Koh Tao Nature, Flora and Fauna

Flora on Koh Tao

Koh Tao nature forest consists of 4 main types:

Dry evergreen forest

The most common flora of Koh Tao nature is seen covering the mountain tops.

Mixed deciduous forest

This type of forest is found on the foothills in the northeast of Koh Tao and is mainly scrub and small trees which shed their leaves during the dry season.

Dry evergreen forest with the ‘Koi Naam’ as a distinguished tree

Found on the hills in the southeast of Koh Tao, the Koi Naam (Streblus ilicifolius) is a small tree with a straight trunk. Its leaves are dark green in colour and thick and glossy with an edge of sharp thorns.

Beach Forest

Most of the trees are salt-tolerant plants (Halophytes) and resistant to drought and dehydration. They normally have bent trunks and short branches with thick and hard leaves. An example is Pemphis Acidula and the tropical almond.

Dry evergreen forest at Mango Bay trail, Koh Tao

Cycads are ancient plants from the Jurassic period. They grow very slowly and live over a thousand years.

Examples of flora on Koh Tao you may be interested in

Cycad

Cycads are ancient plants from the Jurassic period. They grow very slowly and live over a thousand years. To achieve a trunk height of 6–7 metres will take approximately 50–100 years. Cycads are mostly found in the south of Koh Tao.

Bitter Bush

This fast growing herbaceous plant is found everywhere on Koh Tao. It grows 1–2 metres high with white or pale purple flowers and by applying crushed leaves to a wound, it can help staunch any bleeding.

Pemphis Acidula

These are coastal trees growing between 3 and 10 metres high. The trunk is often twisted with tiny, succulent, oval-shaped leaves covered with silky hairs. The seeds can float for further propagation.

Dipterocarpus Alatus

This tropical forest tree is easy to spot as they are the tallest one on Koh Tao. Some may be as high as 50 metres. On Koh Tao, the tree is home to the biggest bird here, the White-bellied sea eagle. The fruit is small and round with two long wings enabling it to fly away.

Fauna on Koh Tao

There are 20 kinds of birds on Koh Tao, including egrets, gulls, swallows and sparrow hawks. 12 types of reptiles can be found, such as green turtles and hawksbill turtles, tokay geckos, water monitors, Bengal monitor, common sun skink, python, sunbeam snake, common blind snake and the red-headed lizard. Koh Tao has 7 kinds of mammals, including squirrels and fruit bats or flying foxes. Finally, Koh Tao is home to 6 kinds of amphibians, including the Koh Tao Caecilian, the Asian common toad, the rugose frog and the banded bullfrog.

Examples of fauna on Koh Tao you may be interested in

Koh Tao Caecilian

This amphibian was first found on Koh Tao. The body of Koh Tao Caecilian (Ichthyophis Kohtaoensis) is about 30 cm long and is dark grey with a yellow stripe along its length. The skin has numerous ring-shaped folds along the body. It lives under moist leaves or soil near streams.
Photo by www.siamensis.org

White-Bellied Sea Eagle

An adult white-bellied sea eagle has a white head, rump and underside. The back and wings are dark grey. This very large bird is about 70 – 80 cm long with a wingspan of up to 2.2 m. They eat fish and sea snakes. The juvenile is predominantly brown. The eagle is one of Thailand’s protected animals and not commonly seen in the wild.

Nicobar Pigeon

Another one of Thailand’s protected animals is the rarely-seen Nicobar Pigeon. These are metallic green with a grey head, copper on the neck, and a short white tail. Approximately 40 cm long, they are often seen walking on the ground looking for seeds, fruit and buds.

Marine Fauna and Flora

The marine fauna and flora around Koh Tao form a natural aquarium for snorkelers and divers. Vibrant species such as angelfish, butterflyfish, and stingrays thrive on the reefs. Hard corals, including table coral, staghorn coral, mosaic coral, and mushroom coral, dominate these waters. Koh Tao offers divers an ideal opportunity to observe the intricate relationships within the marine ecosystem.

More information about Koh Tao Marine Life and Fish Identification.