Satellite view of the southern Malaysian peninsula Photograph by USGS   Southeastern Asia: Malaysia and southern Thailand Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   1,400 square miles (3,600 square kilometers) -- about the size of Rhode Island Critical/Endangered

· A Romp in the Swamp
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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A Romp in the Swamp

Hugging the coast of Malaysia, these peat swamp forests are home to many of the country's endangered species. Asian elephants and Sumatran rhinos browse on vegetation, tigers and clouded leopards stalk small prey, and Malayan tapirs wallow in watering holes when they're not resting or feeding on plants.

Special Features

These peat swamp forests have formed over many centuries as sediment washed in from rivers becomes trapped in the tangled roots of mangrove trees that grow along the coast. Over time, organic matter builds up on the sediment, and trees begin to take root. Among the many trees that grow in these acidic, nutrient-poor soils, are strangler figs, whose fruits are an important food source for many of the resident mammal, bird, and fish species.

	The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest of the world's five rhinos. It has a shaggy coat and two horns, leading one biologist to liken it to "a little coconut."

Wild Side

Elephants, rhinos, tigers, clouded leopards, and tapirs are just a few of the many mammals that inhabit these moist forests. In addition, gray-headed fish eagles and brown fish owls pluck fish from the nearby waters. A great diversity of fish dwell within area rivers and streams.

Cause for Concern

Over half of this small ecoregion has already been cleared or degraded. Logging, tin mining, and clearance for plantations of rice, rubber trees, coconut palms, and oil palms all threaten the forests. In addition, development is a problem in the coastal swamp forests. Water extraction for eel farming and other uses has drawn down the water table, increasing the risks of fire.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.