Country Data

Bolivia

Summary
In Bolivia during May-June 2023 I saw +58 mammal species and 14 reptile species. Larger mammals included Chacoan Peccary, Jaguar, Puma, Ocelot, Tayra and Madidi Titi Monkey. Small mammal highlights included Foster’s Punare, Vargas Llosa’s Bristly Mouse and a roost of Lesser Bulldog Bat. In southern Bolivia I travelled with Stuart Chapman and we used tour operator Nick’s Adventures for the main sites which included Jaguarland (a private ranch) and Kaa-Iya NP. In northern Bolivia I flew into Rurrenabaque and visited Sadiri Lodge and Las Tortugas Lodge.

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Vietnam

Summary: On four trips to Vietnam (2012 and 2024) I saw 35 species of mammals as listed in Section A below. Highlights were Ha Long Leaf-nosed Bat (endemic), Small-toothed Ferret-badger, Grey-shanked Douc and Southern Pygmy Loris.

Paul Carter: paulcarter@pacapix.com. Page Status: this page updated 22 Dec 2024.

Contents
a) Mammal list
b) Reptile list
c) Sites and Reports
d) Logistics

A. Mammal List

Order: bats, carnivores, ungulates, lagomorphs, rodents, treeshrews, colugos, primates

  1. Lesser Short-nosed Fruitbat (Cynopterus brachyotis). TENTATIVE ID.
  2. Geoffroy’s Rousette (Rousettus amplexicaudatus). At Ba Be NP.
  3. Ha Long Leaf-nosed Bat (Hipposideros alongensis). At Cuc Phuong NP.
  4. Andersen’s Leaf-nosed Bat (Hipposideros gentilis). At Cuc Phuong NP.
  5. Stoliczka’s Asian Trident Bat (Aselliscus stoliczkanus). At Cuc Phuong NP.
  6. Pearson’s Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus pearsonii). At Cuc Phuong NP.
  7. Black-bearded Tomb Bat (Taphozous melanopogon). At Perfume Pagoda; Marble Mountain.
  8. Murina sp. At Cuc Phuong NP.
  9. Southern Palm Civet (Paradoxurus musanga). At Cat Tien NP.
  10. Yellow-throated Marten (Martes flavigula). At Cat Tien NP.
  11. Small-toothed Ferret-badger (Melogale moschata). At Bach Ma NP.
  12. Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor).
  13. Burmese Hare (Lepus peguensis). At Cat Tien NP
  14. Black Giant Squirrel (Ratufa bicolor). At Cuc Phuong NP. Bach Ma NP.
  15. Pallas’s Squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus).
  16. Perny’s Long-nosed Squirrel (Dremomys pernyi). At Cuc Phuong NP.
  17. Chinese Red-cheeked Squirrel (Dremomys ornatus). At Cuc Phuong NP.
  18. Eastern Striped Squirrel (Tamiops maritimus). At Cuc Phuong NP.
  19. Cambodian Striped Squirrel (Tamiops rodolphii). At Cat Tien NP.
  20. Indochinese Ground Squirrel (Menetes berdmorei). At Cat Tien NP.
  21. Mekong White-bellied Rat (Niviventer mekongis). At Cuc Phuong NP.
  22. Little Indochinese Field Rat (Rattus sakeratensis). At Ba Be NP.
  23. Indochinese Shrewlike Mouse (Mus pahari). At Cuc Phuong NP.
  24. Northern Treeshrew (Tupaia belangeri). At Cat Tien NP; Cuc Phuong NP.
  25. Northern Smooth-tailed Treeshrew (Dendrogale murina). At Cat Tien NP.
  26. Southern Pygmy Loris (Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus). At Cat Tien NP.
  27. Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis).
  28. Northern Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca leonina). At Cat Tien NP.
  29. Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta). At Danang; Cat Tien NP.
  30. Southern Yellow-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae). At Cat Tien NP.
  31. Delacour’s Langur (Trachypithecus delacouri). At Van Long NR.
  32. Annamese Silvered Langur (Trachypithecus margarita). At Cat Tien NP.
  33. Black-shanked Douc Langur (Pygathrix nigripes). At Cat Tien NP.
  34. Grey-shanked Douc Langur (Pygathrix cinerea). At Nui Thanh area.
  35. Red-shanked Douc Langur (Pygathrix nemaeus). At Son Tra; Bach Ma.

B. Reptile List

  1. Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus). At Cat Tien NP.
  2. Ruby-eyed Green Pitviper (Trimeresurus rubeus). At Cat Tien NP.
  3. Common Mock Viper (Psammoddynastes pulverulentus). At Cat Tien NP.
  4. Siamese Red-necked Keelback (Rhabdophis siamensis). Hoi An.
  5. Heller’s Red-necked Keelback (Rhabdophis helleri). Perfume Pagoda.
  6. Laotian Wolf Snake (Lycodon laoensis). At Cat Tien NP.
  7. Olive Tree Skink (Dasia olivacea). At Cat Tien NP.
  8. Spotted Forest Skink (Sphenomorphus maculatus). At Cat Tien NP.
  9. Common Sun Skink (Eutropis multifasciata). At Cat Tien NP; Hoi An.
  10. Chinese Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus). Nui Thanh area.
  11. Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor). At Cat Tien NP and Danang.
  12. Scale-bellied Tree Lizard (Acanthosaura lepidogaster). Cuc Phuong NP.
  13. Crowned Pricklenape (Acanthosaura coronata). At Cat Tien NP.
  14. Tokay (Gekko gecko). At Cat Tien NP.
  15. Palm Gecko (Gekko palmatus). Cuc Phuong NP.
  16. Flat-tailed House Gecko (Hemidactylus platyurus). At Cat Tien NP.
  17. Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus). Van Long NR area.
  18. Common Four-clawed Gecko (Gehyra mutilata). Hoi An.

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C. Sites and Reports

Sites Visited (listed from north to south):

  1. Hanoi – Nov 2012 and July 2024.
  2. Perfume Pagoda – July 2012.
  3. Van Long NR – Jan 2012.
  4. Cuc Phuong NP – Nov 2012 and July 2024.
  5. Phong Nga – Jan 2012.
  6. Hue – Jan 2012.
  7. Bach Ma NP – July 2024. Report in prep.
  8. Danang – Jan 2012 and July 2024.
  9. Hoi An area – Jan 2012 and July 2024.
  10. Nui Thanh – July 2012. For Grey-shanked Douc.
  11. Cat Tien NP – Jan 2012 and Dec 2014.
  12. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Jan 2012 and Dec 2024.

List of Trips:

  1. South and Central Vietnam (14 Jan – 1 Feb 2012), with Chi Phan. Sites: Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Hoi An, Hue, Phong Nga, and Cat Tien NP.
  2. North Vietnam (15-27 Nov 2012), with Chi Phan. Sites: Hanoi, Cuc Phuong NP, Van Long NR.
  3. North and Central Vietnam (12-29 July 2024), with Chi Phan. Sites: Hanoi, Cuc Phuong NP, Perfume Pagoda, Hoi An, Danang, Bach Ma NP and Nui Thanh.
  4. South Vietnam (7-17 Dec 2024), with Chi Phan. Sites: Ho Chi Minh City, Cat Tien NP.

List of Reports:

  1. “Cuc Phuong NP (Vietnam): mammal records“. Posted 2024 Aug 18. Visited Nov 2012 (alone) and July 2024 (with Nick Cox and Le Khac Quyet). Highlights: Ha Long Leaf-nosed Bat.
  2. “Red-shanked Douc Langur at Danang (Vietnam), July 2024“. Posted 2024 Oct 7. Guided by Bui Van Tuan.
  3. “Grey-shanked Douc Langur near Nui Thanh (Vietnam), July 2024“. Posted 2024 Oct 7. Guided by Bui Van Tuan.
  4. “Cat Tien NP mammal records (Vietnam, 2024)“. Posted 2024 Dec 21. Visited Dec 2024. Highlights: Southern Slender Loris and Thick-thumbed Myotis.

D. Logistics

The points below cover Vietnam in general ; for site specific information refer to the site reports.
Last updated: 2024.

  • Online Visa Application: With USA and UK passports we applied online (July, 2024) for 30-day visas at: https://evisa.gov.vn/. Processing time was three business days. From Nov 2024 if you have a “full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK” (and a few other countries but not the USA) then you “can visit Vietnam without a visa for up to 45 days for tourism or business” (UK government website – check for updates). I did not know this in Dec 2024 and I had an e-visa; then on arrival the immigration officer told me I did not need the visa; that was the first time I heard about it.
  • Immigration, Baggage and Customs: Immigration and baggage inspection at Hanoi airport (July 2024) was quick and straight forward. Immigration at Tan Son Nhat Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) took an hour (Dec 2024).
  • Currency (2024 July 15): US$1 = 25,400 VND (Vietnamese Dong); it was around 21,000 in 2012.
  • ATMs (2024): The ATMs have space for 6-digit PINs. For cards with 4-digit PINs there are online reports suggesting you add two zeros at the front or end of your PIN but at HSBC my card worked when using the normal 4-digit PIN.
  • SIM Card (2024): We used Viettel. SIM cards can be purchased at the airport. In Hanoi (July 2024) we obtained sim cards at the Viettel store on the NW corner of Ho Hoan Kiem Lake (store address: 53 P. Luong Van Can). A 30-day package allowing up to 8 GB per day cost 250,000 VND ($10). In Ho Chi Minh City (Dec 2024) we bought sim cards at this store near our rental apartment close to Vinhomes Central Park.
  • e-SIM: In Dec 2024 I bought an e-SIM (through Airalo) so that I would have data on landing; we then moved to standard SIM cards so that we could have a working phone number.
  • Ride-share App: GRAB was very useful. We also used Booking.com for some airport transfers.
  • Motorbike rental: In Danang (2024) it was easy to rent a motorbike from the hotel.
  • Car rental: To rent a car you need a Vietnam Driver’s Licence.

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Peru

SUMMARY: On visits to Peru in 2016 and in 2023 I saw 44 mammals. Highlights were Streaked Dwarf Porcupine, Sechuan Fox, Giant Otter, Peruvian Tree Rat and Thumbless Bat. Sites visited included Chaparri, Ceiba Tops and Tahuayo Lodge.

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Streaked Dwarf Porcupine (Coendou ichillus) in the Iquitos area (northeastern Peru)

Posted by Paul Carter

SUMMARY: On the nights of 20 and 23 June 2023 I photographed Streaked Dwarf Porcupine (Coendou ichillus, Voss and da Silva, 2001) in lowland forest 60 km south of Iquitos (Loreto, northeastern Peru), having found both with a thermal scope whilst in the company of Juan Pacaya (a guide from Tahuayo Lodge). These two records appear to be the first in situ records from northeastern Peru. C. ichillus is a poorly known porcupine confirmed from only nine sites (Ramírez-Chaves et al, 2020). One of the two sites in Peru is the Iquitos area in northeastern Peru where the only known specimen is a juvenile purchased by Pekka Soini in 1971 from a market near Iquitos and its collection point was never known (Voss and da Silva, 2001).

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Dead Humpback Whale off Steenbras River Mouth (False Bay, South Africa)

Posted by Paul Carter

First published 25 Nov 2022 3 PM; revised 26 Nov 2022 after the whale washed up at The Strand.

At 8.30 AM on 25 Nov 2022 I photographed from shore a dead Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) floating about 2-3 km offshore from Steenbras River Mouth (on Clarence Drive south of Gordon’s Bay). I later heard that it had washed up in front of the Indoor Swimming Pool at The Strand at around 3 PM the same day, so over about 6 hours it seems to have moved 9 to 10 km. On 26 Nov at 7 AM I went to The Strand and photographed it before its removal by city officials.

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Dugong at Uluwatu Beach, Bali (Indonesia)

Posted by Paul Carter

SUMMARY: Uluwatu Beach is a popular surf spot about 1.5 km north of Uluwatu Temple on the Bukit Peninsula (Bali). Whilst surfing here in January 2004 and waiting in the line-up (small surf, only about 3-foot) I saw the back of a Dugong (Dugong dugon) break the surface, about 15 meters away. An hour later when back on the cliff-top I looked down and had clear views of it feeding on the seagrass.

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Gamboa Area (Panama): mammal records

Posted by Paul Carter

SUMMARY: This post summarizes my mammal records (30 species) in the Gamboa area, Panama, from six nights in Feb 2022 (6-10th and 18-20th). Species included Ocelot, Panama Mouse Opossum, Geoffroy’s Tamarin, Western Lowland Olingo, Gabb’s Cottontail, Rothschild’s Porcupine, Tomes’s Spiny Rat and 9 bat species (including images of Mesoamerican Mustached Bat).

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Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum (Marmosa alstoni) in Boquete, Panama

Posted by Paul Carter

By Paul Carter (22 Feb 2022). Revised 22 March 2022 to match the open access report lodged on Zenodo as:
CARTER, Paul. (2022). Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum, Marmosa alstoni (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae), in Boquete, Panama. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6374907

SUMMARY
On 17 Feb 2022 at 9:00 PM I photographed Marmosa alstoni (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) in the Boquete area, Panama. Mammal Diversity Database (2022 v1.8) treat M. alstoni as endemic to Costa Rica, following the recent review of the M. alstoni complex by Voss et al. (2021). Following the taxonomy in Voss et al (2021) and their review of previous records in Panama it appears that this record in Boquete is the first photographic record of M. alstoni in Panama; and possibly the first confirmed record in Panama.

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Boquete (Panama): mammal records (2022)

Posted by Paul Carter

Paul Carter, 21 Feb 2022

This post summarizes key mammal records (six species) from five nights (13-18 Feb 2022) in Boquete, Panama; staying at Los Naranjos Cottage; part of a two-week trip with Chi Phan. The record of Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum (Marmosa alstoni), currently listed as endemic to Costa Rica, is seemingly the first confirmed record for Panama. The Los Naranjos cottage is recommended as a place to stay if wanting to see Cacomistle; I don’t know of it being reported at any other accommodation in Boquete. These records are mostly from the two dry nights of our visit.
Contents below: 1) Sites; 2) Mammal List; 3) Images.

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