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In northwestern Yunnan, three rivers - the Yangtze, the Mekong,
and the Salween - cut through deep valleys of the eastern Himalayas,
forming one of the greatest natural gardens in the world, in terms
of both biodiversity and cultural diversity. This trip will take
you to the Gaoligon Mountain range along the Salween River (Nujiang,
in Chinese), the major Southeast Asian waterway that exits China
into Myanmar and then into the Andaman Sea. In this region, 485
species birds have been identified, accounting for 60% of the
total species recorded in Yunnan. Pheasants and Laughing Thrush
(Garrulax) are especially prevalent in this region, though many
other species can also be found, including Slater's Monal Pheasant
(Lophophorus sclateri), Pheasant Grouse (Tetraophasis obscurus),
White-eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon), Black-necked Crane (Grus
nigricollis), Derby's Parakeet (Psittacula derbiana) and Yunnan
Nuthatch (Sitta yunnanensis). We will be traveling mostly by private
vehicle, making frequent stops for short walks in the forests
to observe birds for hours at a time.
The Gaoligongshan Nature Reserve is a national forest and wildlife type nature reserve, aiming at the protection of natural landscape of biological and climate vertical belts, various types of vegetation, rare and endangered species of plants and animals.
The Gaoligongshan Nature Reserve lies between 24.56-26.09 North Latitude and 98.34-98.50 east Longitude, in the central south section of the Gaoligong Mountains, occupying the upper parts higher than 2000m above sea level. The Northern part of the Mountains is linked with Shubolaling Mountains in Tibet.
The Gaoligong Mountains are located at the linking point among China, Indian sub-continent and China-Indian Peninsula. The high peaks and deep valleys of the Mountains have created in this mountains area the three different coimate zones, namely, subtropical, temperate and cold temperate. The natural environment is characterized by the gradual change and transition from west to east and from south to north. The fauna and folra contain the species indigenous to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China-Indian Peninsula and also the Gaoligong Mountains, thus forming a complex fauna and flora pattern with both new and ancient types and a feature of transition from south to north.
Archive of wild animals in Gaoligong Mt.
Mammals: 115 species, is about 19.8% of total species
Birds: 343 species, is about 59.0% of total species
Amphibian: 28 species, is about 4.8% of total species
Reptiles: 48 species, is about 8.3% of total species
Fishes: 47 species, is about 8.1% of total species
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