Fauna
The fauna of DVCA can be regarded as being representative of a once abundant habitat (lowland dipterocarp forest) that is now rare, at least in an undisturbed state; this is the main biodiversity, conservation and scientific value of DVCA. Many of the rarer species found within the primary forest of the conservation area are likely to be relict populations of species with formerly much wider distributions. Data on the fauna of DVCA have been accumulated through a range of studies, although very few of these have been concerned specifically with the discovery of new species and the current species lists for Danum Valley are therefore far from complete in most cases (the bird, mammal and butterfly lists being notable exceptions).
More than 120 mammal species are found within DVCA including all of the ten species of primate that occur on the eastern side of Sabah. The Conservation Area, and surrounding logged forest, provide a crucially important habitat for orang utan and, due in part to minimal hunting pressure, these forests are particularly rich in other large mammals including the Asian elephant, banteng, Malayan sun bear, clouded leopard, bearded pig and several species of dear. It also provides one of the last refuges in Sabah for the critically endangered Sumatran rhino.
Over 340 species of bird have been recorded at Danum, including the argus pheasant, Bulwer's pheasant, seven species of pitta (including the rare giant pitta), the Borneo bristlehead, a rich fauna of babblers, bulbuls and flycatchers, and all of the seven species of hornbill found on Borneo. Amphibians are represented at Danum Valley by more that 60 species including the rare Wallace's flying frog, harlequin and emerald tree frogs and the Bornean horned frog. Approximately 75 species of reptile have been recorded - hard and soft-shelled turtles, agamid lizards, skinks, monitors, geckos and a number of snakes including pythons, vipers, cobras and coral snakes.
More than 40 species of fish have been recorded, including several new species and new records for Sabah. Arthropods form by far the most diverse group at Danum with perhaps as many as 150,000 species. These include (probably) 6,000 or more species of moth, at least 350 butterfly species, tens of thousands of beetle species, with the flies and wasps also being extremely species-rich.
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