Below you can find a complete list of Cambodian animals. We currently track 274 animals in Cambodia and are adding more every day!
Cambodia is a country of immense biodiversity and lush forests. Sitting at the crossroads of Southeast Asia, it shares land borders with Laos to the north, Thailand to the north/west, Vietnam to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south. The landscape is comprised of low-lying forests and plains surrounded by elevated hills and mountains, including the largest range, the Cardamom Mountains. The mighty Mekong River cuts through the middle of the country and merges with the sea just to the south in Vietnam. The Tonle Sap, which connects to the Mekong through the Tonle Sap River, is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and one of the richest sources of freshwater fish in the world.
The Official National (State) Animal of Cambodia
Cambodia’s major national symbols are the kouprey, the giant ibis, the northern river terrapin, and the giant barb.
Where to Find the Top Wild Animals in Cambodia
Cambodia is home to seven national parks and dozens more wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas.
- The Botum Sakor National Park, located in the country’s south, near the Gulf of Thailand, is the largest protected area in the country. It encompasses a peninsula of verdant grasslands, woodlands, swamps, and mangroves directly next to the Cardamom Mountains. Primates, pangolins, wild cats, deer, otters, and many other mammals can be found here. Another biodiversity hotspot, the Kirirom National Park, is located directly to the east as well.
- The Virachey National Park (classified as an ASEAN Heritage Park) and the Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary encompass the dense, isolated jungles and mountain forests of the country’s northeast. This entire region is home to some of the richest biodiversity in Cambodia, including leopards, sun bears, dholes, muntjacs, peafowls, storks, ibises, hornbills, and other rare mammals and birds.
- The Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary, comprised of lowland forests and swamps in the north, near the border with Thailand, was originally set aside to protect the kouprey. It’s also home to the endangered giant ibis and other unique birds.
- Other important protected areas include the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Mondulkiri Protected Forest and Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Most Dangerous Animals in Cambodia Today
Cambodia is home to about 17 different types of venomous snakes and several large carnivores.
- King Cobra – As the world’s largest venomous snake, the king cobra is an intimidating and scary sight. Symptoms of its bite can include severe pain, vertigo, blurred vision, and paralysis. Fatality rates are generally higher than most other cobra species. Fortunately, the king cobra will attempt to avoid confrontation with humans before striking.
- Blue Krait – Sporting thick black and white bands, the blue krait is sometimes found around rice paddies and bamboo groves. As one of the most dangerous snakes, its highly potent venom may eventually cause respiratory failure in an alarming number of victims.
- Banded Krait – Featuring black and yellow bands, the banded krait can deliver a serious bite that results in vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, and diarrhea. If left untreated, death can occur in 1% to 10% of cases due to respiratory failure.
Endangered Animals in Cambodia
Since the 20th century, Cambodian wildlife has been endangered by habitat destruction, unregulated hunting, and frequent warfare.
- Indian Elephant – A subspecies of the Asian elephant, these mammals roam the grasslands and forests of India and Southeast Asia. They have become endangered from habitat loss and increased conflict with humans.
- Indochinese Tiger – This subspecies of the tiger has lost significant ground over the centuries from poaching and habitat loss. It might already be extinct in Cambodia.
- Pangolin – The pangolin (also known as the scaly anteater) is the only kind of mammal with a full set of scales. Cambodia is home to the critically endangered Sunda pangolin.
- Slow Loris – The slow loris is a group of nocturnal tree-climbing primates. Cambodia has two species of loris, the Bengal slow loris, and pygmy slow loris, both of them endangered.
- Langur – Two types of this unique Old World monkey, Germain’s langur, and the Annamese langur, are endangered.
- Douc – A colorful arboreal monkey, both the red-shanked douc and black-shanked douc are in danger of becoming extinct.
- Kouprey – The kouprey is a wild forest-dwelling bovid that has dwindled rapidly from diseases and overhunting. Less than 250 are estimated to exist, and it may already be extinct in the wild.
- Eld’s Deer – The Thai brown-antlered deer, a unique subspecies of Eld’s deer, is endemic to Southeast Asia. But habitat loss and overhunting for traditional medicine have made it endangered.
- Giant Ibis – This long-legged wading bird inhabits marshes, lakes, swamps, rivers, and flooded areas. But the loss of its natural habitat has put it in danger of extinction.
- Siamese Crocodile – Growing up to 10 feet long (the largest ever specimen was 13 feet), this is the rarest species of crocodile in the world.
- Northern River Terrapin – Among the largest freshwater turtles of Asia, this species has become critically endangered from overexploitation.
- Giant Barb – Native to the Mekong River, this is the largest species of carp in the world. Habitat loss and overfishing have made them critically endangered.
National Flower of Cambodia
The national flower of Cambodia is the rumduol flower. It’s a pretty yellow three-petalled bloom with a striking sweet fragrance. Rumduol grows wild across Cambodia and it’s a popular ornamental flower in parks and gardens.
Cambodian Animals
Stunningly beautiful wings
First evolved 100 million years ago!
Renew their horns every year!
Archerfish can shoot a stream of water up to five feet with amazing accuracy.
They are so named because they "march" in armies of worms from one crop to another in search of food
The male Asian arowana raises the eggs in its mouth
Domesticated for hundreds of years!
The largest wasp in the world!
It mainly eats mangos and coffee!
This snake chews on its victims to release venom.
Adult atlas moths do not eat - they live off fat they stored as larvae.
Extinct ancestor of all domesticated cattle!
They make a "boop, boop, boop" sound when danger draws near their burrow.
People spin clothing and fishing nets out of these spiders’ silk.
What often prevents more people from falling victim is that the banded krait does not always inject venom in a defensive bite. It saves the venom for hunting prey instead.
There are over 1768 known species!
Found everywhere around the world!
Older offspring help care for new hatchlings.
Detects prey using echolocation!
There are 8 different species!
Beauty Rat Snakes are relatively harmless if left undisturbed, only attempting to bite out of fear.
Bed bugs feed for 4-12 minutes.
Rock paintings of bees date back 15,000 years
There are more than 350,000 different species
Also known as the Asian Bearcat!
Not all birds are able to fly!
The biscuit beetle form a symbiotic relationship with yeast
They typically prey on insects!
The blind snake is often mistaken for a worm.
These snakes have been introduced to all continents, except Antarctica!
“Mild-Mannered Minimonsters”
Fathers pick up their young and carry them under their wings
Can live its entire life indoors
The most common species of bee!
These snakes can swallow their prey as whole.
There are thought to be up 17,500 species!
The camel crickets that are found in the USA are light brown in color. They also have dark streaks all over their body.
Carpenter ants can lift up to seven times their own weight with their teeth!
Cashmere goat are named after Kashmir regions of India and Pakistan
May have been domesticated up to 10,000 years ago.
The larvae of a moth or butterfly!
There are nearly 3,000 different species!
There are about 3,000 documented species!
First domesticated more than 10,000 years ago!
Cicadas have one of the longest insect lifespans
This vulture can fly at great heights. At least one was found a few thousand feet from the top of Mount Everest.
Has canines that can be two inches long!
Cobalt blue tarantulas spend most of their time in self-dug burrows and only emerge when it's time to eat
Dated to be around 300 million years old!
Pupae are able to undergo diapause to survive poor fruit yield years and winter.
The most common raptor in the UK!
The common furniture beetle feeds exclusively on wood
Magpies are aggressive when threatened, often “dive-bombing” at intruders
House spiders have the ability to eat most insects in a home.
There are over 80 species of coral snake worldwide.
They can fly 35 mph and dive 150 feet below water.
Cosmic caterpillars have spots on their back that look like eyes to scare off predators.
There are nearly 1.5 billion worldwide!
Cow reticulated pythons hatch solid white, then develop spots as they mature.
There are 93 different crab groups
Found throughout the South-East Asian jungles!
Crab Spiders can mimic ants or bird droppings
Many are critically endangered species!
Male crickets can produce sounds by rubbing their wings together
Have changed little in 200 million years!
Crocodylomorphs include extinct ancient species as well as 26 living species today.
A group of these birds is called a Murder.
There are around 40 different species!
Only 2,000 left in the wild!
First domesticated in South-East Asia!
Dog ticks feed on dogs and other mammals
First domesticated 5,000 years ago!
Found in Europe, Africa and Asia!
When these monkeys want to mate, they wiggle their eyebrows.
Beneath the lizard’s “wings” are a pair of enlarged ribs for support.
It's larvae are carnivorous!
Rows of tiny plates line their teeth!
The dung beetle can push objects many times its own weight
Has exceptional eyesight!
They are hermaphrodites, which means they have male and female organs
There are nearly 2,000 different species!
Eels can be a mere few inches long to 13 feet!
Spends around 22 hours a day eating!
The fastest creatures on the planet!
False spiders actually prey on black widow spiders and other hazardous spiders
The fiddler crab gets its name from the motion the males make with their over-sized claw during the mating ritual.
Found across mainland Europe and Asia!
Fire Eels are not true eels.
The firefly produces some of the most efficient light in the world
Scoops fish out of the water using it's paw!
Adult fleas can jump up to 7 inches in the air
There are more than 240,000 different species!
The second pair of upper incisors in a flying lemur has a double root, which is unique for mammals.
Can glide up to 90 meters!
Only 12 species are considered "true foxes"
There are around 7,000 different species!
Among the largest bats in the world
Fruit flies are among the most common research animals in the world
Named for the Arabic word for love poems
There are thought to be over 2,000 species!
Originally known as the Desert Rat!
The most common type of urban roach
The largest fish in its genus
Found in dense jungles and tropical forests!
Found inhabiting dense woodland and caves!
Males form large mating swarms at dusk
Most closely related to the Sheep!
Migrates between Europe and Asia!
There are 29 different species!
Gourami fishes show parental care for their young
There are 11,000 known species!
The green rat snake catches its meals in midair!
One of the most invasive species in the world
Able to run as quickly backwards as forwards!
Can reach speeds of over 50 mph!
Many hawk moth caterpillars eat toxins from plants, but don’t sequester them the way milkweed butterflies do. Most toxins are excreted.
Thought to be one of the oldest mammals on Earth!
Inhabits wetlands around the world!
There are only 8 recognized species!
Stunning bird with a stinky way to deter predators!
Has evolved over 50 million years!
Horseflies have been seen performing Immelmann turns, much like fighter jets.
Changed little in over 500 million years!
Thought to have orignated 200,000 years ago!
Some huntsman spiders have an interesting way of moving around. Some cartwheel while others do handsprings or backflips.
Found in swamps, marshes and wetlands!
Found throughout south-east Asia!
Now thought to be extinct in China!
There are an estimated 30 million species!
Tiny rodent with a kangaroo-like jump!
Some can jump 50 times the length of their bodies
They are the longest venomous snake in the world.
Females look similar to males but don’t come in shades of blue
Inhabits wetlands and woodlands worldwide!
The kissing gesture that the kissing gourami displays is not a mating gesture
The kouprey is one of the rarest mammals in the world
There are more than 5,000 species worldwide!
Spends much of the time high in the trees!
There are 11 different species!
The offspring of a lion and tiger parents!
There are around 5,000 different species!
Have sharp spines below their eyes
Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day.
Ear tufts make it look bigger!
Often hangs upside down while feeding!
The lorikeet has a long brush-like tongue with fine hairs on it
They are found across Europe, Asia and Africa!
It's called the five-step snake because if a person is bitten, they can walk about five steps before dying.
Mangrove snakes have small fangs that are more like enlarged teeth at the back of their jaw.
Found throughout Asia, India and China!
There are 2,500 known species worldwide!
They have a symbiotic relationship with ants.
The Mekong giant catfish is the largest purely freshwater fish in the world
Some species have a poisonous bite!
Primarily hunts and feeds on Earthworms!
Range in size from just 1 to 3 foot!
Has characteristics of two or more breeds!
Some species are thought to carry a weak venom!
There are around 260 known species!
The monocled cobra is responsible for the highest fatality rate of any snake in all of Thailand.
Feeds on aquatic insects and water-spiders!
Only the female mosquito actually sucks blood
There are 250,000 different species!
Found on every continent on Earth!
The offspring of a horse and donkey parents!
The muntjac is the smallest type of deer in the world
Many people believe the hill myna bird is better at mimicking humans than a parrot!
Roamed Asia and Europe for around 100,000 years!
Nematodes range in size from 1/10 of an inch to 28 feet long
Able to regrow lost or damaged limbs!
Unlike other pigeons, Nicobar pigeons don't fly in haphazard flocks but in columns or single file.
Named more than 1,000 years ago!
There are more than 5,000 species.
Females are about four times the size of males
They reuse nesting sites for 70 years!
There are 13 different species worldwide
The owl can rotate its head some 270 degrees
Bad eyesight, but great sense of smell
Paradise Flying Snakes can glide over 100 yards!
Can live for up to 100 years!
Most commonly found on the Indian mainland!
Females lay between 8 and 12 eggs per clutch!
The pheasant-tailed jacana is the only species in its family that migrates long distances.
Thought to have been domesticated in 9,000 BC!
They can find their way back to their nests from up to 1300 miles away.
Found in mountainous regions and rocky areas
They make whistling and quacking noises
Some of these snakes flatten their neck and raise their heads to imitate cobras if they’re threatened.
Pit vipers's fangs fold up into their mouths when they don't need them.
The male broods the eggs and baby fish in his mouth.
There are 500 different species!
There are 30 different species worldwide!
The mantis can turn its head 180 degrees.
Inhabits woodland and forest areas worldwide!
There are more than 300 different species!
Omnivores that eat anything!
Rat snakes are constrictors from the Colubridae family of snakes.
The redback spiders found in New Caledonia differ from other populations in that they don’t practice sexual cannibalism and don’t bite people as much.
These popular pets can get big enough to kill their owner.
It's horns are made from keratin!
Inhabits freshwater habitats around the world!
There are more than 45 species in Australia alone!
The capybara, the world’s largest rodent, likes to be in and around bodies of water. Because of this, the Catholic Church in South America decided that it was a fish, and people were allowed to eat it during Lent and First Fridays.
Will mate with the entire flock!
Ferrets were used during the Revolutionary War to keep down the rat population.
There are more than 700 different species!
Male sambars will compete for mates by clashing together with their antlers
The sand crab burrows beneath the sand with its tail
Parents use low calls to tell their chicks to freeze and lie still when danger lurks.
There are around 2,000 known species!
The sea eagle tends to mate for life with a single partner
Males give birth to up to 1,000 offspring!
Around 35 million in the English countryside!
The spinal column of the shrew Scutisorex somereni is so strong and reinforced that it can support the weight of an adult human.
There are 2,000 different species worldwide!
Can live in low-oxygen environments!
Some skinks lay eggs in some habitats while giving birth to skinklets in other habitats.
Found widely throughout British gardens!
They glide around on one foot, which is aided by the slime they produce
Has up to 45 eggs per egg case
There are nearly 1,000 different species!
There are around 4,000 known species worldwide
There are 140 different species!
They prey on spiders to feed their larvae or they parasitize other spider wasps.
Spitting cobras are types of cobras that can spit venom at predators and prey.
Small rodents found in woodlands worldwide!
There are more than 3,000 different species!
Average adults weigh about 200 grams!
They can’t sing like other birds.
The smallest species of bear in the world!
Sunbeam snakes have two lungs instead of just a single lung like most snake species.
Populations have been affected by pollution!
Most closely related to horses and rhinos!
Tarantula hawks are excellent pollinators, especially for milkweed.
Their tentacles have nerves that attach directly into the area of the brain that processes visual information.
Their mounds can be up to 9 meters tall!
The American robin is called the robin because its red breast reminded European settlers of the robin back in the old country.
They inject hosts with a chemical that stops them from feeling the pain of the bite
The largest feline in the world!
The adult tiger beetle is one of the fastest land insects in the world
They like to burrow into aquarium sand.
The Tokay gecko gets its onomatopoeic name from its "To-kay!" barking call.
Can live until they are more than 150 years old!
Found in warmer jungles and forests!
Some species of aquatic turtles can get up to 70 percent of their oxygen through their butt.
A slender body and elongated snout give the vine snake a regal look.
Vinegaroons can spray 19 times before the glands are depleted
Vipers are one of the most widespread groups of snakes and inhabit most
There are 30 different species worldwide!
There are around 75,000 recognised species!
Has been domesticated for thousands of years!
Spends most of it's time in the trees!
The smallest carnivorous mammal in the world!
There are two different types of white ferrets!
None have been seen in the wild for 50 years!
Males have a top tusk to sharpen the bottom one!
Thought to date back more than 300,000 years!
Harmless, but with fangs like a wolf.
Carnivorous arachnid that hunts its prey.
This animal can roll up into a ball
There are 200 different species!
One of the top 100 worst invasive species!
There are around 75 different species!
Cambodian Animals List
About the Author
AZ Animals is a growing team of animals experts, researchers, farmers, conservationists, writers, editors, and -- of course -- pet owners who have come together to help you better understand the animal kingdom and how we interact.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the most dangerous animal in Cambodia?
The most dangerous animals in Cambodia are the king cobra, the blue krait, and similar snakes.
What animal represents Cambodia?
Cambodia is represented by the kouprey, the giant ibis, the northern river terrapin, and the giant barb.
Does Cambodia have bears?
Yes, Cambodia is home to the world’s smallest bear, the sun bear. There are also some reports of Asian black bears still living in the country.
Are there tigers in Cambodia?
Cambodia has long been home to the Indochinese tiger, but it’s suspected that no more breeding pairs remain within the country.
Does Cambodia have monkeys?
Yes, Cambodia is home to several species of macaques, langurs, gibbons, and doucs.