REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
The reptiles and amphibians of Malaysia include members of the crocodile, turtle, snake, lizard and frog families, and range in size from the very tiniest of frogs (smaller than a person’s thumbnail) to crocodiles several metres long. But perhaps the most astonishing feature of this group of animals is the number of species which have the ability to glide from tree to tree or from a tree to the forest floor. These remarkable species include snakes, lizards and frogs.
Most Malaysians are familiar with the estuarine crocodile (buaya tembaga) (Crocodylus porosus), of which there are increasingly frequent sightings near populated areas. However, the other Malaysian member of the crocodile family, the false gharial (buaya julong-julong) (Tomistoma schlegelii) is very little known. It has a much narrower snout than the crocodile, and eats only fish.
Malaysia has about 140 species of land snakes, but the majority are harmless. However, as well as the poisonous species there is one nonpoisonous species that is rightly feared: the reticulated python (ular sawa) (Python reticulatus), the world’s second longest snake, which kills by constricting prey as large as a cow or goat before swallowing it whole. Malaysia’s 17 poisonous snake species include the largest venomous snake in the world, the king cobra (ular tedung selar) (Ophiophagus hannah), whose bite can quickly prove fatal. Despite its reputation as a killer, the king cobra has long been revered in many parts of the world.
Lizards in Malaysia include a wide range of species, from the small geckos found on house walls and ceilings eating insects to the largest of the four monitor lizard species, the water monitor lizard (biawak air) (Varanus salvator), which lives in watery habitats and is prized for its skin, which is exported in large numbers.
There are 18 species of non-marine turtles, tortoises and terrapins in Malaysia. Some are wholly terrestrial, others wholly aquatic, and yet others spend time both in water and on land. Some species are kept at temples as a symbol of longevity, while other species are eaten in the belief they provide nourishing food.
Many endemics are among the more than 165 species of frogs and toads in Malaysia, especially amongst those found in Sabah and Sarawak. Survival features in forest species include poison glands in some toads.
Some Malaysian reptiles and amphibians have economic value. Snakes help to control the rat population in agricultural ecosystems, while amphibians feed on insects. The hides of crocodiles, snakes and lizards are used to produce handbags, shoes and other fashion accessories. Some reptiles and amphibians are considered by certain people to be a gastronomic delicacy. These include terrapins, tortoises, pythons and other snakes, monitor lizards and frogs. The eggs of river terrapins are collected for human consumption.
