Ron Eldie Nature Works

05/06/2026

Stick Insects (Haaniella echinata)
13 December 2025
Lupa Masa Rainforest Camp

Meet Haaniella echinata, better known as the Bornean Prickly Stick Insect. Native right here to Sabah and the rest of Borneo, these incredible critters are masters of camouflage. Instead of hiding high in the canopy, they spend most of their time on the forest floor, blending in perfectly as thorny, decaying pieces of bark.

But what makes them truly amazing is what happens when their disguise fails. If threatened, they don't just run away. They raise their spiky hind legs in the air—almost like a scorpion—ready to pinch any predator that gets too close. If that isn't enough, they can even produce a loud, intimidating hissing sound by rubbing their wings together! 🔊

Nature's engineering at its finest. Next time you're on a night walk or exploring the jungle trails, keep a close eye on the ground for these spiky locals.

04/06/2026

Brown Lacewing (Hemerobiidae sp)?
1 May 2026
Gunung Alab

🤎 Meet the Unsung Hero of the Garden: The Brown Lacewing! 🌿

Ever spotted one of these delicate little insects resting on a leaf or hanging around your porch lights at night? This is a Brown Lacewing (Hemerobiidae sp.), and if you love keeping your plants healthy, this is exactly the kind of visitor you want!

While they might look fragile with their intricate, stained-glass-like wings, they are actually ferocious predators in the miniature world.

Here is why you should love them:
🐛 Natural Pest Controllers: Both the adults and their larvae are hungry predators. They feast on aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, and whiteflies.
🐺 The "Aphid Wolf": Their larvae are so aggressive and effective at hunting down plant pests that they’ve earned the nickname "aphid wolves."
📸 A Macro Dream: With their prominent eyes and beautifully veined, brownish-tan wings, they make an absolutely stunning subject for macro photography.

Unlike their more famous cousins (the Green Lacewings), Brown Lacewings prefer wooded areas and are incredibly stealthy, blending right in with bark and dried leaves.

Next time you see one of these little guardians in your garden or around your home, let them be! They’re working hard to keep the local ecosystem in perfect balance. ⚖️✨

Have you ever managed to spot one of these guys? Let me know in the comments! 👇

04/06/2026

#20
Whitehead's broadbill (Calyptomena whiteheadi)
4 April 2021
Kinabalu National Park

If there’s one bird that tests a photographer’s patience but delivers an absolute masterpiece, it’s the stunning Whitehead’s Broadbill (Calyptomena whiteheadi). 📸✨

Endemic to our very own Bornean montane forests and a true star right up the road at Kinabalu Park, this bird is an absolute unit—often described as a green broadbill on steroids! The males rock a ridiculously vibrant emerald green plumage with striking black markings and a unique tuft of feathers that almost completely hides their beak. 🟢🦅

From a photography standpoint, capturing this beauty in crisp, high-res clarity is a real challenge. Because they hang out in the montane understory, the lighting is often tricky and dim. You definitely need a fast lens, a steady hand (or a trusty tripod), and perfectly dialed-in settings to get that cinematic, sharp detail without maxing out your ISO in the jungle gloom. But when that Kinabalu morning light hits their green feathers just right... pure magic. 🌿🖼️

Part of the legendary "Whitehead’s Trio" (along with the Trogon and Spiderhunter), spotting one of these is a beautiful reminder of the world-class biodiversity we have right in our backyard. ⛰️❤️

04/06/2026

#19
Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster)
28 September 2023
Rainforest Discovery Center

Meet the "Snakebird"! 🐍🦅If you ever see a long, slender neck slithering above the water’s surface, you might be looking at the incredible Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster).

Unlike ducks or geese, Darters don't have completely waterproof feathers. This unique adaptation allows them to reduce their buoyancy and dive deep underwater to hunt—literally spearing fish with their dagger-like bills! 🐟🗡️

The trade-off? Because their feathers get waterlogged, they have to spend hours perched in the sun with their wings spread wide to dry off before they can fly efficiently again.

04/06/2026

03/06/2026

Borneo Anglehead Lizard (Gonocephalus bornensis)
13 December 2025
Lupa Masa Rainforest Camp

Meet the Borneo Anglehead Lizard (Gonocephalus bornensis). Doesn't it look like a miniature dragon straight out of the Jurassic era?

Trying to capture the intricate details of those scales and the vibrant crests is a real test for any macro photography setup. You really need crisp, cinematic lighting to pull out the textures and do justice to their natural camouflage. 📸✨

Honestly, looking at how they blend into their natural habitat—deep, humid forest floors and moss-covered branches—gives me so many ideas for a new terrarium or flowing river paludarium build. Recreating this kind of complex, lush ecosystem indoors is the ultimate design challenge.

02/06/2026

Bornean tree hole frog (Metaphrynella sundana)
13 December 2025
Lupa Masa Rainforest Camp

Have you ever heard a tiny frog use a tree like a natural megaphone? 🐸🔊🌳

Meet the Bornean Tree-hole Frog (Metaphrynella sundana)! If you’ve ever gone trekking through the lowland rainforests right here in Sabah and heard a loud, piping "peep!" echoing through the trees, you might have just walked past one of these incredible little amphibians.

Despite being absolutely tiny (only about 2.5 centimeters long!), they have a massive voice, and their secret is pure acoustic engineering. 🎶

Here is why they are so amazing:
💧 Tree-Hole Homes: As their name suggests, these frogs live and breed in water-filled tree holes usually about 1 to 5 meters off the ground.
🎤 Nature’s Amplifiers: When it’s time to find a mate, the male sits inside his partially water-filled tree hole and starts to call. But he doesn't just yell—he actually tunes the pitch of his voice to perfectly match the resonant frequency of that specific hole!
🔊 Maximum Volume: By finding the acoustic "sweet spot," the tree hole amplifies his call, allowing this tiny frog to broadcast his voice loud and clear through the dense Bornean jungle to attract females.

They are perfectly camouflaged with their warty, brown skin, making them incredibly hard to spot—even when they sound like they are right next to you!

Have you ever managed to spot one of these acoustic geniuses while exploring the jungles in Sabah? Let me know in the comments! 👇🌿

01/06/2026

Long-horned Orb Weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
13 December 2026
Lupa Masa Rainforest Camp

Not an alien, just nature showing off! 👽🕷️ Meet the Long-horned Orb Weaver (Macracantha arcuata), also known as the Curved Spiny Spider.

This incredible little architect looks like it’s wearing buffalo horns! Those massive, curved spines belong to the females, and they can be up to three times wider than the spider’s actual body. Their exact purpose is still a bit of a mystery—maybe for defense against birds, or maybe just to look intimidating.

Getting a crisp, true macro shot of these in the rainforest is incredibly rewarding. The way the cinematic natural lighting hits their hard, shell-like abdomen and the sheer detail on their webs is just stunning. 📸✨

We are so lucky to have such wild, intricate biodiversity right here in the rainforests of Sabah. Definitely a dream subject to capture in sharp, high-res detail!

01/06/2026

Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela cristatella)
13 December 2025
Lupa Masa Rainforest Camp

Meet the emerald jewel of the jungle! 🌿🦎

Say hello to the Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela cristatella). If you've ever been hiking in the forests of Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, or across Southeast Asia, you might have walked right past one of these masters of camouflage without even knowing it!

Here are a few reasons why these little dragons are so fascinating:

A Tail of Epic Proportions: Their tails can make up roughly 75% of their total length! It acts as a perfect counterweight, helping them balance as they leap gracefully from branch to branch.

Mood Rings of the Forest: While normally a vibrant, neon green to blend in with the foliage, they can actually change their color to dark brown or grayish-black when they feel stressed or threatened.

Punk-Rock Spikes: Check out that neck! Males sport a prominent, spiky crest on the back of their heads to show off to females and intimidate rivals.

⚠️ Did you know? In many urban and park areas, these beautiful native lizards are becoming harder to find. They are increasingly being outcompeted by the heavier, introduced Changeable Lizard (Calotes versicolor), pushing our green friends deeper into undisturbed forest habitats.