by It was an exciting night in Poring rainforest. I finally found the insect that I had been looking for years. Many friends are also very impressed with this insect. Please read on to see it.
I suppose Poring rainforest is an ideal site for night walk due to its rich flora and fauna. Surprisingly, no tourist asks for a night safari in Poring, so I had to hire a nature guide to start one at 7pm. The fee is about RM70-100 (?USD20-30) per hour. We have a happy start when we spot a white wolf spider with red mouth.
Above: A litter frog that has big head, cute..
Then we saw a giant river toad, which is endemic to Borneo and famous for its foul smell. I didn’t smell anything though. There is a myth that this toad will laugh if you tickle its belly.
We rub its belly gently with a twig. You may watch the 1-min video below to see if it laughs:
There are quite a number of big spider around, like the leopard spider above. It is easy to spot them coz their eyes reflect our torchlight.
Small spider waits for prey in fungus cup.
A very long stick insect. The guide says the village kids are used to eat the eggs of stick insect because its eggs are big and look like chocolate.
Fat stick insect on tapioca leaf. Seem like stick insect loves tapioca leaf coz I found a few more.
Here comes the highlight of my night walk. Can you spot anything in the photo above?
Can’t see it? Below is the answer. It’s a Leaf mimicking Grasshopper (Chorotypus gallinaceus) that perfectly camouflaged as a dead leaf.
I had heard about this insect. I’m so glad to see one. When I was busy taking its photo, suddenly it just played dead and dropped itself to the ground. The guide and me shouted, “Oh sh*t!” because it would be very hard to spot it among the foliage. Luckily we located it again.
We also saw a big snail near Kipungit Waterfall. So far it’s the largest forest snail that I’ve ever seen.
Above: Giant bent-toed gecko on tree trunk.
There are some tiger leeches lurking in the bush. They were so excited when they sensed our heat.
Another highlight is the mating of two tiger leeches. It lasts for quite a long time and both leeches caress each other like crazy. You may see their action in the 1-min video below:
Click Here for bigger video
Our night walk ended at 11pm, just before the heavy rain came. I can’t wait to go back there again one day. If you love such activity, Poring is highly recommended for night safari.
More Photos
You may check out my photo album on Poring night walk for more nice pictures:
Related posts:
Night Walk in Miki Camp
Night Walk in Crocker Range Park
Other articles about Poring Hot Springs Park:
- Poring Hot Springs bath
- Poring Canopy Walkway
- Gardens of Poring
- The Most Expensive Orchid in the world
- Accommodation at Poring
- Jackie, orangutan who owns a house
- Waterfalls of Poring
Photos taken in Poring, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo
hahaha the toad video.. so it’s just a myth Murphy 😛
Hi Jane, oh ya, it’s just a myth. 😀 I’ll try other toads. Who knows it would turn into a prince.
Many thanks for useful info:) Is it posible to realize the night walk in Poring forest without any guide? if the guide is required for entrance to the trek?
You are welcome Roman, it’s possible if you stay in the accommodation inside the Poring Hot Springs park. You can walk on your own. The gate closes at 5pm, you would need a guide to take you in if you are not a guest.
Thank you 🙂
Hi Murphy, may I know how long is this night walk? Thanks!
Hi May, it depends on how much you want to see and explore. Usually 60 to 90 minutes is enough. I love to photograph those critters, so I can walk from 7:30pm to 12am sometimes.
this is interesting!
i tried google for more info regarding the night walk but i could find any…
how and where to hire the guide? anything to prepare prior to the night walk?
thanks!
You can ask any staff or ranger working at the park. They will find you a guide, or they can be your guide too.