Bats assemblage and lunar phase effect on bat activity at mixed dipterocarp forest, Gunung Gading National Park, Sarawak, Borneo

Bat surveys at Gunung Gading National Park (GGNP) were conducted for 29 non-consecutive nights, which consisted of five separate sampling sessions from November 2011 until November 2015. A total of 378 individuals representing 36 species from six families were captured, from an accumulated effort of 435 trapping nights. This corresponds to approximately 39% (n=36) of the total species recorded in Borneo. The most commonly captured species in GGNP for insectivorous bats was Rhinolophus affinis (20.1%), whereas for frugivorous bats Penthetor lucasi (14.3%) dominated the capture. Species accumulation curve reached asymptote on the 24th sampling night suggesting that sampling saturation has been achieved for the trapping sites studied here. The species diversity (H’= 2.75) showed relatively high diversity of bat species in the park compared to other actively surveyed sites in western Sarawak including Bako National Park (Bako NP), Kubah National Park (Kubah NP) and Mount Penrisen (Mt Penrisen). This was further supported through rarefaction analysis showing that GGNP has largest value of estimated species compared to other actively surveyed sites in western Sarawak. Lunar phase and bat capture rate correlation analysis showed that there is no statistically significant relationship between lunar phase and the bat capture rate at GGNP. This suggests that bat activity reported here were not affected by moonlight. The results from these surveys provided the most comprehensive list of bats for GGNP. Our study highlights the importance of GGNP as an important habitat for bat conservation including the rare bat species found in Borneo, Phoniscus atrox

Molecular identification of a tentatively novel hantavirus in Malaysian Bronze Tube3 nosed Bat (Murina aenea)

In the past ten years several novel hantaviruses were discovered in shrews, moles and 16 bats, suggesting the dispersal of hantaviruses in many animal taxa other than rodents during their 17 evolution. Interestingly, the co-evolutionary analyses of most recent studies have raised the 18 possibility of non-rodents may have served as the primordial mammalian host and harboured the 19 ancestors of rodent-borne hantaviruses as well. The aim of our study was to investigate the presence 20 of hantaviruses in bat lung tissue homogenates originally collected for taxonomic purposes in 21 Malaysia, 2015. Hantavirus specific nested RT-PCR screening of 116 samples targeting the L 22 segment of the virus have revealed the positivity of two lung tissue homogenates originating from 23 Murina aenea bat species. Nanopore sequencing of hantavirus positive samples resulted in partial 24 genomic data from S, M and L genome segments. The obtained results indicate the first molecular 25 evidence for hantavirus in Murina aenae bat species and also the first discovery of a hantavirus in 26 Murina bat species. Sequence analysis of the PCR amplicon and partial genome segments suggests 27 the identified virus may represent a novel species in Mobatvirus genus within Hantaviridae family. 28 Furthermore, our results provide additional genomic data to help extend our knowledge about the 29 evolution of these viruses

Molecular Identification of a Novel Hantavirus in Malaysian Bronze Tube-Nosed Bats (Murina aenea)

In the past ten years, several novel hantaviruses were discovered in shrews, moles, and bats, suggesting the dispersal of hantaviruses in many animal taxa other than rodents during their evolution. Interestingly, the coevolutionary analyses of most recent studies have raised the possibility that nonrodents may have served as the primordial mammalian host and harboured the ancestors of rodent-borne hantaviruses as well. The aim of our study was to investigate the presence of hantaviruses in bat lung tissue homogenates originally collected for taxonomic purposes in Malaysia in 2015. Hantavirus-specific nested RT-PCR screening of 116 samples targeting the L segment of the virus has revealed the positivity of two lung tissue homogenates originating from two individuals, a female and a male of the Murina aenea bat species collected at the same site and sampling occasion. Nanopore sequencing of hantavirus positive samples resulted in partial genomic data from S, M, and L genome segments. The obtained results indicate molecular evidence for hantaviruses in the M. aenea bat species. Sequence analysis of the PCR amplicon and partial genome segments suggests that the identified virus may represent a novel species in the Mobatvirus genus within the Hantaviridae family. Our results provide additional genomic data to help extend our knowledge about the evolution of these viruses

Bats Assemblage and Lunar Phase Effect on Bat Activity at Mixed Dipterocarp Forest, Gunung Gading National Park, Sarawak, Borneo

Bat surveys at Gunung Gading National Park (GGNP) were conducted for 29 non-consecutive nights, which consisted of five separate sampling sessions from November 2011 until November 2015. A total of 378 individuals representing 36 species from six families were captured, from an accumulated effort of 435 trapping nights. This corresponds to approximately 39% (n=36) of the total species recorded in Borneo. The most commonly captured species in GGNP for insectivorous bats was Rhinolophus affinis (20.1%), whereas for frugivorous bats Penthetor lucasi (14.3%) dominated the capture. Species accumulation curve reached asymptote on the 24th sampling night suggesting that sampling saturation has been achieved for the trapping sites studied here. The species diversity (H’= 2.75) showed relatively high diversity of bat species in the park compared to other actively surveyed sites in western Sarawak including Bako National Park (Bako NP), Kubah National Park (Kubah NP) and Mount Penrisen (Mt Penrisen). This was further supported through rarefaction analysis showing that GGNP has largest value of estimated species compared to other actively surveyed sites in western Sarawak. Lunar phase and bat capture rate correlation analysis showed that there is no statistically significant relationship between lunar phase and the bat capture rate at GGNP. This suggests that bat activity reported here were not affected by moonlight. The results from these surveys provided the most comprehensive list of bats for GGNP. Our study highlights the importance of GGNP as an important habitat for bat conservation including the rare bat species found in Borneo, Phoniscus atrox

New record of Rhinolophus chiewkweeae (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) from the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia with new information on their echolocation calls, genetics and their taxonomy

We present a range extension for a little known species, Rhinolophus chiewkweeae, in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The new locality record for this species in the east coast was at Sungai Buweh, Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu. This represents the seventh known locality in Malaysia for this distinctive species. The echolocation call of the species was recorded for the first time from four individuals with constant frequency ranging from 53.6 to 54.7 kHz (n = 4). This study provides the first genetic information (cytochrome oxidase I) of the species in order to discriminate between members of the pearsoni species group (R. pearsoni, R. chiewkweeae and R. yunanensis), which are morphologically similar. We provide evidence that R. pearsoni is a sister taxon of R. chiewkweeae with a genetic divergence of 12% whereas no information was available from R. yunanensis for comparison. The information on the species taxonomy based on morphological and ecological data are provided. This discovery indicates that this species are more widely spread than previously thought. Additionally, it provides information that can be used to predict the potential distribution of this little known species elsewhere, especially in Peninsular Malaysia, which can consequently assist in its conservation