I spent four days in the savannah country of Baluran NP in far east Java in early January 2009. From here I could see Bali quite easily. Bali and Java are not far apart at all - I could see individual trees on Bali from Java. The Savannah country is quite unexpected in such a place where rainforests should occur. Apparently it is so dry in Baluran in the Dry season that rainforest can only hang on in small patches. So what you are left with is remarkably similar to what you would see in Africa.

The savannah varied quite a lot, in some areas near the coast there were patches of jungle (not shown here.)

Yes, even the flat-topped spiny acacias grow here. They have loads of spines to protect them from the large grazing animals that traditionally roamed the area.

Mangroves grew in abundance on the coast.

Of particular interest is the Giant Fan Palm that grows here. A similar or identical species also grows in far north Queensland. It's a big tree and it takes forever to grow. The first picture shows a tall palm high above the savannah, the second shows what happens when they get old enough. They have their one and only mad fruiting season then simply die. Hornbills and fruit pigeons gorge themselves on these fruits. "Flying" lizards (Draco volans) are commonly seen running up and down these trees chasing insects, and occasionally glide from one to another.

This park is famous for its endangered birds. Indonesia has a terrible track record for bird poaching and wildlife trade. Some of the species have managed to hang on in this tiny pocket. All live bird images except those of the Nightjars and Jungle Fowl are heavily cropped.

One bird I was very pleased to see was one that only Colonel Sanders would get excited about- the pre-domesticated chicken, known as the Red Jungle Fowl. Not a scabby barnyard dweller, the Red Jungle Fowl males are proud, handsome birds that are wonderfully coloured and extremely alert. They can fly at frightening speeds through the scrub. Females look nothing like the domesticated variety- more like a grouse.

I did not manage to get close enough to a Red Jungle Fowl, but I did get some semi-decent shots of another, the lesser known Green Jungle Fowl, Gallus varius. Instead of a many-pointed comb on the head, males' combs look like a wedge of tomato. Very spectacular bird. Apparently males are bred with domestic chickens to produce powerful fighters for cock-fighting, which is still common in Indonesia.

And the Green Peafowl is also found here. Threatened with global extinction, they are common in Baluran, possibly one of their final strongholds. Quite different to the common, ornamental Indian Peafowl, the Green Peafowl has very different head and body plumage. The tail is practically the same. An incredibly shy bird normally seen at a distance. During the dry season these birds are much easier to see, as the grass and wild mint dies back.

I did not get near enough for really good pictures, but Hornbills are also found in the Park, the two most commonly seen are the Wreathed...

...and Asian Pied Hornbills.

Other than that, birds were very hard to approach, let alone photograph... Except for this one, the Savannah Nightjar Caprimulgus affinis. This is a rather common species that I saw everywhere in Baluran NP. In one instance I could count nine without moving the torch beam! They would just sit there, and if I moved quietly enough they would allow very close photographs. We nearly ran over a heap on a motorbike going at walking pace, and I accidentally stepped over one. It exploded into the air, chirping like a Pipit and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Civets also roamed about in the savannah and forest. This one loves to descend from the trees at night at Bekol (the main settlement in the NP with about 5 human residents) and pinch food lying around. Civets are kind of like giant ferrets or stoats that love to live in trees. I witnessed them hunting nightjars, eating figs and this one attempted to get in a cage with a very angry Cobra and steal its food- a small finch. The Cobra hissed so loudly I thought it was the Civet hissing at me.

Monkeys were also present. Cheeky, crafty little critters I can't say I really liked them that much. Macaques were everywhere. Another jet black species was common. One day I went to the local shop (about 20km by bike and a ridiculous 30 000IRP) and bought a heap of canned fish, packet noodles and drinks. I was staying in a guest house and left my room to walk to the front door, only metres away. I was gone for only a minute or less, and returned to the room. I looked out the window to see a monkey about 50m away on a brick wall with a red packet that looked very much like my noodles. The monkey saw me and glared back, clutching the packet to its chest. It then screamed and ran off. Yes, they were my noodles. I wondered how the monkey could get in and out so fast, but from then on I locked all doors.

Many more mammals were spotted, but without good binoculars and some sort of field guide I cannot say what they were. I did spot a medium sized cat during the day on the road and what looked like a large gliding mammal one night, though.

The park rangers knew very little about anything other than trees and the odd bird. I sat down for a chat with Pak Wiwek, the head ranger one evening for a quick chat. Apparently he's the man that knows the most about pretty much anything, but barely speaks English. Luckily my Indonesian was pretty good by that stage. I asked if there was informantion on any of the snakes of the area, as I saw plenty of pictures taken within the park on display on a wall, including the Paradise Tree Snake (it can glide long distances!) among a host of others. He said he had little information. Contemplating the question for a moment, he vanished into a room and came back out again with two books. Not really information books, they were the type you would see in a school library. They were very general, covering only a couple of species worldwide, in large, easy to read text. Wiwek knew plenty about the snakes, but he had no references to look to. Those basic books he did have cost him a fortune, like one of us in Australia paying $700 for a book, and only getting a children's book for that. Parks are severely under-funded, at my guess, rangers would earn around AU$5 a day. The government does not seem to provide educational resources. Snakes that are present include (sorry no latin names yet):

Green Vine Snake

Paradise Tree Snake (the "Flying" Snake)

Leopard Cat-Eyed Snake (I photographed)

Mangrove Tree Snake

Land Krait

Cobra (Naja spadix?)

White Lipped Pit Viper (I photographed)

Many more are likely to be found there, but no formal lists exist.

Just a re-cap on the snakes of the Savannah I did find:

The "Leopard" Cat-Eyed Snake. I love this one. It's basically very similar to the Australian Brown Tree Snake. Mildly venemous, I saw it crossing the road. I quickly grabbed it as it headed into the grass. When I got it onto the road it went absolutely nuts, striking very quickly in many directions and springing back into the position shown in the second picture, lining me up constantly. It held the position for a long time, until I let it go. An insane little snake, and one I'd like to see again. Still, it evades proper identification.

The White-Lipped Pit Viper Trimeresurus albolabris (just try and get one of these in a pillowcase! They "sidewind" rather than move directly forward!) This is a dangerous snake. Like other pit-vipers the fangs are ridiculously long and fold backwards in the mouth, jack-knifing out when required. I am confident catching most venemous snakes by hand, but due to the extreme flexibility and small size of this snake, and the lightning-fast strike, I'd rather use a tool to handle this one. As far as behaviour goes, this species "fidgets" when cornered. Rather than just sit there like most snakes, it constantly flexes and sizes you up, sort of like sidewinding, but in one spot.

And a re-cap on the Frogs

Polypedates leucomystax. This is a common frog with a very deep, wavering grunt for a voice. It belongs to a family of frogs found in South East Asia known as the Rhacophoridae. These frogs build foam nests above the water. When the young hatch, they simply fall in. This family includes Asia's "Flying Frogs" as well.

Rana nicobariensis could be found around swamps in the mangroves at Baluran NP. In Bali, these had a slightly longer call, no barring on the legs and called from ground level in the water. In Java they only called from leaves above the water. The call was five rapid "Yaps."

Possible Microhyla sp, a Chorus Frog. This has to be the closest thing I have ever seen to Eastern Australia's Common Froglet (Crinia signifera.) The call is the same ratchet-like "crick..crick...," they like the same sort of habitat, they are the same tiny size (25-30mm) and they often have similar patterns on their backs. However, this is quite unrelated to the Common Froglet despite the extreme similarities.

Kaloula baleata the Flowerpot Toad. Actually a large and fat Microhylid, not at all a toad. When handled, this one puffed up into a ball and let out a sticky, alkaline smelling substance. I didn't put it anywhere near my mouth.

Lepidodactylus sp, a species of Asian House Gecko

One way to gather large numbers of butterflies is to answer the call of nature...

All of these are Pieriids, the family containing Whites, Yellows and Jezebels in Australia.

LIST OF BIRDS SEEN ON SAVANNAH:

(h)= heard

Stork, Milky Mycteria cinera

Kite, Brahminy Haliastur indus

Serpent-Eagle, Crested Spilornis cheela

Kestrel, Spotted Falco moluccensis

Junglefowl, Red Gallus gallus

Junglefowl, Green Gallus varius

Peafowl, Green Pavo muticus

Pratincole/Courser unknown

Emerald Ground Dove Chalcophaps indica

Imperial Pigeon, Green Ducula aenea

Dove, Zebra Geopelia striata (Similar to Australian Peaceful Dove, but very different call.)

Turtle Dove, Spotted Streptopelia chinensis

Turtle Dove, Collared Streptopelia bitorquatus (Supposed to be rare, but was everywhere on roads)

Cuckoo, Oriental Cuculus saturatus

Cuckoo, Plaintive Cacaomantis merulinus

Cuckoo, Brush Cacomantis variolosus (h)

Coucal, Lesser Centropus bengalensis

Fish-Owl, Buffy Ketupa ketupu (seen very briefly in rainforest on coast)

Nightjar, Large-tailed Caprimulgus macrurus (h)

Nightjar, Savannah Caprimulgus affinis

Swiftlets, impossible to identify

Kingfisher, Small Blue Alcedo coerulescens

Kingfisher, Javan Halcyon cyanoventris (possibly the most beautiful kingfisher in the world)

Kingfisher, Sacred Todiramphus sancta

Kingfisher, Collared Todiramphus chloris (The Asian subspecies can be found far from the coast and any water and is blue unlike the green Australian subspecies)

Bee Eater, Blue-Throated Merops viridis (Possibly other species seen too)

Hornbill, Wreathed Rhyticeros undulatus

Hornbill, Asian Pied Anthraracoceros albirostris

Woodpecker, Crimson-Winged Picus puniceus (Brilliant green with red wings)

Swallow, Barn Hirundo rustica

Bulbul, Sooty-Headed Pycnonotus aurigaster

Bulbul, Yellow-Vented Pycnonotus goiavier

Shrike, Long-Tailed Lanius schach

Drongo, Black Dicrurus macrocercus

Those were the birds I knew I saw. Many more were too fast or too small and brown and uninteresting (LBJs - Little Brown Jobs) to record without good binoculars. The bird book I have on the area is missing so much information and is photographic rather than illustrated. I much prefer illustrated.

By the way, the little electricity available was very hard to get...

Anyway, that's all for the savannah for now. Next I'll detail my trip to the rainforest village to the south.

-Nathan Litjens