The Diversity and Status of the Civets (Viverridae) of Singapore
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The diversity and status of the civets (Viverridae) of Singapore Marcus A. H. CHUA1,2, Kelvin K. P. LIM1,3 and Celine H. S. LOW1 Abstract Arctogalidia trivirgata, Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Malay Civet Viverra tangalunga and Large Indian Civet V. zibetha) outA review of the ofnine the hitherto civet records recorded; from it isSingapore not totally confirms clear that the the existence two Viverra of four species species are (Small-toothednative. The status Palm of Masked Civet Palm Civet Paguma larvata is indeterminate, while the natural occurrence of Binturong Arctictis binturong, Otter Civet Cynogale bennettii, Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica and Large Spotted Civet Viverra megaspila seems doubtful. Keywords : biodiversity, historical ambiguity, recent field records, Viverridae Introduction Road;ety (Singapore). Kampung Malay– Village; words Pulau are –used Island; in locality Sungei names – River with or sized carnivores that are widely distributed in the warmer Malay–English translations as follows: Bukit – Hill; Jalan – partsThe family of the Viverridae Old World. (civets) Ten species consists of civets of small- are knownto medium- from Stream. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow Jennings & Veron (2009). Sightings were of single animals except where stated. ofthe the Malay Sunda Peninsula Shelf, and (Francis is largely 2008), occupied the strip by Peninsular of land at Mathe Individual records are given in the Appendix and locations are laysiasouth-eastern and southern corner Thailand. of the Asian At the continent southern which tip of is the also Malay part Binturongmarked on Fig.Arctictis 1. binturong (Raffles) - Subspecies: Arctictis binturong binturong where nine species of civets have been reported, although spe Arctictis binturong Peninsula is Singapore (1°20'N, 103°50'E), a small country (Raffles) Singapore is separated from the Asian mainland by the- Arctitis [sic] binturong – Harrison binturong 1974: 229 (Singapore:et al not recorded Straitscific records of Johor, of most a channel are not of readilyseawater available. that is, at its narrowest for many years), Baker & Lim 2008: 167 (Singapore: extinct). – Yang . 1990: 14, 21 smaller islands make up an area of 710 km² (Singapore: indeterminate status). Bukitpoint, Timahonly 600 Hill, m its wide. highest The point,main islandis 164 ofm Singaporeabove sea level.and sixty The (NParks 2010). and claimedHarrison that (1974) the suggested species had that not the typebeen specimen recorded of there Bin- mm, never falling below a mean of 100 mm in the driest months turong, described by Raffles, may have been from Singapore, climate is equatorial and has a mean annual rainfall of 2,375 Viverra? binturong) was “foundfor many at Malacca”,years. However, which isin not the in original Singapore, description, and at that Raffles time (Corlett 1992). The area was largely covered in diverse lowland might(1821: even 253) have stated referred that the to animal an origin (as from other parts of the oftropical Singapore rainforest into a untiltrading the post, arrival and of now Sir Stamforda metropolitan Raffles city. in 1819 (Corlett 1992, Turner 1993), followed by the development specimenMalay Peninsula: came from Malacca a market. was a majorIf it had trade been centre from of Singapore, the region Currently, only 2.8 km² of primary forest remain (Corlett 1997), at that time (Kennedy 1993) and it is therefore Simiapossible maura? that the naturalin the Bukit areas, Timah and alongNature with Reserve Sungei and Buloh the Central Wetland Catchment Reserve Presbytis femoralis), Tupaia ferruginea Tupaia glis) and Sciu- Nature Reserve. These rainforest nature reserves are protected rusRaffles affinis would Ratufahave written affinis ).thus, The asreasoning he did for behind Harrison’s (= claim is unknown, and there is apparently (= no historical record and LabradorThe Viverridae Nature ofReserve Singapore make has up 33.26been km²reported (about by 4.7%) Can of Binturong (= in Singapore. However, escapees, such as that list of Singapore’s total land area (NParks 2010). et al et al. - - tor (1846), Ridley (1895), etChasen al (1924), Harrison (1974), Small-tootheded in the Appendix, Palm have Civet been Arctogalidia recorded (Yang trivirgata . 1990). (Gray) Medway (1983), Yang (1990), Teo & Rajathurai (1997), Subspecies: Arctogalidia trivirgata trivirgata tusBaker in the& Lim country. (2008), Lim . (2008) and Lim & Ou Yang (2012). This article is a review of their diversity and local sta- Paguma trivirgata (Gray) (see Species list ArctogalidiaCorbet & Hill trivirgata 1992: 212) – Cantor 1846: 201 (Singapore). – Chasen 1924: 83, Harrison 1974: 230 specimen records), preserved specimens largely in the Zoo stricted(seemed to to a occur few areas), in Singapore), Lim et al Corbet & Hill 1992: 212, The following records are from published literature (including Baker & Lim 2008: 152 & 163 (Singapore: rare and re- - . 2008: 200 (Singapore: andlogical observations Reference Collectionand photographs (ZRC) ofsubmitted the Raffles to theMuseum records of Arctogalidia‘critically trivirgata endangered’, sumatrana confined to Bukit Timah and Cen- Biodiversity Research at the National University of Singapore, ettral al Catchment Nature Reserves). – Medway 1983: 94, Yang database of the Vertebrate Study Group of The Nature Soci- . 1990: 14 & 21 (Singapore: indeterminate status). 1 Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 47: 1–10, December 2012 Chua et al. Fig. 1. Singapore, with known locations of civet records. Solid shapes represent confirmed, hollow shapes unconfirmed, records. Offshore islands: PU = Pulau Ubin, PT = Pulau Tekong, ST = Sentosa; Nature Reserves: BTNR = Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, CCNR = Central Catchment Nature Reserve, LNR = Labrador Nature Reserve, SBWR = Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. • Singapore – male presented by C. O. Hagerdon on 23 November 1922 (ZRC 4.1294; Chasen 1924: 83). vidualsChasen that were(1924) brought cited two to thespecimens museum in within the collection two years. of Thethe Rafflesfate of Museumthe latter and is not mentioned clear. This another species three appears local toindi be- highly vocal and is known to make a loud chirping call. It ap - butpears rarely to be observed confined in in the Singapore past two to decades: the Bukit the Timah records and in Cen the- tral Catchment Nature Reserves, where it has been widespread callyAppendix endangered are the bytotal Lim from et al at least 300 hours of spotlighting surveys (Fig. 2). In Singapore, this species is regarded as criti- Masked Palm Civet Paguma. larvata(2008). (Smith) Fig. 2. The arboreal Small-toothed Palm Civet Arctogalidia trivirgata has Subspecies: Paguma larvata annectens only been recorded in Singapore by night-transect spotlighting (photo: (Robinson & Kloss; Celine Low). Paguma leucomystax also see Corbet & Hill 1992: 210) cious). – Cantor 1846: 200 (Singapore), Chas- Museum specimens Pagumaen 1924:larvata 82–83 (Singapore: occurrence seemed suspi- – Harrison 1974: 228 (Singapore: apparently • Singapore – female acquired from C. O. Hagerdon on used to occur at the turn of the 20th century), Baker & Lim 15 March 1922 (ZRC 4.1293; Chasen 1924: 83). 2008: 163 (Singapore: rare and restricted to a few areas?), Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 47, December 2012 2 Civets of Singapore Lim et al ularly in rural and suburban areas where there are fruit trees Patou et al for it to feed in, and roof spaces into which it can retire by day Paguma larvata. 2008: jourdainii 200 (Singapore: ‘critically endangered’), demic [sic . 2009: 220 (specimen from Singapore Zoo). This close association with people has given rise to et al – Medway 1983: 93 (presence of en- (Harrison 1974, Baker & Lim 2008, Xu 2010). ] population in Singapore not confirmed), Yang . 1990: 14 & 21 (Singapore: occurrence doubtful), Teo human–civet conflict in some residential areas. From being & Rajathurai 1997: 370 (MacRitchieP. leucomystax and), withPulau suspicion, Tekong). a a subject of gastronomic interest, this animal has, in recent theyears, dislodging been viewed of roof as atiles, nuisance or of havingby some. their Not fruit many trees people raided are Chasen (1924) cited (as tolerant of thumping sounds (of civets running) on the ceiling, atspecimen the present in the and Raffles may Museum have been labelled lost. Patou as having et al been taken in citedSingapore a ‘Singapore’ in 1895. However,specimen thisfrom specimen the Singapore could notZoo; be this located was (by civets). As a result, many of these animals were trapped by . (2009: 220) 2010residents were (Xu translocated 2010). to the Bukit Timah and Central Catch in litt. 2012). The Some civets caught at suburban Siglap in 2009 and early most probably a captive-born animal imported from the Taipei - Zoo (Razak Jaffar, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Thisment had Nature apparently Reserves led (T. to aM. rise Leong in the verbally sightings 2012), of this Labrador species animal.1990 record As there from is Pulauneither Tekong recent cannot proof ofbe its confirmed wild occurrence and there in inNature the nature Reserve reserves and other over thosewooded two but years. non-protected The concentration areas. Singapore,is no way to nor ascertain indisputable if the 1994historical sighting record is of there, a former the national captive status of Masked Palm Civet should be considered indeterminate. of sightings at Pulau Ubin in 1999 and 2000 was, however, due Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Pallas) byto anfar intensive