The Bambangan

Info:

The bambangan, Mangifera pajang was described by Kosterm in 1849 (previously M. odorata). I have never seen the tree but have certainly seen the fruit. It is now in season. Last time I checked out in Putra Jaya (Telipok), the larger fruit was RM1.50 per fruit and it was large. Bought 2 fruits.

Resepi Jeruk Bambangan

Buka kulit dia. Ko buli jaruk dia sama-sama kulit atau buka kulit juga. Buli main tarik atau main hiris macam kita kupas kulit mangga. Kalau main tarik, kita buat garisan membujur, kemudian tarik tu kulit macam kita buka kulit pisang.

Kemudian hiris isi dia ikut kemahuan kita naaanti bila mau makan tu jaruk. Kalau mau jual, buat nipis-nipis siikit dan jangan buka kulit main tarik. Biar main hiris saja supaya banyak dapat tu jaruk.

Kemudian balah biji dia. Jangan pandai-pandai cuba buka macam kita buka biji mangga sebab biji bambangan ni padat, tiada ruang kosong di celak perikarp biji tu. Balah saja pakai parang basar. Kemudian parut dia punya biji.

Kemudian, ya puan2, tabur garam dan tabur biji yang sudah diparut itu dan gaul. Kalau kita tinggi darah, simpanlah garam tu banyak-banyak, baru kita tau dia punya pukulan.

Simpanlah sampai dia jadi jaruk dan makanlah. Tiada polis mau tangkap.

Centre for Primate Studies BORNEO

Hi guys... just to let everybody knows that I'm hiring both Julia and Sheena as our new research assistants effective on 1st of September. The centre office (the old ID room 4) will be operational on the 3rd of September. The facilities still not complete but everyone is invited to drop by even for a chat. See you there!

Fairus

How do you preserve a slug?

How?

I think I've seen quite a bit of them and indeed are quite diverse in colours, size, forms, at different altitudes.

How do we preserve them?

This is one which I saw in the forest of Danum - didn't take it.

Hamid.

New BORNEENSIS entry (The scarce wolf snake)

It takes a gut to immortality!

Not me, but a snake. She came to our camp and slithered on a hammock - just when the guy was settling for the night. Poor Patrick planned to have a dream, a cozy one. On Aug 4th, we had a dry week and this had been pleasant in the forest. But a she snake in bed is no lovemaking. The sex was right but the species was wrong!

It is a wolf snake, Lycodon effraenis, a colubrid from a group whose face somewhat resembles that of a wolf. Right there in the middle of the hammock, almost unsexily hungry for insects. Basically the bulge on the side of the snout is caused by larger side teeth, although the flabby upper lips of the wolf are the final ingredient that makes a wolf looks a wolf (even if the wolf is already toothless!).

So, here you are, guys. A wolf snake that made an entry at Borneensis today - it dies meaningfully for science.

Hamid.

More spider!!

These picture of spider was taken in Danum back in December 2006.
I think this spider is very cool though I dont know what species it is.
It stood up on people and prepared to fight!!! Danum Mike found it inside his Adidas kampung just before wearing it to go to work in the morning, we (me & Fiffy) rushed to get good pics.. :D
Sorry that the image is in low resolution, saving uploading time... ;)

NEWS ON THE TARANTULA

Guys,

I got the news from Dr Peter Koomen about the tarantula. Sounds good. Here's the excerp from his email to me:

Very nice photograph! Still it was not easy to identify. From the details I can see in the picture, I am quite convinced now that it is a Cyriopagopus, maybe even C. schioedtei (Thorell, 1891). To be sure, I have to do a few measurements and to check stridulation bristles between appendages. Luckely this will be possible, because you preserved the spider in alcohol (and not pinned and dried). If it is C. sch., then you have found this species for the first time on Borneo. Officially it is only known from West-Malaysia. It may, of course, also be a new species. Anyway, a very nice addition to the Borneensis Collection.

Here's the tarantula for you guys to see - I hope you have never seen it!

Hamid.

Common home spiders

Dear all,

I took some pictures of spiders that I saw in and around my house in Bandar Sierra. Some of them are small, but many are tiny. This is also to tell you how good the small camera is. I should say that it is convenient but it does not produce superior quality as SLR cameras would. Anyway, these are supppose to be common spiders because because they are commonly found in my house. But are they? Here goes.