This Field Guide highlights some of the unique and fascinating birds, amphibians, and mammals that a visitor to Vietnam might encounter. These species were selected to illustrate the rich diversity of forms, distribution, and natural history of birds and mammals found in Vietnam. Each account includes a detailed description of the species' range, natural history, habitat, abundance, occurrence in protected areas, conservation status, taxonomy, as well as a detailed reference list. Currently, there are 55 descriptions available; however, we will continue to expand this collection. While this does not represent a comprehensive field guide, it provides a good introduction of a few of the incredible animals in Vietnam.

Suggested citation:
Please note that each species account in the Guide should be credited to the author of that account as noted. An example of a citation is provided here:

Timmins, R.J. 2005. Red Vented Barbet, Megalaima lagrandieri. In Laverty, M.F. (editor). 2005. A Digital Field Guide to Vietnam. Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA. Available at http://conservationlibrary.amnh.org or http://www.conservationlibrary.org.

The sections
Each species account includes the following sections:

Species names
Each species is listed according to its scientific and English common name, and we are currently compiling common names in the local languages of the region. Scientific names of mammals follow Corbet and Hill (1992), with scientific names of extralimital species following Wilson and Reeder (1993). Species recognized after, and some taxonomic changes proposed since Corbet and Hill (1992) follow the treatment of Timmins et al. (in prep.). Scientific names of birds follow Inskipp et al. (1996), with scientific names of extralimital species following Sibley and Monroe (1990). Species recognized after, and some taxonomic changes proposed since Inskipp et al. (1996) follow the treatment of Timmins et al. (in prep.).

Common names
The primary English name given in each species account follows a standardized source; for mammals they follow Duckworth and Pine (2003) and for birds they follow Inskipp et al. (1996), except for cases in which they are not listed there, in which case they follow Robson (2000). Commonly encountered English names, particularly ones used widely in previous literature about the regions bird and mammal fauna, are also given.

Description
This section provides a description of the species and also the details needed to identify the species in the context of the Vietnamese fauna. The description is restricted to forms (subspecies) present in Vietnam. In the case of birds more detailed descriptions can also be found in several good field guides, namely Lekagul and Round (1991), Robson (2000) and Grimmett et al. (1998), and it is recommended that these be consulted when trying to positively identify bird species. Many of the elements of the descriptions are based on these field guides. The descriptions for birds generally aim to cover basic diagnostic characteristics, and where possible provide alternative viewpoints and details not included in the above mentioned field guides.

There is currently no comprehensive field guide or handbook to identify Vietnamese mammals, and identification details are either scattered through various publications or have never been published. Several publications namely Prater (1971), Lekagul and McNeely (1977), Payne et al. (1985), Corbet and Hill (1992), Gurung and Singh (1996), Sheng Hlin et al. (1999) and Francis (2000) provide useful background details for the more widespread species. In contrast to the bird descriptions, the mammal descriptions presented aim to allow the reader to identify the species without referring to other sources. A substantial proportion of the information presented has to my knowledge not been published previously. Some of the information presented conflicts with that found in other published sources, in the most serious cases this is noted in the text. This is due both to erroneous descriptions in previous literature and more commonly the fact that populations of species in Vietnam differ from those found elsewhere. The descriptions presented here provide a starting point and will be updated as more information is collected. For instance, there was insufficient time to collect body measurements or to review specimen collections to verify various morphological or pelage features, and their variation is often necessary for a better diagnostic description. Vocalizations of mammals also remain poorly recorded, although where possible a basic guide to their vocalizations is given.

Habitat
Each account specifies the habitats in which the species occurs in Vietnam and as such the habitats listed may differ from published accounts of other populations of the species. This is particularly the case for the altitudinal limits given. In some instances, details for Vietnamese populations are lacking or incomplete and in the majority of these cases the habitat information is based on the Indochinese population where it is thought to be ecologically very similar to that component within Vietnam. In a few cases data from further a field are presented, explicitly as such. Altitudinal limits, in particular, are still poorly known and poorly collated even for Indochinese populations.

The sources for habitat data are primarily based on the author's observations for entries prepared by Timmins (2005), and supplemented by the knowledge of other observations of Vietnamese and Indochinese records of the species. These records are not referenced (due to the excessive number of potential sources), nor are other data sources unless they are particularly relevant to the discussion of a species habitat.

The habitat categories used follow Rundel and Timmins (in prep.). For convenience the term 'Evergreen Forest' refers to what Rundel and Timmins (in prep.) classify as 'Wet Evergreen Forest,' as well as formations of 'Lower Montane Forest' and 'Semi-Evergreen Forest' at the most 'evergreen' end of their spectrums, that is those that are largely evergreen throughout the year. The term 'lowland mosaic forests' is used specifically to imply the mosaics of 'Deciduous Dipterocarp Forest' and various 'Semi-Evergreen Forest' formations (many of them highly deciduous) at elevations below 500 meters that characterize the interior lowlands of central and southern Indochina. These forests often have a relatively high density of pools and seasonally wet grassland patches.

Abundance & Seasonality
Abundance, as used in this section, is both a relative categorization of the species natural density and the relative current population status with regard to natural densities within its preferred habitat(s). Many mammal populations, in particular, are much depressed from natural levels due to hunting. It must also be remembered that common secretive species can appear rare, just because they are difficult to see. Many mammal species are secretive as a direct result of being hunted. There are, in many instances, differences in abundance across different parts of Vietnam, where this is known and noticeable generalized abundances are given for different areas. This is difficult because abundance at a locality depends on many factors. Indeed one is likely to find localized areas where abundance is at odds with that stated.

As much as possible, seasonality with regard to both geographical movements and activity patterns of Vietnamese populations of a species is indicated. In general data on large-scale geographical movements are reasonably good, but data on local movements and seasonal activity patterns are very poor. For species with populations in more than one of the main geographical areas of Vietnam, there may be differences in seasonal patterns between different areas. At present there is very little data on this. For example, there may be significant differences in the activity levels in the winter months between populations in the north and south of Vietnam, due to significant differences between the two areas in temperature, the north generally being much colder. The seasonality of breeding behavior is not covered in this section, though a few details are given in the 'Natural History' section, because in many cases little is known. In fact breeding behavior of a species is likely to differ between different areas, based principally on rainfall patterns, temperature, and habitat.

The sources of data for this section are based on a synthesis of individual author's observations, supplemented by knowledge of other observers' Vietnamese and Indochinese records of the species. These records are not referenced, nor are other data sources unless they are particularly relevant to the discussion of a species abundance and seasonality.

Range
Range describes the distribution of the species in Vietnam and a generalized distribution of the species globally.

However, the distribution of many Vietnamese mammals is still poorly known, and even the ranges of many bird species are not fully known. This is a consequence of many factors, one of which is poor and confusing documentation of species records. Thus in several cases this section will conflict with widely available literature due to access to additional records not widely publicized. In many cases obscure records, some published in the grey literature, others never published, significantly expand the known range of a species. In other cases, there has never been a detailed review of an particular species distribution. In the latter scenario, it was not possible to list all sources behind the distributions given for species, as data becomes available accounts for these species will be updated. Thus in general data sources are not referenced unless they are particularly relevant and seminal to the discussion of a species range.

Where the likely range of a species is given, it is based on a synthesis of several factors including the range of a species' utilised habitat, knowledge of ecologically similar species ranges, and biogeographic patterns of Southeast Asia. In particular the Southern Annamite mountains and the Northern Highlands of Vietnam remain particularly poorly surveyed for mammals.

The geographical regions of Vietnam and Indochina named in the text follow a system developed by Timmins et al. (in prep.).

Occurrence in Protected Areas
The generally poor documentation of species records and lack of systematic surveys in Vietnam means that it is not possible to give a concise list of protected areas from which a species has been recorded, or where it is likely to be found. This contrasts with the situation in adjacent Laos, see for example Duckworth et al. (1999). For species with patchy or localised distributions protected areas are listed for which there is good confirmed evidence of presence (see some discussion on this topic in Duckworth and Hedges (1998)). This should not be taken as a definitive list, nor should it be used as a guide to a species' status in a given protected area. In most cases sources of protected area records are not cited. For more widespread species regions where they are found and conditions for potential presence in protected areas are noted. In some cases the protected areas in which a species is most likely to be seen, or that are particularly important for a species' conservation, are noted.

The names, spellings and status of protected areas in Vietnam are based on BirdLife International in Indochina and MARD's Sourcebook of Protected Areas (2004).

Conservation Status
This section presents the status of each species global population, following the 2004 World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, an international long-term program, which aims to systematically classify the global threat level faced by all the world's species of biota (see, http://www.redlist.org/ for more details). This system of global status categorization undergoes yearly updates, and thus the information presented here may differ from the current classification of the species on the IUCN Red List. To check a species current status visit: http://www.redlist.org/search/search-expert.php.

Taxonomic Description & Affinities
This section examines the higher-level taxonomy and phylogeny of the species. The family and order are given for each species. Primarily the object is to shed light on recent discussions in the literature pertaining to the taxonomy and phylogeny of the species and to illustrate general relationships, particularly surprising ones. In a number of cases, interesting apparent convergences in morphology and or species ecology are noted. This section also gives the numbers of species in the same genus that occur in Vietnam, and in some cases discusses in more detail related species in Vietnam. In some instances, the derivation of the scientific name, and or the history of the species discovery may be included.

Mammal taxonomy follows Corbet and Hill (1992), with higher taxonomic classifications and extra-limital species taxonomy following Wilson and Reeder (1993). Species recognized after, and some taxonomic changes proposed since Corbet and Hill (1992) follow the treatment of Timmins et al. (in prep.).

Bird taxonomy follows Inskipp et al. (1996), with higher taxonomic classifications and extralimital species taxonomy following Sibley and Monroe (1990). Species recognized after, and some taxonomic changes proposed since Inskipp et al. (1996) follow the treatment of Timmins et al. (in prep.).

Natural History

This section covers basic breeding behavior and social structure, diet, as well as interesting behaviors and aspects of ecology that have been documented. It includes details from Vietnam and other parts of Indochina, which do not appear or are only poorly documented in the literature.

Once again the current literature on birds is far more advanced and extensive than that on mammals, and in many cases much more detail on a bird's natural history can be found. For further information on birds see also: Grimmett et al. (1998), Wells (1999), Robson (2000), Birdlife International (2001), Salim Ali's multi-volume Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan, Lynx Edicions multi-volume Handbook of the Birds of the World and the bird 'family' profiles produced by Pica Press, Christopher Helm and T & AD Poyser publishers, which make up A & C Black's Natural History Division. Information on mammals is much harder to track down and is generally scant, but important works in which additional details may be found include Prater (1971), Lekagul and McNeely (1977), Payne et al. (1985), Corbet and Hill (1992), Gurung and Singh (1996), Sheng Hlin et al. (1999) and Francis (2000). Please see Further Readings section for full references.

Conservation & Threats
This section gives a detailed summary of the current conservation status of Vietnamese populations of a species including specific threats faced by the species. The section also discusses current conservation efforts that benefit the species and other actions that need to be taken to secure the future of the species in Vietnam. For more information about conservation in Vietnam and some of the threats that species face see Vietnam: A Natural History, Yale University Press, by Eleanor J. Sterling, Martha M. Hurley and Le Duc Minh, please see: http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=0300106084

The illustrations
The illustrations were done by Joyce Powzyk. She has illustrated numerous publications both popular and scientific, including Vietnam: A Natural History, Yale University Press.