains, with a height of about 30 m in Nambo and 3 m in Bakbo. Mangroves cover an area of ​​400 thousand hectares. Coconut palms grow in the lowlands of Vietnam. An intrazonal species is marsh vegetation. It most often contains wild water rice and some types of sedge.

Fauna of Vietnam

The fauna of Vietnam is represented by many species of rare animals. The statistics of the animal world have the following picture. It is home to more than 970 species of birds, 270 species of reptiles, 170 species of mammals and about 1000 species of fish, including both marine and freshwater species.

Many animals have found their refuge in the tropical forest zone. These include leopards, macaques, gibbons, panthers, tigers, flying squirrels, lemurs, bears, monitor lizards, tree civets, parrots (green and white species), peacocks, pheasants, turtles, lizards, snakes (cobras, boas, pythons) . It is less common to see a rhinoceros here.

As for the savannas, antelopes and Indian elephants, deer and buffalos, wild boars, partridges and eagles live here. Flamingos, herons, pelicans, storks, wild geese and ducks nest in the deltas big rivers, as well as in swamps.

In coastal waters there is a great abundance of shellfish, crabs and shrimp. The rich fish world encourages the development of fishing, which attracts the attention of many tourists and vacationers. The country's marine fish heritage is about 3 million tons per year, and shrimp is 65 thousand tons.

To protect and preserve the natural beauty of their country, Vietnam is establishing 87 areas with a strictly protected system. The total territory of protected lands will be 750 thousand hectares. In 1992, several species of animals (63 species) and fish (45 species) that were not known before that time were found in Vietnam. These are the Saola forest cow, some species of deer and a special type of rhinoceros that did not exist anywhere in the world and was considered long extinct.

Vietnam is often called the land of fairies and dragons - according to ancient legends, all Vietnamese consider themselves descendants of the marriage of a Fairy and a Dragon. The Fairy was in charge of industry - she taught people how to produce silk, and the Dragon showed children the wisdom of agriculture. Since then, the Vietnamese have prospered in both directions.

The name of the country is translated as “the country of the Southern Vietnamese (the name of the nation), but the country was called Annam until 1945, and the name Vietnam was used only in poetic speech. The new name was immortalized by Emperor Bao Dai.

Geographical characteristics

The state, elongated in the shape of the letter "S", is located in South-East Asia, in the east of the Indochina Peninsula. Neighbors to the west are Laos, Cambodia and China.

The coast of Vietnam is washed from the east and south by the South China Sea and Bac Bo Bay; the small southwestern tip has access to the Gulf of Thailand.

The area of ​​Vietnam is 329.6 thousand square meters. km. The capital of the state is Hanoi. Political system - socialist republic. The state is officially headed by the Communist Party.

Nature

Mountains

More than 80% of the country is mountainous, descending with access to the sea. The most high point country - Mount Fansipan, 3143 meters high. The hill is located in the north-west of the country, in the Hoanglien Son mountain range. The Truong Son Mountains stretch along the western border of the country, separating Vietnam from Laos and China.

The central and southern parts of Vietnam are occupied by basement and basalt plateaus, on which several frozen volcanoes rise. The area between the volcanoes is covered with forest, and in the craters of some volcanoes lakes have formed, giving rise to several rivers of the Mekong River basin.

Rivers and lakes


There are more than 2,000 rivers in Vietnam of varying depths and sizes (the smallest reaches only 10 meters in length). The largest rivers in Vietnam - the Mekong and Hong Ha (Red River) - flow into the South China Sea.

The Mekong Delta is one of the largest and deepest deltas in the world. On the territory of Vietnam, the area with a delta forming nine branches (“Nine of the Dragons”) even acquired special economic importance - the Vietnamese settled here for the first time, began to develop the wetlands, and began to raise fish in canals and man-made ponds.

In the Hong Ha River delta, on the Bac Bo Plain, stands the capital Hanoi. The territory is marked by the highest population density.

The country's largest lake, Hoan Kiem, is an oxbow lake formed as a result of changes in the course of the Red River. The lake has great cultural and historical significance for the people. Also called the Lake of the Returned Sword: according to legend, one of the ancient rulers of Vietnam defeated Chinese armies a randomly found sword that belonged to a magical golden turtle. After the victories, the turtle came out of the waters of the lake and took the sword.

To the north of the capital there is a chain of picturesque Ba Be lakes. Lakes Pelam, Pelu and Peleng are surrounded by waterfalls and caves.

Seas and oceans


The coast of Vietnam is washed by one sea - the South China Sea, it is semi-enclosed and enters the basins of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and has properties of both oceans.

The largest island in the South China Sea is Hainan. The area is comfortable for tourist recreation, since the sea here is clean and warm. However, there are many predatory fish and dangerous sharks in the sea. The sea is also rich in commercial fish species - tuna, herring and sardines are found in abundance here.

Plants and animals

Some unique plants of Vietnam have become national symbols of the country: for example, bamboo, red and black sandalwood.

In Vietnam there are animals listed in the Red Book, of which there are almost none left. wildlife in other parts of the world these are the Asiatic buffalo, Javan and Sumatran rhinoceroses. Endemics (animals that live exclusively in a specified territory) are several species of monkeys, rodents and bats. The Asian elephant, black gibbon, and Indochinese tiger are considered rare species preserved in Vietnam. Animals live both in the wild, in protected reserves, and on special farms.

Climate of Vietnam


Due to the elongation of the country from north to south, the climate of Vietnam is heterogeneous, although in general the country is located in the subequatorial monsoon climate zone. In the south, winter is dry and hot (temperatures reach 26 degrees Celsius), in the north it is colder, but humid and mild (up to 15 degrees Celsius). Summer is the monsoon season throughout the country; the end of summer is usually marked by destructive typhoons.

There are frosts in the mountains, on the borders with China, from where cool air penetrates, temperature drops of up to 1 degree Celsius have been recorded... read more

Resources

Industry and Agriculture

The industrial centers of Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang - are located in Central and Southern Vietnam. Industry is represented by metallurgical, mechanical engineering, construction, chemical fields, and light industry. Electronics and components, production of textiles and leather, glass, jewelry and cosmetics were exported to the world. A special branch of the economy is the global production of electricity thanks to an extensive network of hydroelectric power stations.

The fertile basalts of the area contribute to the successful growth of crops in tropical and temperate latitudes, so agriculture has developed greatly on the plateaus of Vietnam - this cluster employs 50% of the country's population. Mainly rice, tea and coffee are grown; the production of cashew nuts, spices, and tropical fruits is highly developed.

Culture

Peoples of Vietnam

The indigenous population of the country is the Viet (Kinh), and 54 other nationalities are recognized as related to them in the country. On South most of population - Khmers (Lower Viet). There is a large proportion Chinese population, Polynesian, Malay and Thai peoples.

Vietnamese has the status of the state language. More than 85% of the population professes Buddhism, and the religions of these national minorities, atheism, and Christianity are also present.

Geographical location of Vietnam, relief.


The nature of Vietnam is shaped by its location in the subtropical and tropical zones, in the monsoon climate zone, varied topography, and narrow elongation along the coast of the warm South China Sea.

Length coastline is 3260 km. More than 3/4 of the territory is occupied by mountains, plateaus and plateaus. Vietnam also owns islands and archipelagos. Vietnam is separated from neighboring countries by mountain ranges.


The Hoang Lien Son ridge stretches from the northern border of Vietnam to the southeast. It forms the watershed of the Hongkha (Red) and Da rivers. The most high mountain Indochina Fansipan (3143 m). To the west, lower parallel ridges extend to the border with Laos. The right tributaries of the Hong Ha River, crossing the Hoang Lien Son ridge, have very narrow valleys. During the rainy season, landslides, rockfalls and mudflows often occur.
South of the 20th parallel along the border with Laos and Cambodia stretches the longest mountain range Vietnamese Truong Son, which means “Long Mountains”. It has steep eastern and stepwise descending western slopes. The highest point of the ridge, Mount Sailileng (2711 m), is located on the border with Laos. The most extensive plateaus of Southern Truong Son are united under the general name Taing Guen. Rivers belonging to the Mekong basin or flowing directly into the ocean originate from these plateaus.
Vietnam, reserve in the Mekong Delta.

Nature reserve in the Mekong Delta.

The main plains are in the deltas of the Hong Ha and Mekong rivers. All the plains of Vietnam are occupied by rice fields, settlements, industrial zones and roads.
Flora and fauna of Vietnam


Forests grow in mountainous areas up to 700 m above sea level in the north and up to 1300 m in the south. These are tropical evergreen forests (jungles), characterized by a variety of flora and fauna. In the jungle there are many precious tree species such as ironwood, mahogany, brown (lim), black (gu), aromatic trees (sandalwood), bamboos and other species, which serve as excellent building materials for the production of furniture and highly artistic products. Many types of medicinal plants grow in the Vietnamese jungle: ginseng, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom and others.

The fauna of Vietnam is rich and diverse. The jungle is home to antelopes, tigers and leopards, panthers and wild cats, wild bulls and deer, lemurs and monkeys, as well as various species of bears. There are elephants and rhinoceroses. The forests of Vietnam are inhabited by more than 400 species of birds, from peacocks and parrots to pheasants and eagles. There are many snakes, pythons, lizards and other reptiles.

A little over ten years ago, previously unknown species of animals and fish were discovered in the forests and reservoirs of Vietnam. In 1992, scientists came across the Saola forest cow, the largest mammal discovered in the last 50 years. Then one species of rhinoceros, which was considered extinct, was discovered, three species of deer, 63 species of land-dwelling vertebrates, and 45 species of fish.
Now in Vietnam there are approximately one hundred tigers (half as many as 10 years ago), 76 wild elephants (in 1980 there were one and a half thousand) and less than ten rhinoceroses.


According to the Ministry of Agriculture of Vietnam, there are no okodils left in the country’s rivers now. They are only found in zoos and farms.
Vietnamese tigers belong to the Indochinese tiger species (Panthera tigris corbetti). Before they were in large quantities lived in all more or less wooded areas of Vietnam. A significant drop in the tiger population is caused by poaching. For their skins, teeth and bones major cities give a lot of money.
One of the least affected by human activities is the province of Dak Lak. Here, wild elephants often destroy the fields of local residents.

Natural plantations are decreasing rare plants. Recently, 63 such plants were discovered in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, among them choc mau (Salacia chinensis), a vine whose substances limit the proliferation of cancer cells in the body. Choc mau also grows in Bach Ma National Park and on Mount Kim Phung in the same province.
National parks


National parks of Vietnam: Lake Ba Be (Bac Can province), Ba Vi (Ha Tay province), Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc province), Cuc Phuong (Ninh Binh province), Ben Nan (Thanh Hoa province), Bach Ma (Thua Thien Hue province), Yokdong (Dac Lac province), Cham Tim (Dong Thap province), Con Dao islands, Hoang Lienson (Lao Cai province).
In Nghe An province there is a large Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve, occupying 1.3 million hectares.


ktars adjacent to Laos. Other biosphere reserves: Can Gio mangrove forest near Ho Chi Minh City, Cat Tien National Park (Dong Nai Province), Cat Ba Archipelago, Red River Delta, Kien Giang Nature Reserve.
In Binh Duong province there are several private tiger breeding farms, numbering several dozen of these rare animals.
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Today, tours to Vietnam are available, but under the USSR this was not possible for ordinary citizens. It is even impossible to describe the beauty and put the culture, very attractive and wonderful architecture of Vietnam in one post. Enjoy your travels through wonderful and beautiful places nature!

Where to start studying local nature? In guidebooks, among the natural attractions, the island is first noted, a.k.a. National Park Catba. Tourists usually come here when traveling from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay. In the gorges and karst mountains of Cat Ba, primary forests inaccessible for felling have been preserved: rare large animals live here: the serow ibex (Capricornis sumatraensis) 0 and the endemic, found only here, the golden-headed langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus), a monkey with a golden “Iroquois” on its head. It is not easy to meet large animals in Vietnam, but there is such a variety of small animals here that it makes your eyes wide open.

In Cat Ba you come across planarian worms of all shades of the rainbow, Vietnamese stick insects (Baculum extradentatum) - funny insects that some of us keep at home, bright spiders that look like pads with hairpins (genus Gasteracantha) 0, interesting frogs masquerading as moss or bird droppings ( Theloderma), and many others. Lovers beach holiday in Vietnam they are waiting in Da Nang. Even here, among luxurious beaches and hotels, the inquisitive naturalist will find something interesting to do. Ghost crabs (Ocypode quadrata) 0 frolic on the beaches, euploi butterflies fly, and a marvelous bug (Chrysocoris stollii) sits in the bushes, emerald-brilliant with blue spots. 75 kilometers from Da Nang is Michon (My Son), the ruins of the temple of the kingdom of Champa, more than 70 towers rising in the middle of the jungle, decorated with sculptures of gods and demons. Everything around is entwined with dense thickets of lobed pueraria (Pueraria lobata, legume family), which gives trees and buildings bizarre shapes.

In the Michonne jungle I find many amazing butterflies, grasshoppers, skink lizards (Mabuya multifasciata), a Vietnamese snake (Rhabdophis subminiatus) that gets angry at me and puffs up, imitating a cobra, and my old friend insects Erianthus versicolor, which I At one time I kept it at home in order to study vibration communication. Eri-anthus do not chirp like other locusts, but communicate through vibrations, tapping leaves and the ground with their abdomen. The males are brightly colored, and the spots on their bodies glow in the dark. In terms of the comfort of staying in the country, the tropics of Southeast Asia give a head start to many other regions. In addition, everything here is very cheap, you can travel around Indochina for months and spend ridiculous amounts of money. Although not all Vietnamese know English language, they will always come to the rescue if you tell them about your problem with gestures, show something on a map or in a netbook.

Halfway from Dalat to Ho Chi Minh City is Cat Tien National Park. It's a pleasure to walk along it! A network of paths crosses the smooth plain, and the vines and ferns are not thick enough to chop with a machete. In Cattien, the bluish-gray toki gecko (Gekko gecko), one of the largest geckos, up to 30 centimeters long, attracts attention. One evening I see Toki crawl out from behind a painting on the wall of a local restaurant, sneak up on a butterfly and eat it, bringing tears of pity to an American tourist. Toki is famous not only for its size, but also for its love of intimate conversations; the male makes loud sounds, something like “ak-kay, ak-kay, tok-kay.” Some Vietnamese eat plump tokis, and hobbyists from Russia breed these lizards in terrariums. Every night a melodious laugh is heard near my bed: “Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho! Ak-kay.” This is the current, although at first I take it for some kind of nocturnal bird. In the jungle, I almost always suffer from insomnia because the environment is too noisy. Large cicada insects make sounds similar to the work of a thin electric saw, tiny tree frogs sing so loudly as if they are the size of bulls, langur monkeys call to each other with loud calls, like lost mushroom pickers, and at dawn, at 5:30, the trills of bulbuls are heard under the window and other birds. Depending on the location of the bungalow, this cacophony is mixed with the sound of the surf or waterfall.

Unlike the tropics of the New World, in the tropics of Southeast Asia, for some reason, lizards, frogs and even snakes (non-poisonous Chrysopelea ornata) all fly. In Cat Tien, near the stream, lives the Annamian copepod (Rhacophorus annamensis), a frog that easily glides from the top of a tree, with its flying membranes spread on its feet. Unaccustomed tourists find it difficult to find flying frogs, so those who wish can use the help of a naturalist guide. He will carefully offer high shoe covers against land leeches (they do not carry fatal diseases, but are annoying). By the way, there are no leeches on the beaches near the hotels, but there are relatives of flying frogs, the brownie copepods (Polypedates leucomystax). Animals in Cat Tien are not shy, but many are nocturnal. At night, park employees take tourists on jeep safari. In this way, it is possible to see nightjars (genus Caprimulgus), sambar deer, civets, and musangs (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)

Civets and Musangs are known as assistants in making the most expensive coffee In the world, coffee beans, passing through the digestive tract of animals, acquire a wonderful aroma and taste of honey, nougat and butter. In the store, a kilogram of civet coffee costs about $300. At night in Cat Tien you also come across luminous mushrooms: what is not the planet Pandora from the movie “Avatar”! Rare luck smiles on me: during one of the night forays I come across a wild Bengal cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). The beautiful, secretive animal looks at me in surprise, and I look at him. In Russia, the breed of Bengal cats, obtained from crossing a domestic cat and a wild Bengal cat, is now gaining popularity. Just a couple of years ago, the last wild Annamese rhinoceroses (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus), a small subspecies of Javan rhinoceroses, the number of which is also critical, were still encountered in Cat Tien. The Vietnamese authorities do a lot to protect nature, but they don’t always succeed, and this is the result of the last Annamese rhinoceros being found with a bullet in its body and a sawed-off horn.

It's much harder to spot Hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris and Buceros bicornis) and the shy Ground Pheasants (Lophura diardi), but I'm lucky one day they come out of the bushes right in front of me. And it’s absolutely a dream to track down the Red Book, endangered peacock pheasants (Polyplectron germaini). It’s easier, but no less exciting, to look for other “flyers” of butterflies. The most common species for Vietnam is Euploea mulciber 0 with black and blue wings, and the rarest is night Saturnia Attacus atlas. This is one of the largest butterflies in the world; its wingspan reaches 26 centimeters. Butterflies also fly here at night and make clicking sounds, but scientists have not yet determined what kind of species they are. Next, my path lies to the island of Phu Quoc, where real jungles have been preserved in the national park of the same name. In the jungle of Fukuoka, the first thing I notice is different types lizards such as the spotted skink (iSphenomorphus maculatus) and the water dragon (Physignathus cocincinus).

On the beaches of Fukuoka, digging holes in the sand, dogs lie with a ridge on their back, a strip of fur growing in the opposite direction. There are three breeds of ridged dogs in the world: the Thai Ridgeback, the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the Phu Quoc hunting dog. These dogs are very friendly, intelligent and are still inexpensive ($40-100), since a breed standard has not been developed. Cats are also loved in Vietnam; they are often tied to thin chains so that the pets do not run away. The cats here are of the oriental type, with an elongated muzzle and big ears. On store shelves everywhere there are figurines of maneki-neko beckoning cats, which, by raising their paws, attract good luck. This fashion came to Vietnam from Japan, as did the cat cafe, Ailucat Cafe, which opened in Hanoi near the West Lake. Here you can drink coffee and cuddle your favorite cat, which lies right on the table.

There are many in Fukuoka fishing villages, where in basins everything is offered for sale: mantis crabs, bright melo and voluta clams (Melo melo and Voluta nobilis), blue crabs (.Portunus pelagicus) 0, seahorses and other characters from the musical “The Little Mermaid”. This beauty is offered to be eaten or dried for medicinal purposes. Nearby are already dried flying dragons, geckos and much more. There are also various rhizomes and, for example, mushroom preparations for insomnia. In Vietnam, they cut and eat almost everything that moves. Recently, in one of the local restaurants, scientists noticed the new kind Butterfly dragons (Leiolepis ngovantrii) These lizards were served here fried. Agamas turned out to be a parthenogenetic species; they reproduce without the help of males. In Ho Chi Minh City I learn about the opening of a new Dai Nam park 40 kilometers from the city. Buses go to the park from six in the morning to three in the afternoon from the station next to the Ben Thanh market. The drive is about an hour and a half, and in our money it costs 30 rubles. The park consists of a water park, an amusement complex and a zoo.

The Dai Nam Zoo is clean, there are no bars, the animals are well-groomed. They're a little bored, so they entertain the crowd: sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) put their paws behind their heads like humans or walk on two legs, white tigers swim in the pool, and binturongs stick out their tongues. A platform has been built near the enclosure with giraffes: by climbing on it, anyone can fulfill their old dream of being photographed hugging tame giraffes and squeezing their ears. Wild birds such as egrets and darters (Anhinga melanogaster), which are relatives of cormorants listed in the Red Book, but with a thinner and longer neck, fly to local reservoirs. In the water they resemble snakes, and in the air there are flying corkscrews or rockers. When I lose a photographer in the park (he runs after the darter and disappears), the attendant takes me to him on his bicycle, another of many examples of Vietnamese friendliness. We wander along the paths, and I understand that I don’t want to leave here at all. Rudyard Kipling was right: “Whoever heard a call from the East always remembers this call.”