Living National Treasures: Thailand

Checklists of  Endemics

Mammal Species 5

Bird Species 2

Reptile Species 47

Amphibian Species 9

Freshwater Fish Species 81

Marine Fish Species 16

Vertebrate Genera 4

Swallowtail & Milkweed Butterfly Species 0

Vascular Plant Genera 14

Families & Orders 0


Taxonomic Sources & Caveats

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 Freshwater fish species unique to Thailand include a rich assortment of cave-dwelling forms such as Poropuntius speleops (FishBase), Neolissochilus subterraneus (FishBase), the Cave Sheatfish (PlanetCatfish), Kittipong’s Cave Loach  (FishBase), Schistura spiesi (Loaches Online), Nemacheilus troglocataractus (Loaches Online), and an endemic genus:  the Waterfall Climbing Cave Fish Cryptotora thamicola (New York Univ.).  Other endemic freshwater fish include the Redtail Sharkminnow (FishBase), Sompong’s Rasbora (FishBase), Microrasbora kubotai (eol), an armored stickleback Indostomus crocodilus (FishBase), a chameleonfish Badis khwae (FishBase), Betta simplex (IBC), the Ornate Sand Loach (Loaches Online), and a catfish Glyptothorax buchanani (PlanetCatfish), Oreoglanis nakasathiani (PlanetCatfish), and Acrochordonichthys gyrineus (FishBase).  Endemic marine fish include the Thai Damselfish (FishBase), a goby Myersina adonis (FishBase), and the grunts Plectorhinchus macrospilus (eol) and Pomadasys andamanensis (p. 2 of FAO pdf file).

Amphibians found only in Thailand include a bird-eating frog Limnonectes megastomias (Wildlife Extra), Smith's Wrinkled Frog (ARKive), the Inthanon Stream Toad (flickr), the Doi Chang Frog (flickr), Amolops panhai (Kyoto Univ. pdf file), the Phu Luang Cliff Frog (National Geographic), Lekagul's Leaf Litter Frog (flickr), Fejervarya triora (Biodiversity Heritage Library), Rhacophorus jarujini (Zoological Soc. Japan pdf file), Leptolalax fuliginosus (p. 4 of Kyoto Univ. pdf file), and the Nakon Si Thammarat Caecilian Ichthyophis supachaii (Internet Archive).

Reptiles that occur nowhere else include Gumprecht's Green Pit Viper (Gernot Vogel), the Kanburi Pit Viper (Siam-Info), the Banded Green Cat Snake (Siam-Info), the Northern Keelback (flickr), a water snake Enhydris chanardi (Raffles Museum pdf file), the Orange-tailed Ground Gecko (Gernot Vogel), the Siamese Green-eyed Gecko (Nature's Window), Chanhome’s Gecko (Michael Lo), a recently described false bloodsucker Pseudocalotes khaonanensis (flickr), Gyldenstolpe’s Snake Skink (Reptile Database), and an endemic genus:  Miriam's Skink Davewakeum miriamae (Reptile Database).

Birds known solely from Thailand include the White-eyed River-martin (BirdLife Int'l) and Deignan’s Babbler (prc.ac.th), which sometimes is considered distinct from the more widespread Rufous-fronted Babbler Stachyris rufifrons.  

Endemic mammals include the Thai Roundleaf Bat (BatThai), Neill’s Rat Leopoldamys neilli (Asiakarsts), the Limestone Rat Niviventer hinpoon (p. 19 of ONEP pdf file), and perhaps the poorly known Williamson’s Mouse-deer (IUCN Red List).  The extinct Schomburgk's Deer Rucervus schomburgki (Extinction Website) was known only from Thailand.

Beetles exclusive to Thailand include a jewel beetle Chrysochroa corbetti (Living Jewels), a stag beetle Lucanus koyamai (Lucanes du Monde), a dung beetle Enoplotrupes sharpi (Käfer der Welt), and a longhorned beetle Anoplophora granata (Cerambycoidea.com).  Other endemic insects include Aroon’s Silverline (SIZ), the Siamese Ringlet (SIZ), Sukkit’s Dawnfly (SIZ), a hawk moth Leucophlebia frederkingi (Sphingidae of SE Asia), the Khao Soi Dao Shadow Damsel (SIZ), and Coeliccia yamasakii (Asia Dragonfly).

Other endemic arthropods include the Shocking Pink Dragon Millipede (Zootaxa pdf file), the Giant Mountain Crab Potamon bhumibol (p. 1 of ONEP pdf file), a tarantula Chilobrachys huahini (WikiPets), and a scorpion Heterometrus sejnai (p. 41 of Euscorpius 6 MB pdf file).  Endemic land snails include Alycaeus somnueki (jaxshells.org), Arinia panhai (Femorale), Sarika diadema (p. 3 of Raffles Museum pdf file), Anauchen smokon (p. 5 of ASEAN Biodiversity Info 5 MB pdf file), and Phuphania globosa (p. 3 of Raffles Museum pdf file). Endemic marine molluscs include Attiliosa houarti (Eddie Hardy) and Orr’s Murex (BISHOGAI).  A recently described sea slug Aiteng ater (Raffles Museum pdf file) is the sole member of a family currently known only from Pak Phanang Bay.

Vascular plant species restricted to Thailand include the orchids Paphiopedilum exul (rspg.org) and Pecteilis sagarikii (dnp.go.th), Magnolia sirindhorniae (flickr), Mallotus glomerulatus (Flora of Thailand), Sapria ram (rspg.org), Begonia pumila (dnp.go.th), Rhododendron ludwigianum (rspg.org), Bauhinia siamensis (dnp.go.th), Delphinium siamense (rspg.org), Gardenia saxatilis (rspg.org), Wrightia sirikitae (WNS Stamps), and Impatiens phuluangensis (dnp.go.th).  A rich endemic cycad flora includes Cycas nongnoochiae (Cycad Pages), Cycas pranburiensis (Cycad Pages), Cycas elephantipes (Cycad Pages), Cycas petrea (Cycad Pages), Cycas tansachana (Cycad Pages), and Cycas chamaoensis (Cycad Pages).  Endemic genera include the White Elephant Palm (PACSOA), an orchid Lesliea (orchidspecies.com), Santisukia (rspg.org), Khaosokia (dnp.go.th), Thepparatia (dnp.go.th), Marcania (dnp.go.th), Remirema (dnp.go.th), and the gingers Cornukaempferia (rspg.org) and Siamanthus (botany.hawaii.edu pdf file).

Portions of Thailand are included in two biodiversity hotspots:  the Indo-Burma (Biodiversity Hotspots) and the Sundaland (Biodiversity Hotspots).  The Chao Phraya (FEOW) is an important freshwater ecoregion and the Mekong River (WWF) has one of the world's richest freshwater faunas.