#southeast asia

SCARLET BACKED FLOWERPECKER (male)
Dicaeum cruentatum
©Choy Wai Mun top
©Doug Janson  - bottom

This is a tiny bird about the length of a business card, 9 cm (3.5 in) and weighing 7 to 8 grams (0.25 to 0.28 oz). Sexually dimorphic, the male has navy blue upper parts with a bright red streak down its back from its crown to its tail coverts, while the female and juvenile are predominantly olive green. It is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and occasionally gardens in a number of countries throughout South and East Asia. “Cruentatum” in its Latn name translates to bloodstained for the bright red color which runs down the male’s back and along the hind end of the female. Called a flowerpecker but is primarily a frugivore.

FIVE BANDED GLIDING LIZARD
Draco quinquefasciatus

Draco is a genus of agamid lizards that are also known as flying lizards,flying dragonsorgliding lizards. These lizards are capable of gliding flight; their ribs and their connecting membrane may be extended to create “wings” (patagia- similar to flying squirrels), the hindlimbs are flattened and wing-like in cross-section, and a flap on the neck (the gular flag) serves as a horizontal stabilizer (the flag is sometimes used in warning to others).

Draco are arboreal insectivores.

While not capable of powered flight they often obtain lift in the course of their gliding flights. Glides as long as 60 m (200 ft) have been recorded, over which the animal loses only 10 m (33 ft) in height, which is quite some distance, considering that these lizards are only around 20 cm (7.9 in) in total length (tail included).

They are found in South Asia and Southeast Asia, and are fairly common in forests, gardens, teak plantations and shrub jungle.

Below showing wings and gular flag. ©A.S.Kono
Sulawesi Lined Gliding Lizard
Draco spilonotus

Amanpuri Phuket