73
Location
Lots of countries make up
Southeast Asia, including
many island nations. All
are tropical, with a rainy
monsoon season and
a hot, dry season.HABITAT KEY
WetlandsMountainsTropical
forestsSCALE
200 kilometers00200 milesCHINA
TAIWAN
INDONESIA
PHILIPPINES
BRUNEI
EAST TIMOR
ManilaTaipeiThe world’s smallest type
of bear uses its long tongue
to lap up insects, but its
favorite food is fruit.The world’s biggest lizard,
the Komodo dragon grows
up to 6 ft (2 m) long. Its
venomous bite can kill
a water buffalo!Special skin stretched
over extra-long ribs lets
this lizard glide through
the rain forest.
Male proboscis
monkeys’ huge
noses help to make
their calls louder.Just 6 in (16 cm) tall,
this little primate can
turn its head right
around to look
backward!Only male birds of paradise
have amazing, colorful
feathers, which they show
off to attract females.
Sun bearProboscis
monkeyKomodo dragonPhilippine tarsierSoa-soa
water lizardGreater bird
of paradiseN
o
r
th
M
a
l
u
k
u
S O U T H C H I N A S E A
JAVA SEA
Bo
rn
e
o
Su
la
we
si Maluku
Java
N
e
w(^) G
ui
ne
a
M
O
L
U
C
C
A
S
E
A
SULU
SEA
OC
EA
PAC N
IF
IC
Bali
E
Ribbontail stingray
This stingray swims in
shallow water, looking for
crabs, shrimp, and small
fish to eat. Its bright-blue
spots and stripes warn
other sea creatures to
stay away.
One sting from a ribbontail stingray
can kill a would-be predator.
King cobra
The king cobra can grow
up to 18 ft (5.5 m) long.
It lives almost entirely
off other snakes, which it
hunts by sight and smell.
Unusually, this snake
doesn’t hiss—it growls!
The domesticated
water buffalo
is widely used to
plough paddy
(rice) fields.
Palau
A big “sail” of skin
on its tail helps drive
the soa-soa water
lizard forward
Adult sunbirds drink when it swims.
nectar with their
long, curved bills.
They feed their
chicks insects.
H
ain
an
Dili
Indo-Pacific
humpback
dolphin
This species of
humpback dolphin
is usually gray, but it
can also be white,
or even pink!
US_072_073_Southeast_Asia.indd 73 31/03/2017 14:49