Having spent a significant amount of time in some of the best national parks of Thailand, I’m fortunate to have seen a long list of species.
Reptiles & mammals are my primary goals when visiting the Thai jungles, but I do enjoy the more colorful bird species as well to fill up the time between the mammal and herpetofauna sightings 😉 .

Dhole, Cuon alpinus feeding on Sambar Deer carcass in Khao Yai national park, Thailand.
Without a doubt, the highlight of it all is the Mainland Clouded Leopard; the most beautiful cat in the world, I dare to say.
Also one of the most elusive species around. Still, I have been extremely fortunate to see this species more than once. The very first encounter being the most unforgettable.
A female with two large cubs crossed the road while we were on a night drive in Khao Yai national park. The two cubs slowly followed their mother into the jungle, but showed little fear and looked us straight in the eyes.
As usual with these exceptional sightings I didn’t have my DSLR camera with me. Actually, I had a pocket camera on me, but as the name says, it was in my pocket. Being stunned by the appearance of these magnificent creatures, it took me 5 minutes after the sighting before I realized that I had this little camera with me…
Apart from one fleeting sighting of one running across the road in Khao Yai in the late afternoon, I only had one other ‘reasonable’ chance to photograph this species. In April 2015. But my torch was running out of battery power and couldn’t offer enough light for my camera to lock focus on the cat in the distance. Again I returned home without photographic evidence.
One day I will get a shot!

An adult male Mainland Clouded Leopard, Neofelis nebulosa that I photographed in Kaeng Krachan national park, Thailand
Edit: Finally, in July 2023 (yes, that was a loooong gap) I was fortunate to see one again. And this time it all worked out. Barely. But it worked out. On a night walk in Kaeng Krachan national park, a knee injury I had gained due to a running exercise a week or so earlier, now really started to play up very badly. Even though the pain was present when I started walking, it didn’t seem serious enough. But then 2kms into the walk I had to tell my friend to turn around. Something I should have done way earlier, because the walk back was hellish. With tiny steps I inched back in the direction of the campground. Due to the pain I was barely looking around for herps and other creatures. Then on the last uphill section before the camp my friend froze, aimed his camera on the roadside bushes and as I look over, at just about 6 meters distance was an adult male Mainland Clouded Leopard posing and looking at us. Due to my injury I had packed up my photo gear in my backpack. I didn’t want to start unpacking anything before I knew my friend got his chance to photograph it. And it wasn’t until the Clouded Loepard u-turned back into the forest that I reached for my gear. Honestly, at that point I assumed I had missed my 4th chance at photographing a clouded leopard in Thailand. A strange mix of excitement, joy, and furstration came over me. For my friend it was the first time to see this species, and as easy as that, he no doubt had some fantastic shots. Nature is not fair.
But I forgot out by physical and mental pain, got my gear ready, and hoped for the impossible. We stood still on the road. for s hort while, and suddenly, just 10m back down the road we saw eye shine. It came back!
What a relief it was when I pressed the shutter and finally had photographic proof of this species.
It hung around for a bit, then u-turned again to disappear again. It obviously wanted to get to the other side of the track, so we waited. And surenough within a minute or 2 we saw it again 20m or so down te road. And that’s when it ran across the road and disappeared never to be seen again.
What an amazing encounter!
Enough about this, time for the list.
WILDLIFE OF THAILAND – PERSONAL LIFE LIST
MAMMALS OF THAILAND – MAMMALIA
- Sunda Pangolin, Manis javanica
- Moonrat, Echinosorex gymnura
- Short-tailed Gymnure, Hylomys suillus
- Kloss’s Mole, Euroscaptor klossi
- Himalayan Water Shrew, Chimarrogale himalayica
- Northern Treeshrew, Tupaia belangeri
- Common Treeshrew, Tupaia glis
- Sunda Flying Lemur, Galeopterus variegatus
- Malayan Spotted-winged Fruit Bat, Balionycteris seimundi
- Sunda Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Cynopterus cf. brachyotis
- Ratanaworabhan’s Fruit Bat, Megaerops niphanae
- Island Flying Fox, Pteropus hypomelanus
- Large Flying Fox, Pteropus vampyrus
- Lyle’s Flying Fox, Pteropus lylei
- Lesser Sheath-tailed Bat, Emballonura monticola
- Black-bearded Tomb Bat, Taphozous melanopogon
- Kitti’s Hog-nosed Bat, Craseonycteris thonglongyai
- Lesser False Vampire Bat, Megaderma spasma
- Croslet Horseshoe Bat, Rhinolophus coelophyllus
- Great Woolly Horseshoe Bat, Rhinolophus luctus
- Shamel’s Horseshoe Bat, Rhinolophus shameli
- Thai Horseshoe Bat, Rhinolophus thailandensis
- Great Roundleaf Bat, Hipposideros armiger
- Andersen’s Roundleaf Bat, Hipposideros gentilis
- Intermediate Roundleaf Bat, Hipposideros larvatus
- Painted Bat, Kerivoula picta
- Asian Wrinkle-lipped Bat, Chaerephon plicatus
- Bengal Slow Loris, Nycticebus bengalensis
- Sunda Slow Loris, Nycticebus coucang
- Stump-tailed Macaque, Macaca arctoides
- Assamese Macaque, Macaca assamensis
- Crab-eating Macaque (Long-tailed Macaque), Macaca fascicularis
- Northern Pig-tail Macaque, Macaca leonina
- Southern Pig-tail Macaque, Macaca nemestrina
- Banded Langur, Presbytis femoralis
- White-thighed Langur, Presbytis siamensis
- Indochinese Grey Langur, Trachypithecus crepusculus
- Dusky Langur, Trachypithecus obscurus
- Agile Gibbon, Hylobates agilis
- White-handed Gibbon, Hylobates lar
- Pileated Gibbon, Hylobates pileatus
- Golden Jackal, Canis aureus
- Dhole (Asian Wild Dog), Cuon alpinus
- Malayan Sun Bear, Helarctos malayanus
- Asian Black Bear, Ursus thibetanus
- Hog Badger, Arctonyx collaris
- Smooth-coated Otter, Lutrogale perspicillata
- Yellow-throated Marten, Martes flavigula
- Binturong, Arctictis binturong
- Small-toothed Palm Civet, Arctogalidia trivirgata
- Banded Civet, Hemigalus derbyanus
- Masked Palm Civet, Paguma larvata
- Asian Palm Civet, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus
- Large Indian Civet, Viverra zibetha
- Small Indian Civet, Viverricula indica
- Banded Linsang, Prionodon linsang
- Small Asian Mongoose, Herpestes javanicus
- Crab-eating Mongoose, Herpestes urva
- Clouded Leopard, Neofelis nebulosa
- Indochinese Leopard (both spotted and black phase), Panthera pardus delacouri
- Marbled Cat, Pardofelis marmorata
- Leopard Cat, Prionailurus bengalensis
- Fishing Cat, Prionailurus viverrinus
- Asian Elephant, Elephas maximus
- Asian Tapir, Tapirus indicus
- Wild Boar, Sus scrofa
- Lesser Mousedeer, Tragulus kanchil
- Greater Mousedeer, Tragulus napu
- Hog Deer, Axis porcinus (Re-introduced)
- Fea’s Muntjac (Tenasserim Muntjac), Muntiacus feae
- Indian Muntjac, Muntiacus muntjak
- Eld’s Deer, Rucervus eldii (Re-introduced)
- Sambar Deer, Rusa unicolor
- Gaur, Bos frontalis
- Banteng, Bos javanicus
- Indochinese Serow, Capricornis milneedwardsi
- Southern Serow, Capricornis sumatraensis
- Chinese Goral, Naemorhedus griseus
- Grey-bellied Squirrel, Callosciurus caniceps
- Pallas’s Squirrel, Callosciurus erythraeus
- Finlayson’s Squirrel, Callosciurus finlaysonii
- Sunda Black-banded Squirrel, Callosciurus nigrovittatus
- Plantain Squirrel, Callosciurus notatus
- Asian Red-cheeked Squirrel, Dremomys rufigenis
- Phayre’s Flying Squirrel, Hylopetes phayrei
- Red-cheeked Flying Squirrel, Hylopetes spadiceus
- Three-striped Ground Squirrel, Lariscus insignis
- Indochinese Ground Squirrel, Menetes berdmorei
- Lesser Giant Flying Squirrel, Petaurista elegans
- Red Giant Flying Squirrel, Petaurista petaurista
- Indian Giant Flying Squirrel, Petaurista phillippensis
- Temminck’s Flying Squirrel, Petinomys setosus
- Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel, Ratufa affinis
- Black Giant Squirrel, Ratufa bicolor
- Low’s Squirrel, Sundasciurus lowii
- Slender Squirrel, Sundasciurus tenuis
- Western Striped Squirrel, Tamiops mcclellandii
- Cambodian Striped Squirrel, Tamiops rodolphii
- Bowers’s Rat, Berylmys bowersi
- Indomalayan Pencil-tailed Tree-mouse, Chiropodomys gliroides
- Long-tailed Giant Rat, Leopoldamys sabanus
- Asian Porcupine, Hystrix Brachyura
- Asian Brush-tailed Porcupine, Atherurus macrourus
- Siamese Hare, Lepus peguensis
- Bryde’s whale, Balaenoptera brydei
PHOLIDOTA
Pangolins – Manidae
INSECTIVORA
Gymnures – Erinaceidae
Moles – Talpidae
Shrews – Soricidae
SCANDENTIA
Feather-tailed Treeshrews – Ptilocercidae
No species seen or no species identified to species level
Treeshrews – Tupaiidae
DERMOPTERA
Colugos – Cynocephalidae
CHIROPTERA – BATS
Fruit Bats – Pteropodidae
Mouse-tailed Bats – Rhinopomatidae
No species seen or no species identified to species level
Sheath-tailed & Tomb Bats – Emballonuridae
Hog-nosed Bats – Craseonycteridae
Hollow-faced Bats – Nycteridae
No species seen or no species identified to species level
False-vampires – Megadermatidae
Horseshoe Bats – Rhinolophidae
Roundleaf Bats – Hipposideridae
Common Bats – Vespertilionidae
Free-tailed Bats – Molossidae
PRIMATES – PROSIMIANS, MONKEYS & APES
Slow Loris – Lorisidae
Monkeys – Cercopithecidae
Gibbons – Hylobatidae
Note: Have seen Pileated x White-handed Gibbon hybrids (Khao Yai)
CARNIVORA – DOGS, BEARS, WEASELS, MARTENS, OTTERS, CIVETS, MONGOOSES & CATS
Dogs – Canidae
Bears – Ursidae
Mustelids – Mustelidae
Civets – Viverridae
Linsangs – Prionodontidae
Mongooses – Herpestidae
Cats – Felidae
PROBOSCIDEA
Elephants – Elephantidae
PERISSODACTYLA – ODD-TOED UNGULATES
Tapirs – Tapiridae
Rhinoceroses – Rhinocerotidae
No species seen or no species identified to species level
ARTIODACTYLA – EVEN-TOED UNGULATES
Pigs – Suidae
Mousedeer – Tragulidae
Deer – Cervidae
Cattle & Goats – Bovidae
RODENTIA – SQUIRRELS, RATS & PORCUPINES
Squirrels – Sciuridae
Rats & Mice – Muridae
Voles – Cricetidae
No species seen or no species identified to species level
Bamboo Rats – Spalacidae
No species seen or no species identified to species level
Porcupines – Hystricidae
LAGOMORPHA – HARES & RABBITS
Hares – Leporidae
CETACEA – WHALES, DOLPHINS & PORPOISES
Whales – Baleanopteridae
SIRENIA – SEA COWS
Dugongs – Dugongidae
No species seen or no species identified to species level
REPTILES OF THAILAND
CROCODYLIA
- Siamese Crocodile, Crocodylus siamensis
Crocodylidae – Crocodiles
Gavialidae – Gharials
No species seen or no species identified to species level
CHELONII – TURTLES & TORTOISES
- Malayan Box Turtle, Cuora amboinensis
- Enigmatic Leaf Turtle, Cyclemys enigmatica
- Oldham’s Leaf Turtle, Cyclemys oldhamii
- Yellow-headed Temple Turtle, Heosemys annandalii
- Giant Asian Pond Turtle, Heosemys grandis
- Spiny Turtle, Heosemys spinosa
- Malayan Flat-shelled Turtle, Notochelys platynota
- Malayan Snail-eating Turtle, Malayemys macrocephala
- Black Marsh Turtle, Siebenrockiella crassicollis
- Elongated Tortoise, Indotestudo elongata
- Asian Forest Tortoise, Manouria emys phayrei
- Malayan Softshell Turtle, Dogania subplana
- Southeast Asian Softshell turtle, Amyda cartilaginea
Geoemydidae – Asian Hardshelled Turtles
Cheloniidae – Sea Turtles
No species seen or no species identified to species level
Dermochelyidae – Leatherback Sea Turtles
No species seen or no species identified to species level
Platysternidae – Asian Big-headed Turtles
No species seen or no species identified to species level
Testudinidae – Land Tortoises
Trionychidae – Softshell Turtles
LACERTILIA – LIZARDS
- Armored Spiny Lizard, Acanthosaura armata
- Orange-crested Spiny Lizard, Acanthosaura aurantiacrista
- Bintang Spiny Lizard, Acanthosaura bintangensis
- Cardamom Mountains Spiny Lizard, Acanthosaura cardamomensis
- Boulenger’s Spiny Lizard, Acanthosaura crucigera
- Southern Spiny Lizard, Acanthosaura meridiona
- Scale-bellied Spiny Lizard, Acanthosaura lepidogaster
- Phuket Spiny Lizard, Acanthosaura phuketensis
- Duméril’s Monitor Lizard, Varanus dumerilii
- Clouded Monitor Lizard, Varanus nebulosus
- Roughneck Monitor Lizard, Varanus rudicollis
- Water Monitor Lizard, Varanus salvator
Agamidae – Agamid Lizards
To be continued!
Varanidae – Monitor Lizards
SERPENTES – SNAKES
- Marine File Snake, Acrochordus granulatus
- Elephant Trunk Snake, Acrochordus javanicus
- Diard’s Blind Snake, Argyrophis diardii
- Brahminy Blind Snake, Indotyphlops braminus
- Speckle-headed Vine Snake, Ahaetulla fasciolata
- Large-eyed Vine Snake, Ahaetulla mycterizans
- Indochinese Long-nosed Vine Snake, Ahaetulla fusca
- Oriental Vine Snake, Ahaetulla prasina
- Ornate Flying Snake, Chrysopelea ornata
- Paradise Flying Snake, Chrysopelea paradisi
- Striped Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis caudolineatus
- Blue Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis cyanochloris
- Beautiful Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis formosus
- Haas’s Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis haasi
- Kopstein’s Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis kopsteini
- Nganson Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis ngansonensis
- Sawtooth-necked Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis nigroserratus
- Painted Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis pictus
- Unidentified Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis sp.
- Striated Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis striatus
- Mountain Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis subocularis
- Vogel’s Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis vogeli
- Red Whip Snake, Dryophiops rubescens
- Variable Reed Snake, Calamaria lumbricoidea
- Brown Reed Snake, Calamaria pavimentata
- Pink-headed Reed Snake, Calamaria schlegeli
- Chan-ard’s Reed Snake, Macrocalamus chanardi
- Dwarf Reed Snake, Pseudorabdion longiceps
- Bengkulu Cat Snake, Boiga bengkuluensis
- Green Cat Snake, Boiga cyanea
- Dog-toothed Cat Snake, Boiga cynodon
- White-spotted Cat Snake, Boiga drapiezii
- Jasper’s Cat Snake, Boiga jaspidea
- Mangrove Cat Snake, Boiga melanota
- Many-spotted Cat Snake, Boiga multomaculata
- Black-headed Cat Snake, Boiga nigriceps
- Thai Cat Snake, Boiga siamensis
- Yellow-striped Rat Snake, Coelognathus flavolineatus
- Radiated Rat Snake, Coelognathus radiatus
- Cave Racer, Elaphe taeniura (subspecies: ridley and helfenbergeri)
- Indochinese Ground Snake, Gongylosoma scriptum
- Red-tailed Racer, Gonyosoma oxycephalum
- Blue-eyed Green Trinket Snake, Gonyosoma coeruleum
- Slender Wolf Snake, Lycodon albofuscus
- Butler’s Wolf Snake, Lycodon butleri
- Common Wolf Snake, Lycodon capucinus
- Cardamom Mountains Wolf Snake, Lycodon cardamomensis
- Malayan Cave Wolf Snake, Lycodon cavernicolus
- Blanford’s Bridle Snake, Lycodon davisonii
- Brown Wolf Snake, Lycodon effraenis
- Banded Wolf Snake, Lycodon fasciatus
- Gibson’s Wolf Snake, Lycodon gibsonae
- Laotian Wolf Snake, Lycodon laoensis
- Indochinese Banded Wolf Snake, Lycodon maculatus
- Snake-eater Wolf Snake, Lycodon ophiophagus
- Northern Large-toothed Snake, Lycodon septentrionalis/chapaensis
- Malayan Bridle Snake, Lycodon subannulatus
- White-banded Wolf Snake, Lycodon subcinctus
- Zoos Victoria’s Wolf Snake, Lycodon zoosvictoriae
- Barron’s Kukri Snake, Oligodon barroni
- Grey Kukri Snake, Oligodon cinereus
- Cantor’s Kukri Snake, Oligodon cyclurus
- Small-banded Kukri Snake, Oligodon fasciolatus
- Hua Hin Kukri Snake, Oligodon huahin
- Mouhot’s Kukri Snake, Oligodon mouhoti
- Surat Thani Kukri Snake, Oligodon promsombuti
- Purple Kukri Snake, Oligodon purpurascens
- Saiyok Kukri Snake, Oligodon saiyok
- Barred Kukri Snake, Oligodon signatus
- Cave Kukri Snake, Oligodon speleoserpens
- Striped Kukri Snake, Oligodon taeniatus
- Red Bamboo Racer, Oreocryptophis porphyraceus
- Keeled Rat Snake, Ptyas carinata
- White-bellied Rat Snake, Ptyas fusca
- Indian Rat Snake, Ptyas mucosa
- Indochinese Rat Snake, Ptyas korros
- Buff-striped Keelback, Amphiesma stolatum
- Yellow-spotted Keelback, Fowlea flavipunctatus
- Checkered Keelback, Fowlea piscator
- White-spotted Keelback, Fowlea punctulatus
- Boulenger’s Keelback, Hebius boulengeri
- Groundwater’s Keelback, Hebius groundwateri
- Fire-back Keelback, Hebius igneus
- Khasi Hills Keelback, Hebius khasiensis
- Red Mountain Keelback, Hebius sanguineum
- Karenland Keelback, Hebius terrakarenorum
- Speckle-bellied Keelback, Rhabdophis chrysargos
- Black-banded Keelback, Rhabdophis nigrocinctus
- Siamese Red-necked Keelback, Rhabdophis siamensis
- Triangled Keelback, Xenochrophis trianguligerus
- Assamese Mountain Snake, Plagiopholis nuchalis
- Large-eyed False Cobra, Pseudoxenodon macrops
- Collared Black-headed Snake, Sibynophis collaris
- Triangled Black-headed Snake, Sibynophis triangularis
- Jodi’s Pipe Snake , Cylindrophis jodiae
- Red-tailed Pipe Snake , Cylindrophis ruffus
- Malayan Krait, Bungarus candidus
- Banded Krait, Bungarus fasciatus
- Red-headed Krait, Bungarus flaviceps
- Arrow-vented Krait, Bungarus sagittatus
- Red River Krait, Bungarus slowinskii
- Wanghaoting’s Krait, Bungarus wanghaotingi
- Yellow-lipped Sea Krait, Laticauda colubrina
- Brown Banded Cobra, Naja fuxi
- Monocled Cobra, Naja kaouthia
- Indochinese Spitting Cobra, Naja siamensis
- Equatorial Spitting Cobra (golden morph), Naja sumatrana
- King Cobra, Ophiophagus hannah
- Malayan Blue Coral Snake, Calliophis bivirgatus
- Malayan Banded Coral Snake, Calliophis intestinalis
- Small-spotted Coral Snake, Calliophis maculiceps
- MacClelland’s Coral Snake, Sinomicrurus macclellandi
- Cantor’s Mud Snake, Cantoria violacea
- South Asian Bockadam, Cerberus rynchops
- Schneider’s Bockadam, Cerberus schneiderii
- Chanard’s Mud Snake, Enhydris chanardi
- Rainbow Mud Snake, Enhydris enhydris
- Tentacled Snake, Erpeton tentaculatum
- Crab-eating Mud Snake, Fordonia leucobalia
- Gerard’s Mud Snake, Gerarda prevostiana
- Puff-faced Water Snake, Homalopsis buccata
- Jack’s Water Snake, Homalopsis mereljcoxi
- Martaban Water Snake, Homalopsis semizonata
- Murphy’s Water Snake, Hypsiscopus murphyi
- Grey Water Snake, Hypsiscopus plumbea
- Bocourt’s Water Snake, Subsessor bocourti
- Blunt-headed Slug Snake, Aplopeltura boa
- Smooth Slug Snake, Asthenodipsas laevis
- Mirkwood Forest Slug Snake, Asthenodipsas lasgalenensis
- Malayan Slug Snake, Asthenodipsas malaccanus
- Berdmore’s Slug-eating Snake, Pareas berdmorei
- Keeled Slug-eating Snake, Pareas carinatus
- Twin Slug-eating Snake, Pareas geminatus
- White-spotted Slug-eating Snake, Pareas margaritophorus
- Spotted Slug-eating Snake, Pareas macularius
- Indochinese Sand Snake, Psammophis indochinensis
- Mock Viper, Psammodynastes pulverulentus
- Reticulated Python, Malayopython reticulatus
- Burmese Python, Python bivittatus
- Brongersma’s Blood Python, Python brongersmai
- Malayan Pit Viper, Calloselasma rhodostoma
- Himalayan Mountain Pit Viper, Ovophis monticola
- Omkoi Lance-headed Pit Viper, Protobothrops kelomohy
- White-lipped Pit Viper, Trimeresurus albolabris
- Gumprecht’s Pit Viper, Trimeresurus gumprechti
- Guo’s Pit Viper, Trimeresurus guoi
- Hagen’s Pit Viper, Trimeresurus hageni
- Kanburi Pit Viper, Trimeresurus kanburiensis
- Kra Isthmus Pit Viper, Trimeresurus kraensis
- Kui Buri Pit Viper, Trimeresurus kuiburi
- Lanna Pit Viper, Trimeresurus lanna
- Large-eyed Pit Viper, Trimeresurus macrops
- Phuket Pit Viper, Trimeresurus phuketensis
- Mangrove Pit Viper, Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus
- Siamese Peninsula Pit Viper, Trimeresurus sabahi fucatus
- Sumatran Pit Viper, Trimeresurus sumatranus
- Tenasserim Pit Viper, Trimeresurus tenasserimensis
- Beautiful Pit Viper, Trimeresurus venustus
- Vogel’s Pit Viper, Trimeresurus vogeli
- Wirot’s Pit Viper, Trimeresurus wiroti
- Wagler’s Pit Viper, Tropidolaemus wagleri
- Siamese Russell’s Viper, Daboia siamensis
- Laotian Bearded Snake, Parafimbrios laos
- Sunbeam Snake, Xenopeltis unicolor
Acrochordidae – Wart Snakes
Typhlopidae – Blind Snakes
Colubridae – Colubrids
Cylindrophiidae – Pipe Snakes
Elapidae – Elapids
Homalopsidae – Indo-Australian Water Snakes
Pareidae – Slug Snakes
Psammophiidae – Sand Snakes
Pseudaspididae
Pythonidae – Pythons
Viperidae – Vipers & Pit Vipers
Xenodermatidae – Strange-skinned Snakes
Xenopeltidae – Sunbeam Snakes
Birds of Thailand
Hornbills
- Austen’s Brown Hornbill, Anorrhinus austeni
- Tickell’s Brown Hornbill, Anorrhinus tickelli
- Oriental Pied Hornbill, Anthracoceros albirostris
- White-crowned Hornbill, Berenicornis comatus
- Great Hornbill, Buceros bicornis
- Rhinoceros Hornbill, Buceros rhinoceros
- Wrinkled Hornbill, Rhabdotorrhinus corrugatus
- Helmeted Hornbill, Rhinoplax vigil
- Wreathed Hornbill, Rhyticeros undulatus
- To be continued!