Exploring Gunung Mekangau & nearby areas

[kuching]

Another beautiful morning to wander around in the jungle of Borneo. Before exploring the jungle of Gunung (= Mount) Mekangau, I went to visit a peat swamp forest in the nearby. I never expected to find something interesting there.....


The peat swamp forest near Gunung Mekangau:






Found a variety of Nepenthes mirabilis called Nepenthes mirabilis var. echinostoma.






It has an extremely large peristome :




If you take a closer look, you'll see some short "teeth" !!!This one below only got one "tooth".

[kuching]

Nepenthes gracilis.




Unidentified species of plant:




One of the most common terrestrial orchids in Sarawak, Nephylaphyllum beccarii.

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My eyes almost "popped out" when I found Paedocypris micromegethes in the blackwater peat swamp!!!! It is one of the smallest fishes in the world! This is also my first time to bring the fish back alive (it is very "fragile")!




Both adult fishes below are less than 1cm long !!!





Another tiny fish is Sundadanio axelrodi. (length is around 1.8cm)






This wild caught Sundadanio axelrodi is not showing its beautiful green colour when it is under the stress.

[kuching]

The jungle stream of Gunung Mekangau.





The forest sream.





I was greeted by this gorgeous snake which I think is Dendrelaphis pictus. It went to hide under leaf litter when I wanted to get closer to photograph it.....






The cute little havestman (Gagrella sp.) is found abundantly here.

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Another terrestrial orchid, Eulophia spectabilis:




Close-up of the flower of Eulophia spectabilis:





A lithophyte orchid; unidentified species.






The inflorescence of an unidentified species of epiphyte orchid:

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Inflorescence of terrestrial orchid, Malaxis sp. ???





Another terrestrial orchid, going to flower soon:





The summit area is very dry:






The beautiful sandstone cliff:

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There is no pitcher plant growing at the summit area because the jungle is too dense! Some of big trees can grow at the sandstone cliff.....amazing!!!






Vanilla orchid, probably its Vanilla havilandii.





I couldn't believe when I found a species of Begonia growing on a mossy sandstone rock!!! The leaf is almost black coloured!!! Maybe it's a new species?





Many thanks to Austin from Canada for giving me a GPS!!! And also, "Danke / Merci" to my Switzerland friends; Christine and Godela for the swiss army knife. Both are very useful tools when I wander in the jungle of Borneo.

[kuching]

Unknown wild fruits:




And its flowers:





The inflorescence of the wild ginger, Globba sp.




Close-up of the flower of Globba sp.

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Unidentified species (Both should be belong to Gesneriaceae):




The flowers of the green herb. (same species as above; left one)





Ixora sp.






Unidentified species:





Unidentified species:

[kuching]

A villager told us that the hunters will go to hunt for game in the jungle after dark, so it's better to inform the villagers before entering the jungle. If we get lost and moving around in the jungle after dark, the hunter may shoot us as a game by mistake! To me, the hunter is the most dangerous "creature" in the jungle because some hunters always shoot when they heard some noises behind the bush without finding out what is that.....Sometimes this kind of tragedy happens here that the hunter accidentally killed his friend / stranger (who goes into forest to collect jungle product)!!!


The beautiful forest & the stream of Mount Mekangau:






THE END.

[ranmasatome]

Thanks Mike..

[kuching]

Thanks Mike..

Welcome.

[keithtang]

Thanks for yr countless contribution of nice photo and advanture.