Unique Animal Only Found in Bali

 

According to Wallace-Weber's idea, three geographical lines separate Indonesia's flora and fauna. Bali is located on the west line, hence its flora and fauna are similar to that of Western Indonesia. So, if you want to know what's going on with Bali-only animals, you should read this post!

 

Jalak Bali

 

The Jalak Bali (Leucopsar rothschildi) is a small, white feathered bird with black feathers on the tips of its wings and tail and a cobalt blue eye shadow. It is considered a critically endangered species and is only found in western Bali. You can tell the sex of the Jalak Bali by its head. If it has a crest, it’s a male, if not, it’s a female. 

 

Jalak Bali is also considered Bali’s animal mascot, which was officiated by the Indonesian government in 1991. So you will most likely see Jalak Bali as its mascot if there is a sport or cultural event in Bali or even Indonesia.

 

Jalak Bali is the island’s mascot animal.

 

Rusa Menjangan

 

You can usually Rusa Menjangan (Rusa timorensis) around the conservation area in West Bali. Bali even has a special region called Menjangan Island, one of the habitats of the Rusa Menjangan, where you can see deer along the coasts.

 

Sometimes you can see the deers along the Menjangan Island coast, even before stepping down from the boat.

 

Giant Black Squirrel

 

If most squirrels are mini-sized and look cute, this one is pretty huge within a tree rodent family. The giant black squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) or as Bali's locals usually call it jelarang or jelarang hitam. They can be found in Java, Sumatra, Bali, and surrounding islands.

 

The Jelarang is one of the largest squirrels in the world. Due to its habitat, this species is highly endangered if the forest is cut down. The Encyclopedia of Life classifies the giant black squirrel as “near threatened".

 

The giant black squirrel is the biggest squirrel in Bali.

 

Brown-bearded Tomb Bat

 

The brown bearded bat (Taphozous achates), also known as the Indonesian Tomb Bat, is a species of bat that is only found in Indonesia, around Nusa Penida, Bali, and also the islands of Kai, Sabu, Rote, and Semau. Brown-bearded bats are found living in caves in large groups.

 

You can find these bats in the caves around Bali.

 

These nocturnal animals make small insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, and moths as their main diet, but they are also known to eat fruits.

 

Anjing Kintamani

 

The Kintamani dog is a special local breed of Bali that originates from the Kintamani mountainous region. Even though the Kintamani dog is cross-bred from China’s Chow-Chow dog and local Bali dog, this Balinese dog has been recognized by the world. On 20 February 2019, the Kintamani dog was officially recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) as a breed dog from Indonesia. It took about 20 years for this dog to receive this recognition with the participation of many experts. 

 

The mountainous region of Kintamani is the most suitable place to live for these dogs.

 

One of the perks of Kintamani dogs is that they can live for up to 20 years. It's no wonder that many make them their best friend because they can keep you company for a long time.