Animals of Kalimantan: species, threatened and protected

The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is a large reddish-brown cockroach of drains and buildings that can carry disease-causing bacteria.

The Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) is a large-scaled freshwater fish of Sumatra and Borneo, a costly ornamental fish with threatened wild populations.

The Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) is a native Indonesian honey bee that nests in cavities, pollinates plants and is kept for honey.

The Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) is the world's smallest otter, living in family groups in rivers, rice fields and mangroves in Indonesia.

A large semi-aquatic lizard living near rivers, swamps, mangroves and some human-used areas. As both predator and scavenger, it connects aquatic and terrestrial food webs.

The banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus) is a neurotoxic krait with full black-and-yellow rings, found in Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Bali.

The banded Malaysian coral snake (Calliophis intestinalis) is a small venomous snake with a red tail and black-and-white belly from western Indonesia.

An Asian wild cattle species related to Bali cattle. Its global status changed to Critically Endangered in 2024, underlining the need to protect wild populations.

The bay cat (Catopuma badia) is a small wild cat found only on Borneo, with a rusty-red or grey coat, and one of the world's least known cats.

The bearded pig (Sus barbatus) is a wild pig with a bristly facial beard from the forests of Borneo and Sumatra, known for mass migrations that follow fruiting.

The binturong (Arctictis binturong) is the largest civet, a tree-dwelling mammal with a gripping tail, found in the forests of Sumatra, Borneo and Java.

Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike (Hemipus hirundinaceus). The black-winged flycatcher-shrike belongs to a debated woodshrike lineage; citing the scientific name and taxonomic source avoids a misleading family label.

The blue-crowned hanging parrot (Loriculus galgulus) is a tiny green parrot that sleeps hanging upside down, and the identity animal of Riau province.

A northern Borneo population of Asian elephant shared by North Kalimantan and Sabah. Its future depends on a connected cross-border landscape and reducing conflict with people.

A great ape of Borneo’s forests, including Kalimantan’s peat swamps. Population diversity and connections between habitats are central to its conservation.

Bornean White-bearded Gibbon (Hylobates albibarbis). The Bornean white-bearded gibbon inhabits southern Borneo and is separated from the agile gibbon by some taxonomies; sources place it between the Kapuas and Barito rivers.

The buffy fish owl (Ketupa ketupu) is an ear-tufted, fish-eating owl of forests and waterways in Sumatra, Java, Bali and Borneo.

The coconut crab (Birgus latro) is the world's largest land arthropod, a giant hermit crab that eats fruit and carrion, threatened by hunting for restaurants.

The common hill myna (Gracula religiosa) is a glossy black myna with yellow wattles, famous for its ability to mimic human speech.

The crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela) is a snake-eating eagle of forest edges in Sumatra, Java, Bali and Borneo, and is protected in Indonesia.

The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster) is a venomous, spiny, coral-eating starfish whose population outbreaks can devastate coral reefs.

Double-spotted Gecko (Gekko monarchus). The double-spotted gecko occurs from southern Thailand and the Malay Peninsula through Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi and Maluku to New Guinea and the Philippines; spots alone are insufficient without body shape and locality.

The false gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) is a slender-snouted crocodilian of the peat swamps of Sumatra and Borneo, listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

Image: museum specimen

The giant featherback (Chitala lopis) is a knife-backed predatory freshwater fish of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, and South Sumatra's identity animal.

The great argus (Argusianus argus) is a large pheasant with eye-spotted wings from the forests of Sumatra and Borneo, and West Sumatra's identity animal.

Green Paddy Frog (Hylarana erythraea). The green paddy frog occurs in Southeast Asia and formerly appeared under Rana; wetland observations do not measure local abundance or status.

A forest hornbill with long central tail feathers and a solid casque. Hunting for casque trade makes habitat protection and reduced demand particularly important.

Horsfield's tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus), or mentilin, is a big-eyed, insect-eating primate and Bangka Belitung's identity animal, hit by forest loss.

The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) is a coastal dolphin with a spotted belly that is fully protected in Indonesia.

Lesser false vampire bat (Megaderma spasma). The lesser false vampire bat does not drink blood; accounts describe cave and tree-hollow roosts and an insect diet.

Lesser Long-tongued Fruit Bat (Macroglossus minimus). The lesser long-tongued fruit bat feeds at flowers and is much smaller than large flying foxes; size alone cannot identify it reliably.

The lesser short-nosed fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis) is a common small fruit bat of Indonesian towns and forests that spreads seeds and pollinates flowers.

A social primate using forests, riversides, mangroves and settlement edges. Food and human encounters vary by place; frequent sightings do not describe the condition of the whole population.

A profile of the Mahakam River dolphin population, rather than all Irrawaddy dolphins worldwide. Its future is connected to fish, wetlands, river traffic, and local livelihoods.

The Malay civet (Viverra tangalunga) is a ground-dwelling, black-spotted civet with a black-and-white banded tail, common in the forests of Sumatra and Borneo.

The Malayan porcupine (Hystrix brachyura) is a large, quilled, nocturnal rodent of Sumatra and Borneo that is widely hunted for meat and trade.

Malaysian Pied-Fantail (Rhipidura javanica). The Malaysian pied-fantail is a rhipidurid; a fanned tail and black-and-white pattern aid identification around forest edges and gardens.

The marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata) is a small, marble-patterned wild cat with a very long, bushy tail, living in the forests of Sumatra and Borneo.

Oriental Bluespotted Maskray (Neotrygon orientale). The Oriental bluespotted maskray is reported from Indonesia and nearby countries; sources use orientale and orientalis spellings, so taxonomy should be cited.

The oriental magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis) is a black-and-white songbird that was once common on Java but is now rare there because of trapping.

The painted terrapin (Batagur borneoensis) is a Critically Endangered estuary and mangrove turtle; breeding males show a white head with a red stripe.

The Philippine slow loris (Nycticebus menagensis) is a small, venomous, nocturnal primate of coastal north and east Borneo, threatened by the pet trade.

Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus). The plaintive cuckoo is a widely distributed Asian cuckoo; voice and place are valuable because several small cuckoos look alike.

A Borneo-endemic primate closely linked to river forests, mangroves, and swamps. The male’s large nose is only one of its distinctive adaptations.

Reticulated Python (Malayopython reticulatus). The reticulated python can grow exceptionally long and subdues prey by constriction; it is nonvenomous but large animals still require distance.

The rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros) is a large hornbill with an upturned orange-red casque, found in Sumatra, Java and Borneo; Vulnerable.

The rufous-tailed shama (Copsychus pyrropygus), Aceh's ceumpala kuneng, is a forest songbird of Sumatra and Borneo and Aceh's identity animal.

The sambar (Rusa unicolor) is Indonesia's largest deer, found in the forests of Sumatra and Borneo; it is Vulnerable and protected in Indonesia.

The scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) is a hammer-headed shark with a notched snout, found across Indonesian seas and listed as Critically Endangered.

Silvered Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus cristatus). Silvered leaf monkeys use coastal, mangrove and riverine forest; presence at one site cannot stand for their status across Borneo or Sumatra.

The smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is Indonesia's largest otter, with short sleek fur, living in family groups in rivers, swamps and mangroves.

The sooty-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster) is a black-capped bulbul native to Java and Bali, common in gardens and towns but widely trapped for sale.

The southern red muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) is a small deer with short antlers and tusks, found in Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Bali and Lombok.

The straw-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) is a large, straw-crowned bulbul now Critically Endangered because of trapping for the bird trade.

The smallest living rhino and the only two-horned Asian rhino. Isolated populations make finding mates and protecting habitat particular challenges.

The world’s smallest bear climbs trees and uses varied forest foods. Its Indonesian name, honey bear, does not describe its entire diet.

A cloud-patterned forest cat from Sumatra and Borneo. Long-term research helps reveal the life of this rarely seen animal.

The Sunda king cobra (Ophiophagus bungarus) is a venomous snake-eater of Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Bali, separated from O. hannah in 2024.

A scaled, ant- and termite-eating mammal threatened by illegal trade. Climbing and secretive behaviour make direct observation difficult.

The Sunda scops owl (Otus lempiji) is a small owl with short ear tufts that lives in forest, gardens and wooded parks in Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Bali.

White-nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus). The edible-nest swiftlet makes a nest largely of hardened saliva; nest harvesting is a human activity separate from the bird's own life cycle.

The white-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus) is a forest songbird with a rich song whose Indonesian populations have fallen through trapping for trade.

A songbird with a conspicuous yellow vent that often uses gardens, parks and forest edges. Local studies document fruit and insect feeding.