Fauna at Sansaket Farm

This Fauna page is about the birds, mammals, amphibians, fish, reptiles, insects and other invertebrates seen at Sansaket Farm.

Some of these are always present and visible, others are present and prefer to stay hidden. Some are seasonal, others are more transient visitors. The Mynas are all around, while the blue-winged Pitta visited on two special occasions.

Mammals

Cat - Domestic Short-haired Cat - แมว - Maew - "Cat" - Felis catus capillus brevis - Name: "Poespoes"

Dog - Domestic Thai Short-haired Dog - Thai Ridgeback + (mixed) - Name: "Bruna"

Mouse - Field Mouse - หนูนา - Nuu Na - Mus mus

Squirrel - Cambodian Striped Squirrel - กระรอก - Kra Rog - Tamiops rodolphii

Mongoose - Small Asian Mongoose - พังพอน - Pang Pawn (Thai), Chon (Lanna) - Herpestes javanicus

Fowl

Ground and garden birds:

Thai Game Fowl - ไก่บ้าน - Kai Baan - "House Chicken" - Asian hardfeather *

Red Jungle Fowl- the original chicken - ไก่ป่า - Kai Paa - "Jungle Chicken" - Gallus gallus gallus

Brown Chicken - Lohman Brown - ไก่พันธุ์ - Kai Pan Khai - "Egg Chicken" - Gallus g. domesticus (hybrid)

Red Chicken - Rhode Island Red - ไก่พันธุ์ - Kai Pan Nua - "Meat Chicken" - Gallus g. d. (hyb.) - an unpleasant chicken **

Black Tail Chicken - ไก่ประดู่หางดำเชียงใหม่ - Pradu Hang Dam Chiang Mai - Gallus g. d. (hyb.)

Bantam - Dutch Bantam -  ไก่แจ้ - Kai Jae - "Small Chicken" - Gallus g. d. (mini hyb.)

Turkey - Domesticated Turkey - ไก่งวง - Kai Nguang - "Elephant Tongue Chicken" - Meleagris gallopavo

Guineafowl - ไก่ต๊อก - Kai Tok - "Tok Chicken" (from its call) - Numida meleagris

Duck - Khaki Campbell - เป็ดไล่ทุ่ง - Ped Lai Toong - "Field Forage Duck" - Anas platyrhynchos d. (hyb.)

Muscovy Duck - เป็ดเทศ - Ped Ted - "Foreign Duck" - Cairina moschata

Lesser Whistling Duck - นกเป็ดน้ำ - Nok Ped Num - "Water Duck Bird" - Dendrocygna javanica

Tree and field birds:

Asian koel - นกกาเหว่า - Nok ka whaw - "Ka whaw bird" - Eudynamys scolopaceus - A young one fell out of a tree, Pieter nursed it back to strength, and it has become our friend. Likes to hang around, and spend the night in its care cage.

Black collared Starling - นกกิ้งโครงคอดำ = Nok king krong kaw dam - "Bird with black neck" - Gracupica nigricollis NEW

Dove - Stock Dove - นกเขา - Nok Khoa - "Mountain Bird" - Columba oenas

Myna - Common Myna - นกเอี้ยง - Nok Eaing - "Eaing Bird" (from its call) - Acridotheres tristis

Heron - Chinese Pond Heron - นกกระยางกรอกพันธุ์จีน - Ardeola bacchus

Oriental Magpie - Oriental Magpie - นกกางเขนตะวันออก - Nok KangKhen Sawan Og - "Bird of the Eastern Cross" - Pica serica (around since about 2020)

Pitta - Blue-winged Pitta - นกพิตต้า - Nok Pitta - Pitta moluccensis

Stork - Asian Openbill - นกปากห่าง - Nok Pak Haang - "Bird with Beak Gap" - Anastomus oscitans

Drongo - นกแซงแซวหาวงปลา - Nok Sang Saew - "Sang Saew Bird" - Dicrurus macrocercus

Sandpiper - Curlew Sandpiper - นกปากซ่อม - Nok Pak Som - "Bird with Fork Beak" - Calidris ferruginea

Sooty Headed Bulbul - Pycnonotus aurigaster

Geckos

Small Gecko - Flat-tailed Gecko - จิ้งจก - Chingchok - "Chingchok" - Hemidactylus platyurus

Large Gecko - Large Forest Gecko - ตุ๊กแก - Tok Kae (from its call) - Gekko smithii

Chameleon - Oriental Garden Lizard - กิ้งก่า - Ging Gaa - Calotes versicolor

Frogs

Green Paddy Frog - [Thai] - [T. Pronunciation] - Hylarana erythraea

Asian Toad - คางคก - Kaang Kok (C), Khee Kan Kaang (I), Kaa Kang (L) - Duttaphrynus melanostictus

Asian Grass Frog - Paddy Frog - เขียดอีโม้ - Khead Ee Moa - "Boasting Frog" - Fejervarya limnocharis

Banded Bullfrog - Bubble Frog - อึ่งอ่าง - Oong Aang - (from its call) - Kaloula pulchra

East Asian Bullfrog - กบ - Kob - (from its call)- Hoplobatrachus rugulosus

Crawling Insects

Ant - มด - Mot - All kinds nano, small, medium, large, black, red - Formicidae

Termite - Termite Alates - แมงเม่า - Meng Mau - Isoptera

Locust - Bombay Locust - ตั๊กแตน - Taak Ka Taen - Patanga succuncta

Cricket - จิ้งหรีด - Ching Reed - Gryllidae

Cicada - จั๊กจั่น - Chak Kachan - Cicadoidea

Giant Asian Mantis - ตั๊กแตนตำข้าว - Taak Ka Taen Tam Khao - "Rice Stamping Grasshopper" - Hierodula patellifera

Flying Insects

Mosquito - ยุง - Yuung - All kinds small, large, fast, slow; according to season - Culicidae

Honey Bee - Asiatic Honey Bee - ผึ้ง - PhuengTaen - "Bee" - Apis cerana [prob.]

Potter Wasp - ต่อหมาร่า - Taw Maa Raa - Eumeninae

Paper Wasp - hexagonal chambers nest, edible larvae - แตน - Taen - "Wasp" - Polistes chinensis [prob.]

Hornet - Greater Banded Hornet - (!) - ตัวต่อแตน - Tua Taw Taen - "Hornet Wasp" - Vespa tropica

Damselfly - Yellow-rumped Flycatcher - แมงปอ - Meng Paw - Archibasis oscillans

Firefly - หิ่งห้อย - Hing Hooi - Lampyridae

Crawlers

Land Snail - หอยทากบก - Hoi Taag Bok - "Snail on Land" - Sarika resplendens

Golden Apple Snail - หอยเชอรรี่ - Hoi Sherry - eats rice plants - Pomacea canaliculata /maculata

Crab - ปูนา - Pu Naa - "Rice Field Crab" - Esanthelphusa dugasti

Turtle - Southeast Asian Box Turtle - เต่า - Toa - Cuora amboinensis kamaroma

Scorpion - sting is painful - แมงป่อง - Meng Pong - "Bulge Insect" - < em>Scorpiones

Centipede - (!) - ตะขาบ - Takhaab - Chilopoda Scolopendridae

Millipede - harmless - กิ้งกือ - Spirobolida

Fish

Black Tilapia - Black Nile Tilapia - ปลานิล - Pla Nin - "Nile Fish" - Oreochromis niloticus

Red Tilapia - Red Nile Tilapia - ปลาทับทิม - Pla Thapthim - "Ruby Fish" - Oreochromis niloticus [rubi]

Barb - Red-finned Cigar Shark - ปลาแซมบ้า - Pla Saemba- "Crazy Fish" - Leptobarbus rubripinna

Snakehead - Common Snakehead Fish - ปลาช่อน - Pla Chon - "Fighting Fish" - Channa striata

Giant Carp - Siamese Giant Barb (crit. endagered) - ปลากระโห้ - Pla Kra Ho- Catlocarpio siamensis

Indian Carp - ปลากระโห้อินเดีย - Pla Kra Ho India - "Indian Carp Fish" - Catla Catla

Three Spot Gourami - ปลากระดี่หม้อ - Pla Kadi Mo - Trichopodus trichopterus

Snakeskin Gourami - ปลาสลิด - Pla Salid - Trichopodus pectoralis

Giant Gourami - ปลาแรด - Pla Raed - Osphronemus goramy

Silver Barb - Java Barb/Carp - ตะเพียน - Pla Ta-phian Kao - "White Carp" - Barbonymus gonionotus

Eel - Asian Swamp Eel - ปลาไหล - Pla Lai - "Flow Fish" - Monopterus albus

Snakes

Golden Tree Snake - งูเขียว - Ngu Kiau Dog Mak - "Palm Flower [patterned] Green Snake" - Chrysopelea ornata ornatissima

Oriental Whip Snake - งูเขียวหัวจิ้งจก - Ngu Kiau Hua Jingjok - "Green Snake with Lizard Head"- Ahaetulla prasina - NEW

Sand Snake - Indochin. Sand Snake - งูไซ - Ngu Saai - "Sand Snake" - Psammophis condanarus indochinensis

Striped Bronzeback - งูสายม่าน - Ngu Sai Maan - "Curtain String Snake" - Dendrelaphis caudolineatus

Rat Snake - Indochinese Rat Snake - งูสิง - Ngu Sing - Ptyas korros

Banded Krait - (!) - งูสามเหลี่ยม - Ngu Sam Liam - "Three Cornered Snake" - Bungarus fasciatus - Details - NEW

Reticulated Python - งูเหลือม - Ngu Luam - "Python" - Malayopython reticulatus

These reside, habitually frequent or were sighted at Sansaket Farm, Doi Saket, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Scientific names should be correct, while mistakes are possible. Some are identified by single word scientific names, either because many species are present, or it's difficult to pin it down.

The fauna on the farm is quite peaceful. Of course any animal can pick, bite or sting when annoyed. Only three are potentially, possibly very, dangerous. The Greater Banded Hornets have a large nest in one of the Yang Na (Dipterocarpus alatus) trees, the Centipedes usually hide under leaves or hay, and sometimes come crawling out. The Banded Krait comes out at night, waiting for a meal on our access path hidden under teak leaves. They all follow their daily/nightly routines, while we avoid each other with some caution. Where the Banded Krait is concerned, we now make sure to bring a flashlight when walking about outside in the dark.

* Thai Game Fowl males are also known as ไก่ชน - Kai Chon - "Fighting Chicken".

** Grown Rhode Island Red are surprisingly antisocial chickens, eating eggs and small young chicks. Sentenced to culinary consumption.

*** Not listed: Mean Stray Dogs - สุนัขจรจัด - Sunak chon chad - "Mean Stray Dogs" - Canibus vagi vitiosi, generally harmless when alone, in packs hunt chickens, geese and ducks.

Related

http://brucekekule.com
https://www.ecologyasia.com
https://www.thainationalparks.com
https://www.farangsgonewild.com/wasps-of-thailand.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_species_native_to_Thailand

Page last updated on 28 December 2018

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