Pictorial blogs on some of the interesting caves I have visited around Southeast Asia. On some blogs I have included photos taken over the years.
Although this blog was only born in 2011, I have now included older posts from my Multiply blog which closed in March 2013. This includes articles I have written. I am now also adding news relating to caves I have a particular interest in.
See my website on Caves of Malaysia.
In 2000, in Dark Cave at Batu Caves in Malaysia, I saw 3 cave racers mating. I put some photos on my cave website -
The cave racer used to be classed as Elaphe taeniura but is now known as Orthriophis taeniurus. It inhabits limestone caves all over Asia ranging from China, down through the Asian mainland to Malaysia and Borneo. It is commonly seen in caves. There are around 10 species.
I wrote a note on the mating racers in The Malaysian Naturalist, 2002, Dec, 56(2)8 -
In 2023, on 25 Oct The Thaiger (in Thailand) published this article "Explorers ‘rattled’ with excitement as rare Blue-tailed Cave Racer snakes spotted mating in Krabi". It records two Blue-tailed Cave Racer snakes mating in a cave in Ao Luek district, in Krabi province, in southern Thailand.
The article describes these snakes as endangered and a rare protected species listed in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). However when I looked on CITES, Elaphe taeniura is not listed in the CITES Appendices, nor are other species of Elaphe genus. Orthriophis taeniurus is not mentioned either.
The cave racer catches its prey as it flies by. Racers have been observed to hang over ledges and catch bats flying by. I have seen them climbing cave walls with ease.
The cave racer in Malaysia, Orthriophis taeniurus, is commonly known as a rat snake. Rat snakes are found in many countries. In Oct 2016 National Geographic published a 2 minute video of yellow-red rat snakes (Pseudelaphe flavirufa) catching bats in a cave near the town of Kantemó in southern Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. See the article and video here.
Watch Snakes Grab Cave Bats From Mid-air The mysterious Kantemó Bat Cave, or Cave of the Hanging Serpents, is home to unique (and rather creepy) wildlife.
The lava tubes we explored in south Vietnam are quite rich in cave fauna, mainly invertebrates. We were based in Than Phu, in Dong Nai province, about 125 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City in south Vietnam. We were there in February which is the dry season and the whole area was incredibly dry.
We saw very little fauna above ground, just the occasional lizard. There was far more life underground, in the cooler and damper lava tubes. However the tubes are quite warm compared to limestone caves.
There was no water in any of the tubes we visited, though some had damp mud. Many had roots coming in through the ceiling and walls.
There were surprisingly few bats in these lava tubes, though there was evidence that they had been hunted, as there were many wooden poles and nets lying around in various caves.
We saw a variety of invertebrates.
Spiders were always noticeable by their eye shine in our lights. In many caves they were throughout the cave, but in the longest cave they were only seen near the entrance. They are Sparassidae: Heteropodinae (thanks to Peter Jaeger for the ID) -
Web spiders were far fewer in numbers.
I saw 2 types of cricket -
They are probably Rhaphidophoridae , Subfamily Aemodogryllinae .
I only saw a couple of long legged centipedes. They are a different colour from those in Malaysia.
This one was climbing up tree roots -
Whip spiders were particularly common -
One was identified by Michael Seiter as Phrynichus orientalis.
This was a dead one being eaten by millipedes -
And another live one -
There were also whip scorpions (Uropygi) -
Millipedes were only seen in 2 caves.
Jean-Jacques Geoffroy (France) identified them as belonging to the family Cambalopsidae. The genus could be Glyphiulus or Plusioglyphiulus (or even Trachyiulus or Hypocambala).
Cockroaches were only seen in one cave. That cave was close to houses so they could have come from there. They are Periplaneta Americana
There were surprisingly few frog species. These tiny little guys - Micryletta inornata - were cute and quick to hop away from the camera -
This larger one - Polypedates leucomystax - was close to an entrance (thanks to Lee Grismer for frog ID) -
I was looking for scorpions but saw none. The only ones we came across were these large ones found when digging open a cave -
Some mammals use the caves. In several caves I saw rats, with white chests, Niviventer spp. .
I'm think this is one as well -
This might be a rat -
This skull may be a dog
Porcupine also use the caves and the locals put traps at the entrances to catch them. This is a quill -
These droppings could be from porcupine -
A pile of droppings covered in fungus, note the polished rock above the droppings-
In one cave the locals collected the porcupine droppings to use as fertilizer.
Bats were less numerous than expected. All were insect eating bats. As there were signs of the locals trapping them in nets, maybe that accounts for less bats than a year ago when some of the cavers visited (at the same time of the year). Surprisingly the most bats seemed to be in a cave with very bad air. This cave was also particularly warm. And at the entrance we saw quite a few dead bats, Pomona Roundleaf Bat (Hipposideros pomona) -
There are 6 bats flying in this photo -
Surprisingly I only saw 1 gecko in the caves , Cyrtodactylus -
In April 2013 I heard about the possible destruction of Gua Kanthan in June 2013. It seems that the quarry company, Lafarge Malaysia Berhad had asked the people living and farming in the area to move out.
Gua Kanthan is the largest known cave in Gunung Kanthan, which is near Chemor, north of Ipoh, in Perak, Malaysia. Many parts of the hill have already been quarried.
I was concerned both about the cave and its most important inhabitant, Liphistius kanthan. This trapdoor spider is endemic to the cave and is found nowhere else in the world. As with all the Malaysian Liphistius species, it is protected under the 2012 amendment of the Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Bill.
On 2 July 2013 the spider was listed on the IUCN Red List as "critically endangered".
On 4 July I had letters published in the Malaysian newspapers :
I REFER to "Save Kanthan Cave" (Letters, April 17). Gua Kanthan is located in Gunung Kanthan, Perak. This limestone cave is in danger of being quarried by Lafarge Malaysia Berhad.
Many parts of the hill are already being quarried and now there is a threat to the area of the hill with the cave.
Gua Kanthan is a spectacular river cave, nicknamed "The Cathedral" due to its large size. It is also home to an endemic trapdoor spider which is found nowhere else in the world.
Liphistius kanthan has now been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Red List. Critically Endangered is highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. The next level is Extinct.
Liphistius kanthan is also included on the Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Bill (2012 amendment) as a protected species. Thus, all the Malaysian Liphistius are protected.
Let's hope that Lafarge is aware of this and will preserve the cave.
According to its website: "As a Group, we are committed to protecting in four main fronts: stop climate change; preservation of biodiversity; conservation of natural resources; and to develop innovative approaches that promote a better respect for the environment." Liz Price Kuala Lumpur
I N April, the media published news about saving Gua Kanthan, which is in Gunung Kanthan, Perak.
This limestone cave is in danger of being quarried by Lafarge Malaysia Bhd.
Many parts of the hill are being quarried and now, there is a threat to the area of the hill that contains Gua Kanthan.
On May 5 last year, NST published an article, "Ipoh council to protect limestone hills", and Gunung Kanthan was one of the hills mentioned.
Gua Kanthan is a spectacular river cave, nicknamed "The Cathedral" because of its large size.
It is also home to an endemic trapdoor spider found nowhere else in the world.
This spider, Liphistius kanthan, has now been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List.
Critically endangered is the highest level of danger for living creatures. The next level is extinct.
Liphistius kanthan is also included in the Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Bill (2012 amendment) as a protected species.
In fact, all the Malaysian Liphistius are protected, as well as their habitats.
Let us hope that the company quarrying the area is aware of this and will preserve the cave.
According to its website, it said: "As a group, we are committed to protecting in four main fronts: stop climate change; preservation of biodiversity; conservation of natural resources; and to develop innovative approaches that promote a better respect for the environment."
Let us hold them to that.
Published: Thursday July 4, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Thursday July 4, 2013 MYT 8:30:10 AM
IN April there were media reports about “saving” Gua Kanthan in Perak.
Several parts of a limestone hill near Gua Kanthan are used as a quarry and now there are concerns that the area within the cave would be added to the existing quarry site.
Gua Kanthan is a spectacular river cave, nicknamed “The Cathedral” due to its large size.
It is also home to an endemic trapdoor spider which is found nowhere else in the world.
This spider, Liphistius kanthan, has now been listed as critically endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
Critically endangered is the highest level of danger for living creatures. The next level is extinct. Liphistius kanthan is also included in the Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Bill (2012 Amendment) as a protected species. In fact, all Malaysian Liphistius are protected.
We hope the quarry company at Gua Kanthan is aware about the rare trapdoor spider and will preserve the cave.
LIZ PRICE Kuala Lumpur
-----------
Let's hope Lafarge take note that the spider is critically endangered and is a protected species.
During the caving expedition in Merapoh we saw a variety of cave fauna. Here are a few of the critters that we found. Frogs and toads were quite common.
These are all Phrynoides aspera
This pretty frog is Hylarana labialis
We saw cave racers in 3 caves. One had more of a yellow colour than the other two. Two were coiled up on ledges so it was not easy to get photos.
Normally crickets are common in Malaysian caves, but these caves in Merapoh had very few of the common Diestrammena crickets. This is a large species
Whip spiders (Amblypygids) were quite common.
Gua Jinjang Pelamin had quite a lot of scorpions, probably a Lychas species
The one above is eating a cockroach and the one below is eating a newly moulted spider
There were long legged centipedes, Thereuopoda
Huntsman spiders, this one is missing a leg
and this one is sitting on an egg sac
A web spider, probably Psechrus
There were very few millipedes
Of course there were bats in most of the caves. The majority were insect eating bats.
There were goat droppings in several caves (above). And in Gua Gajah Merah we saw elephant droppings -
Termite trails going around one cave entrance
and these tunnels seem to be made by ants, not termites
I saw lots of gecko eggs, but no geckoes
A (bird) nest
Outside one cave we saw bear prints in the soil
There were lots of yellow shells outside the caves, Amphidromus atricallosus perakensis (thanks to Reuben Clements for ID)
