Trees in Malaysia (1 of 7)
Although separated by the South China Sea, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo form a part of the Sunda Shelf, a tectonic plate that once joined them in a single land mass. As a result, they share many geological features such as mountains, river networks, pristine offshore islands, and some of the world's oldest rain forests. These rain forests provide a habitat for a wealth of flora and fauna, including more than 15,000 types of flowering plants and nearly 200,000 species of animals. Among these are well-known endemic species, such as the orangutan, proboscis monkey, and rafflesia.
Rain forests
The rain forests of Malaysia are about 130 million years old and nurture a phenomenal range of plant life, from the 262-ft (80-m) tall tualang tree to an array of ferns, mosses, fungi, and orchids. They also provide a home for orangutans, proboscis monkeys, tapirs, binturongs or Malay civet cats, and honey bears, as well as hundreds of species of birds and butterflies.
