Local Cohabitants

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Class: Pinopsida

Order: Pinales

Family: Cupressaceae

Genus: Cunninghamia

Species: C. konishii 

Threat Status: Not considered threatened 

This is a tall, evergreen tree that grows up to 50 meters in height. It has a straight trunk and an open crown, and the branches are arranged in whorls around the stem, giving it a somewhat pyramidal shape. The bark is rough and peels off in irregular strips. The leaves are needle-like, spirally arranged, and dark green in color. 

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Class: Pinopsida

Order: Pinales

Family: Cupressaceae

Genus: Fokienia

Species: F. hodginsii 

Threat Status: Vulnerable due to deforestation and habitat loss 

The Fujian cypress is a slow-growing, evergreen tree that can reach heights of up to 25 meters or more. Its bark is distinctly red-brown, thick and furrowed, while its leaves are small, scale-like, and arranged in flattened sprays giving it a feathery appearance. It produces small, round cones, approximately 1 to 2 cm in diameter. 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Proboscidea

Family: Elephantidae

Genus: Elephas

Species: E. maximus

Threat Status: Endangered due to habitat loss 

The Asian elephant is the largest land mammal on the Asian continent. They are known for their large size, with males reaching up to 10 feet in height at the shoulder and weighing between 4,400 and 11,000 lbs. Females are typically smaller. Asian elephants have a more rounded back and a straight tusk, compared to their African relatives. Their skin color is usually grey, and they have sparse, coarse body hair. One of the most distinctive features of an elephant is its trunk. It's a long, muscular, sensitive extension of the upper lip and nose that is used for grasping, breathing, feeding, dusting, smelling, drinking, and making sounds. 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Ursidae

Genus: Ursus

Species: U. thibetanus

Threat Status: Vulnerable due to habitat loss and hunting

The Asian Black Bear, also known as the moon bear and the white-chested bear, is a medium-sized bear species native to Asia. It is characterized by its black fur, which can sometimes appear dark brown or even bluish, and a distinctive white or cream-colored "V" or crescent-shaped marking on the chest, which gives it its nickname "moon bear." This bear has a large body with a small head and strong limbs. It has large, curved claws that are adapted for climbing trees, and its ears are larger and more rounded compared to other bear species. Adult males typically weigh between 130-440 lbs., while females are usually smaller. 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Felidae

Genus: Panthera

Species: P. tigris

Subspecies: P. t. corbetti

Threat Status: Endangered due to habitat loss and poaching

This subspecies of tiger has a slender body with adult males weighing between 1330-420 lbs while females typically weigh between 220-290 lbs. They have a coat that ranges from dark orange to light grey, adorned with black stripes. They possess the characteristic physical features of tigers such as a muscular body, a large head, and strong, sharp claws. 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Felidae

Genus: Neofelis

Species: N. nebulosa

Threat Status: Vulnerable due to habitat loss and poaching

This medium-sized cats, slightly smaller and more slender than their big cat relatives like tigers or lions. They have a very distinct coat pattern that gives them their name, consisting of large, cloud-like spots with dark margins, over a tawny or grayish background. The spots are darker and closer together on the animal's head, and become larger and more diffuse on the body and legs. They have large, expressive eyes, and their canine teeth are exceptionally long for their size - the longest (in proportion to body size) of any wild cat. 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Galliformes

Family: Phasianidae

Genus: Rheinardia

Species: R. ocellata

Threat Status: Near Threatened due to habitat loss and hunting

It's a large pheasant with very long tail feathers. Males are prominently ornate with ocelli all over their plumage. The primary habitats are evergreen, broadleaved, subtropical rainforest and secondary growth. 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Galliformes

Family: Phasianidae

Genus: Lophura 

Species: hatinhensis 

Threat Status: Critically Endangered due to habitat loss and hunting

Shy, medium-sized bird with males displaying black and blue-green plumage and a long tail, while females have less conspicuous brownish feathers. It inhabits the tropical evergreen forests of the Annamite Mountains in Vietnam and Laos, preferring areas with good canopy cover. 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Coleoptera

Family: Lucanidae

Genus: Lucanus

Species: L. cervus

Threat Status: Not considered threatened

This beetle is often found in deciduous forests in the Saola's range. Notable for their large size and the distinctive, antler-like mandibles on the males. These mandibles are used in fights with other males over territory and mates. Females also have mandibles, but they are much smaller and less distinctive. The beetles are generally dark brown to black in color, and adults can range from about 5 cm to 8 cm in length, with some variation based on the individual and the subspecies. 

Kingdom: Fungi

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Family: Physalacriaceae

Genus: Armillaria

Species: A. mellea

Threat Status: Not considered threatened

This fungus species is prevalent in the Annamite Range, living on decaying wood. Honey-yellow color of the mature fruiting bodies, or mushrooms, which appear above ground. These mushrooms typically have a convex or flat cap ranging from 3 to 15 cm in diameter, which can become slightly depressed with age. The stipe, or stem, is cylindrical, often tapering towards the base, and has a prominent, skirt-like ring. 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Notodontidae

Genus: Thaumetopoea 

Species: T. pityocampa

Threat Status: Not considered threatened 

As a caterpillar, which is its most recognizable stage, it is hairy with a characteristic blue and red coloring. When it transforms into a moth, it is less distinctive with a greyish body and a wingspan of approximately 35-40 millimeters.