Diversity of Herpetofauna in Kadamaian, Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia

A survey on amphibians and reptiles or herpetofauna in Kadamaian, Kota Belud was carried out on 21st to 25th October, 2019 during the Borneo Geographic Expedition jointly organized by the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ITBC) of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Sabah Parks. The main purpose of the survey is to update the list of herpetofauna in the study area. Visual Encounter Survey (VES) method was applied and transects were established at the waterfall near the expedition base camp, Pinolobu River, Kipungit River in Melangkap Noriou and Meliawa River, resulting in 15 species of amphibians from five families and six species of reptiles from three families recorded. Significantly, the survey recorded 10 species of herpetofauna that are endemic to Borneo, including one Endangered (EN) frog species namely Leptobrachella sabahmontana of the family Megophryidae and one new record for Sabah which is Ansonia minuta of the family Bufonidae. Two reptiles out of the recorded list were Bornean endemics namely Cyrtodactylus baluensis and Tropidophorus micropus. Fejevarya limnocharis and Polypedates leucomystax seemed to be the common species of amphibians recorded whereas Eutrophis rudis was the common reptile species found in the area. The result, in term of species number was low especially for reptiles due to the short survey period. However, this report managed to update the list for herpetofauna species in Kadamaian, Kota Belud. Nevertheless, this study contributes to Borneo’s herpetofauna database specifically in Sabah and serves as reference for more studies and research in future

The distribution and abundance of long-tailed macaques in the main campus of Universiti Malaysia Sabah and its vicinity

Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) inhabit a wide range of natural and human-modified environments in Southeast Asia. Because of their ability to occupy the same space and utilise the same food resources as humans, long-tailed macaques have in some cases been regarded as nuisance and pest. As part of an effort to assess the status of human-macaque interactions in the main campus of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), we conducted a survey to determine the distribution range and estimate the abundance of the macaque population. We performed the survey monthly from April 2019 to March 2020 at 13 localities classified into three different habitat types i.e. secondary forest, forest edge and urban areas identified in the campus and its vicinity. The survey covered an overall area of 6.02 km2 . We recorded the group or individual locations and the number of macaques with each individual's age/sex information whenever possible. The macaques consisted of three different multimale-multifemale groups and a solitary individual. We recorded a minimum population size of 54 macaque individuals with an average group size of 17.7 individuals and a population density of 8.97 individuals/km2 in the surveyed areas. Macaques were encountered every month and in all habitat types defined in this study. However, they were mainly distributed at two habitat types i.e. urban areas and forest edges near Bukit UMS and the student residential colleges where anthropogenic influence appeared to be high. We speculate that the monthly availability of food resources, including anthropogenic food waste, may partly explain this distribution pattern. We suggest that further studies is conducted in this regard

Stable isotopic investigation of the feeding ecology of wild Bornean orangutans

Objectives We applied stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses to wild Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio) to investigate the feeding ecology of wild orangutans. Compared with African great ape species, orangutans are adapted to environments with chronic lower nutrition. But the usefulness of stable isotope analysis in the study of wild orangutan feeding ecology has not been fully explored. Methods The study site was a primary lowland dipterocarp forest in the Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia. A total of 164 plant and 94 fecal samples collected across 18 months were analyzed. Results Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of plant food samples do not systematically vary by plant parts (i.e., bark, fruits, and leaves). Elemental composition and stable isotope ratios of orangutan feces do not systematically vary by orangutans' sex and age classes, although fecal stable isotope ratios showed seasonal fluctuations. No isotopic contribution of breast milk was found in fecal samples collected from individuals at 2.7–6.5 years of age. Conclusions This study revealed key characteristics of the stable isotope ecology of wild orangutans living in a primary lowland forest. Although there was little isotopic variation among plant foods and orangutan individuals, seasonal fluctuations in baseline isotope ratios or orangutans' diet were found in Danum valley

A Bird Survey of Sungai Kangkawat Research Station, Imbak Canyon Conservation Area, Sabah

A bird survey was conducted at the Sungai Kangkawat Research Station (117°3′34.593″E, 5°4′29.187″N), Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA), Sabah from 5 th until 8 th October, 2018. The objective of this survey was to produce a preliminary checklist of bird species in the study area. The primary method used was mist-netting with occasional observation from vocal and visual identification. A total of 30 mistnets were deployed for 11 hours (0630-1730 hr.) for four consecutive days with a final accumulation of 1840 net/hours. Overall, 59 species comprising 23 families were recorded throughout the survey. Of these, 114 individuals were netted representing 41 species from 13 families. The most abundant species caught was the Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra with 26 individuals. Additionally, 18 species from 10 different families were identified via opportunistic sighting and vocalisation. This includes one Critically Endangered (Helmeted Hornbill, Buceros vigil), three Vulnerable (i.e., Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros, Large-billed Blue Flycatcher Cyornis caerulatus and Blue-headed Pitta Pitta baudii and 20 other Near-threatened species. Four endemic species were recorded namely the Bornean Blue Flycatcher Cyornis superbus, White-crowned Shama Copsychus stricklandi, Black-headed Pitta Pitta ussheri and Blue-headed Pitta Pitta baudii. We expect higher diversity of birds in ICCA because the species accumulation curve did not reach an asymptote until the last day of sampling. This suggests additional trapping effort with point counts along predetermined transects should be considered for future surveys

Bird diversity in Imbak Canyon Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia

A bird survey was conducted at the Sungai Kangkawat Research Station (117°3′34.593″E, 5°4′29.187″N), Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA), Sabah from 5th until 8th October, 2018. The objective of this survey was to produce a preliminary checklist of bird species in the study area. The primary method used was mist-netting with occasional observation from vocal and visual identification. A total of 30 mist-nets were deployed for 11 hours (0630-1730 hr.) for four consecutive days with a final accumulation of 1840 net/hours. Overall, 59 species comprising 23 families were recorded throughout the survey. Of these, 114 individuals were netted representing 41 species from 13 families. The most abundant species caught was the Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra with 26 individuals. Additionally, 18 species from 10 different families were identified via opportunistic sighting and vocalisation. This includes one Critically Endangered (Helmeted Hornbill, Buceros vigil), three Vulnerable (i.e., Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros, Large-billed Blue Flycatcher Cyornis caerulatus and Blue-headed Pitta Pitta baudii and 20 other Near-threatened species. Four endemic species were recorded namely the Bornean Blue Flycatcher Cyornis superbus, White-crowned Shama Copsychus stricklandi, Black-headed Pitta Pitta ussheri and Blue-headed Pitta Pitta baudii. We expect higher diversity of birds in ICCA because the species accumulation curve did not reach an asymptote until the last day of sampling. This suggests additional trapping effort with point counts along predetermined transects should be considered for future surveys