%LDZDN  SS © 2016 by International Varanid Interest Group

)HHGLQJ%HKDYLRURIDQ$VLDQ:DWHU0RQLWRU Varanus salvator macromaculatus on a Bornean Bearded Pig Sus barbatus barbatus Carcass

J$0(6FITZSIMONS  & J$1(//(THOMAS 3

1The Nature Conservancy Suite 2-01, 60 Leicester Street Carlton, Victoria 3053, AU (PDLOM¿W]VLPRQV#WQFRUJ

2School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University 221 Burwood Highway Burwood, Victoria 3125, AU

3BirdLife Australia Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester Street Carlton, Victoria 3053, AU E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract – The Southeast Asian water monitor Varanus salvator is considered to be a generalist carnivore. Here, we describe an observation of a V. s. macromaculatus feeding on a dead adult Bornean bearded pig Sus barbatus barbatus in Borneo, and review other cases of V. salvator feeding on Sus species elsewhere in southeast Asia.

Introduction Observations

The Southeast Asian water monitor Varanus  $W  K RQ  2FWREHU  ZH REVHUYHG D V. salvator is considered to be a generalist carnivore. Its salvator macromaculatus feeding on a dead adult diet includes large invertebrates and small vertebrates Bornean bearded pig Sus barbatus barbatus on the VXFK DV LQVHFWV ¿VK FUDEV IUHVKZDWHU WXUWOHV VHD PXGG\EDQNVRIWKH.LQDEDWDQJDQ5LYHUQHDU6XNDX WXUWOHV OL]DUGV FURFRGLOHV DQG WKHLU HJJV ELUGV DQG 6DEDK %RUQHR ƒ ƍ 1 ƒ ƍ (  )LJV     WKHLUHJJVDQGUDWVLQDGGLWLRQWRFDUULRQ 'DV The pig showed no obvious signs of decomposition or *DXONH   *DXONH  +RUQ  6KLQH et LQMXU\ ZDV ODUJHO\ LQWDFW DQG WKH FDXVH RI GHDWK ZDV al7UDHKROWDE 2SLQLRQVRQWKHUHODWLYH not obvious. A saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus importance of carrion vary between authors. Although ZDV DOVR ZDWFKLQJ WKH IHHGLQJ HYHQW IURP WKH ZDWHU GRFXPHQWHGVSHFLHVVSHFL¿FGDWDRQLWVGLHWDQGIHHGLQJ approximately 10 m from the bank. During the 10 techniques are scarce (Bundhitwongrut et al. LW PLQXWHV RI REVHUYDWLRQ WKH ZDWHU PRQLWRU IHG RQ WKH is increasingly reported (e.g. %XQGKLWZRQJUXW et al pig’s soft internal tissues which were obtained by the  &RWD  6RPPHUODG  .DUXQDUDWKQD et al. monitor’s head entering a cavity in the pig’s abdomen /RVRV *UHHQH6WDQQHU  (Fig. 2). The monitor was cautious throughout the feeding event. On returning to the site approximately 50 BIAWAK VOL. 10 NO. 2 49

Fig. 1. Varanus salvator macromaculatus with dead Fig. 2. Head of V. salvator macromaculatus entering a %RUQHDQ EHDUGHG SLJ 3KRWRJUDSKHG E\ James cavity in the Bornean bearded pig to obtain soft organs. Fitzsimons. 3KRWRJUDSKHGE\James Fizsimons.

PLQXWHVODWHUWKHPRQLWRUZDVVWLOOIHHGLQJRQWKHSLJ importance as a food source with high nutritional value carcass in the same manner (for a further 10 minutes of and low energy cost when compared to hunting. observation) and the crocodile was still watching from Like the observations of Boogaarts (1938) and the water. *DXONH   RXU REVHUYDWLRQV LQ 6DEDK RI D V. salvator macromaculatus feeding on the carcass of a Discussion S. b. barbatus were almost certainly a case of carrion consumption.  %HVLGHVFRQVLGHUDEOHKXPDQKXQWLQJSUHVVXUHIHZ predators of S. b. barbatus are recorded (Meijaard et al Acknowledgments – We thank two anonymous  DOWKRXJKFORXGHGOHRSDUGVDQGUHWLFXODWHGS\WKRQV reviewers for comments on the manuscript. KDYHEHHQNQRZQWRWDNHSLJOHWV &XUUDQLQ0HLMDDUG  3KLOOLSSV  3KLOOLSSV   2XU REVHUYDWLRQ References DSSHDUVWREHWKH¿UVWRIDV. salvator macromaculatus feeding on a dead S. b. barbatus +RZHYHU LQ 1RUWK %RRJDDUWV0 Nangoeih’s. De Nederlandsch 6XPDWUD%RRJDDUWV LQ0HLMDDUG UHFRUGHG ,QGLVFKH-DJHU'HF Asian water monitors feeding on dead banded pigs S. %XQGKLWZRQJUXW766DJXHQVDE.7KLUDNKXSW  scrofa vittatus: “We found three specimens which had 26*3DXZHOV$FDVHRISUHGDWLRQRIWKH been taken by tigers, and from which these had only water monitor Varanus salvator on the western removed the most desirable bits of meat. Monitor lizards snail-eating turtle Malayemys macrocephala and bears had removed the remainder of the carcasses”. (Reptilia: Varanidae & Bataguridae) in Bangkok. ,Q WKH 3KLOOLSLQHV *DXONH   UHSRUWHG ZDWHU Biawak 2: 106-108 monitors in feeding aggregation on two ‘Sus barbatus’ &RWD0 56RPPHUODG1RWHVDQG FDUFDVVHVRQ&DODXLW,VODQG3DODZDQ3URYLQFH+RZHYHU REVHUYDWLRQVRQWKH¿VKSUH\RIVaranus salvator recent taxonomic treatment recognizes this pig taxon macromaculatus (Reptilia: Squamata: Varanidae) DV D VHSDUDWH VSHFLHV WKH 3DODZDQ EHDUGHG SLJ S. LQ7KDLODQGZLWKDUHYLHZRIWKH¿VKSUH\RIWKH ahoenobarbus 1RQHWKHOHVV *DXONH   VXJJHVWV Varanus salvator complex known to date. Biawak the ability of water monitors to detect large carcasses 7: 63-70. VXFKDVSLJV LQSODFHVOLNHWKH3KLOLSSLQHVWREHORZ 'DV,$)LHOG*XLGHWRWKH5HSWLOHVRI6RXWK considering such potential prey are widely exploited (DVW$VLD0\DQPDU7KDLODQG/DRV&DPERGLD E\ KXPDQV EXW ZKHUH GHWHFWHG KDYH DQ RFFDVLRQDO 9LHWQDP3HQLQVXODU0DOD\VLD6LQJDSRUH6XPDWUD 50 FITZSIMONS & THOMAS - VARANUS SALVATOR)((',1*21SUS CARCASS

 %RUQHR-DYD%DOL1HZ+ROODQG/RQGRQSS  &RQVXOWDQWV%RJRU,QGRQHVLDSS *DXONH02QWKHGLHWRIWKHZDWHUPRQLWRU 0HLMDDUG(1DQJRHLKV EHDUGHGSLJV 6XLIRUP Varanus salvatorLQWKH3KLOLSSLQHV3S Soundings 14(2): 13-14. In%|KPH: +*+RUQ HGV $GYDQFHVLQ 0HLMDDUG(-3G¶+XDUW :5/2OLYHU Monitor Research. Mertensiella 2. Deutsche  )DPLO\6XLGDH 3LJV 3SIn:LOVRQ  *HVHOOVFKDIWIU+HUSHWRORJLHXQG7HUUDULHQNXQGH  '( 5$0LWWHUPHLHU HGV +DQGERRNRIWKH  H9%RQQ Mammals of the World. Volume 2: Hoofed *DXONH07D[RQRP\DQGELRORJ\RI3KLOLSSLQH  0DPPDOV/\Q[(GLFLRQV%DUFHORQD water monitors (Varanus salvator 3KLOLSSLQH 3KLOOLSSV4 .3KLOOLSSV3KLOOLSSV¶)LHOG Journal of Science 121: 345-381. Guide to the Mammals of Borneo and Their *DXONH0 +*+RUQVaranus salvator  (FRORJ\6DEDK6DUDZDN%UXQHLDQG.DOLPDQWDQ  QRPLQDWHIRUP 3SIn3LDQND(5  -RKQ%HDXIR\3XEOLVKLQJ2[IRUGSS  '5.LQJ 5$.LQJ HGV 9DUDQRLG/L]DUGVRI 6KLQH5$PEDUL\DQWR36+DUORZ 0XPSXQL  WKH:RUOG,QGLDQD8QLYHUVLW\3UHVV%ORRPLQJWRQ  (FRORJLFDOWUDLWVRIFRPPHUFLDOO\KDUYHVWHG .DUXQDUDWKQD'066$$7$PDUDVLQJKH   ZDWHUPRQLWRUVVaranus salvatorLQQRUWKHUQ  (0.%(NDQD\DNH2EVHUYHGSUHGDWLRQ Sumatra. Wildlife Research 25: 437-447.  RQDVXFNHUPRXWKFDW¿VK Hypostomus 6WDQQHU00DPPDOOLNHIHHGLQJEHKDYLRURI plecostomus) by a water monitor (Varanus Varanus salvator and its conservational salvator) in Bellanwila Attidiya Sanctuary. Biawak implications. Biawak 4: 128-131. 2: 37-39. 7UDHKROW&D7KHIRRGDQGIHHGLQJEHKDYLRURI /RVRV-% +:*UHHQH(FRORJLFDODQG  WKHZDWHUPRQLWRUVaranus salvatorLQ0DOD\VLD evolutionary implications of diet in monitor Malayan Nature Journal 47: 331-343. lizards. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 7UDHKROW&E1RWHVRQWKHZDWHUPRQLWRU 35: 379-407. Varanus salvator as a scavenger. Malayan Nature /XFFKLQL9(0HLMDDUG&+'LRQJ&3*URYHV  Journal 47: 345-353.  (5DQGL1HZSK\ORJHQHWLFSHUVSHFWLYHV among species of South-east Asian wild pig (Sus sp.) based on mtDNA sequences and morphometric data. Journal of Zoology 266: 25-35. 0HLMDDUG(%HDUGHGSLJ Sus barbatus):  (FRORJ\FRQVHUYDWLRQVWDWXVDQGUHVHDUFK methodology. Background document for the  HOHFWURQLFFRQIHUHQFHRQEHDUGHGSLJUHVHDUFK and recommendations for a collaborative research  SURJUDPPH±0D\%RJRU,QGRQHVLD  ::),QGRQHVLD&,)25DQG(FRVHQVH 

Received: 5 September 2016; Accepted: 23 October 2016