Camera-trap records of small carnivores from eastern Cambodia, 1999–2013 T. N. E. GRAY1, PIN C.2, PHAN C.2, R. CROUTHERS2, J. F. KAMLER3 and PRUM S.2,4 Abstract Camera-trapping targeted at large mammals was conducted across nine lowland areas (predominantly under 300 m asl) in eastern Cambodia between 1999 and 2013. At least 10 small carnivore species were recorded including, based on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, two categorised as Vulnerable (Large-spotted Civet Viverra megaspila and Binturong Arctictis bintu- rong) and two as Near Threatened (Large Indian Civet V. zibetha and Hog Badger Arctonyx collaris). Over 75% of small carnivore camera-trap encounters were of Large Indian Civet or Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, indicating that these species remain widespread and common in eastern Cambodia’s lowland forests. Possible declines of Hog Badger, Large-spotted Civet and Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica are noted but further research is merited. This is particularly important for Large- Keywordsspotted Civet,: Arctonyx given collaristhe likely, Hog high Badger, significance lowland of forest, this region Large to Indian its global Civet, conservation Large-spotted status. Civet, Mondulkiri, Phnom Prich, Viver- ra megaspila, Viverra zibetha ζមេរ➶習័យវ 叒រវ㿒តកិ 㿒叒់ ានូវ叒រមេទេ羶ំ 習㿒ថ្នវ ា ក䞶់ រមៅកុាង㿒រំ ន ់ 徶គ޶ងមក㿒ើ 叒រមទ習កេុᾶព ពᯒី ា ១ំ ៩៩៩ ដល់ ᯒា ២ំ ០១៣ ζរ⮶កζ់ មេរ➶ ថ㿒ររូ 習័យវ 叒រវ㿒ិតដដល習ំមៅមៅមលើពពួកថនិក習㿒វដដល掶ន掶ឌធំដដល厶នមធើវម ើងកុងា រ玶ងᯒា ំ ១៩៩៩-២០១៣ មៅទូ䞶ំង ៩㿒ំរន់ទំ侶រកណ្តតល (徶គម叒រើន掶នរយៈកំព習់ម叒ζេ ៣០០េ ߒព習់ᾶង នីវទូ ➶ ឹក習េុ叒ទ) 習ិ㿒ថ មៅ徶គ޶ងមកើ㿒叒រមទ習កេុពᾶ។ យ➶ងមោរណ្ត習់掶ន叒រមេទេំ羶習㿒វថ្នាក់䞶ររំនួន ១០叒រមេទ叒㿒ូវ厶នក㿒叒់ ាᾶ叒រមេទដដលទទួលរងម叒រᏇថ្នា កម់ ៅកុាងរ⟒ជីរ叒កហេររ習់អងគζរ習ហ徶ពអេរិ កស ពិេពមោក The IUCN Red List ដដល掶នដូរᾶ 叒រមេទᎶយទទួលរងម叒រᏇថ្នា កព់ ីរ叒រមេទគឺ習㿒វ習ំមោរធំ Viverra megaspila និង習㿒វ⏒ុ習ម ដ叒រងឬ習ំមោរេា ំ Arctictis binturong, 叒រមេទ習㿒វជិ㿒ទទួលរងម叒រᏇថ្នា ក ់ ពីរ叒រមេទគឺ 習㿒ߒវ ីទន Viverra zibetha និង習㿒វ叒ជូកមោន Arctonyx collars ។ 徶គម叒រើននន叒រមេទេ羶ំ 習㿒វ ថ្នា ក䞶់ រដដលζមេរ➶ 習័យវ 叒រវ㿒ិតថ㿒厶ន (ម叒រនើ ᾶង ៧៥%)គឺ叒រមេទ習㿒ߒវ ីទន នងិ 習㿒វ習ំមោរ叒កអូរ Paradoxurus hermaphroditus ដដលរᎶា ញថ្ន習㿒វ叒រមេទមនᏇមៅ掶នោ習មពញ នងិ ᾶ習េ⟒ញ មៅកុាង㿒ំរន ់ ទំ侶រន叒ព徶គ޶ងមកើ㿒叒រមទ習កេុពᾶ។ ζរថយរុᏇដដល讶រមកើ㿒掶នរំមោᏇ習㿒វ ៣叒រមេទ (習㿒វ叒ជូកមោន, 習ំមោរធំ នងិ 習㿒វ習ំមោរវល� ល រ習ឺ ំមោរ㿒ូរ Viverricula indica គឺ叒㿒ូវ厶នក㿒習់ ំរល់ រុដ➶ នត䞶េ䞶រម讶យ掶ន ζរ習ិកា叒羶វ叒ᾶវរដនថេមទៀ㿒។ 玶គឺ掶ន羶រៈ習ំ޶នᾶ់ ពមិ 習習習叒掶រ習់ 㿒វ習ំមោរធំដដល厶នរᎶា ញពី 羶រៈ習ំ޶ន់ߒព習់មៅ㿒ំរនម់ នᏇមដើេបζី រអេរិ កស習㿒វ叒រមេទមនᏇᾶ習កល។ Introduction WS] and Mondulkiri Protected Forest [Mondulkiri PF]) in the Eastern Plains Landscape, Mondulkiri province (Phan et al. 2010, Gray & Prum 2012). These two survey areas, mostly ofThe lowlands forests notof eastern yet widely Cambodia converted are to globally agriculture significant and other for below 300 m asl, hold mostly deciduous diptertocarp forest anthropogenicbiodiversity conservation habitats, together in particular with populations for their large of globally extent (Pin et al - threatened large mammals and waterbirds (Tordoff et al. 2005, ous semi-evergreen forest (sensu Rundel 1999) occurs in Mon- Phan et al. 2010, Gray et al. 2012a, O’Kelly et al. 2012, Wright dulkiri PF.. 2013).Phnom A Prich little WSmixed has deciduous much naturally and highly patchy decidu semi- et al. 2012). Since 1999 WWF Cambodia has partnered with evergreen forest. Cambodia was historically poorly collected the Royal Government of Cambodia to undertake biodiversity and surveyed for small carnivores, as for many other mammals of this size-class (Walston 2001), with various species and in various areas, within and outside the protected area net- work,surveys across and monitoring,the eastern Cambodianincluding extensive provinces camera-trapping, of Kratie, Mon- Schank et al. 2009). This paper documents the small carnivores dulkiri, Rattanakiri and Stung Treng (Phan et al. 2010, Gray even genera being found for the first time only recently (e.g.- et al. 2012b). Since 2008 this has focused on the cores of two onodontidae and Viverridae) camera-trapped in order to assist protected area (Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary [Phnom Prich with(i.e. Herpestidae, understanding Mustelidae their global [excepting conservation otters status. (Lutrinae)], Pri Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 50: 20–24, July 2014 20 Small carnivores of eastern Cambodia Methods The camera-trapping here described covered two phases: June 1999 to November 2007 Nine broadly distributed survey areas in eastern Cambodia, both east (seven areas) and west (two areas) of the Mekong river, were camera-trapped (Fig. 1; reproduced from Gray et al. [2012b]). Objectives were largely to document the presence (or non-recording) of globally threatened large mammals (particu- larly Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Eld’s Deer Cervus eldii, Hog Deer Axis porcinus, wild cattle Bos and large carnivores) - ters with these species, and also to minimise the risk of cam- erawith theft. cameras CamTrakker placed at locations(CamTrak expected South, Inc., to maximise Watkinsville, encoun GA 30677 USA) passive infra-red sensor camera-traps were used. Fig. 2. Approximate location of camera-trap stations in Phnom Prich Gray et al. (2012b) gave more details of methodology, including Wildlife Sanctuary and Mondulkiri Protected Forest between 2008 and 2013. Extent of mixed deciduous/semi-evergreen forest indicated; all Unfortunately, effort (e.g. the number of camera-trap nights in white areas within protected areas represent deciduous dipterocarp of data-extraction from this disparate, poorly managed dataset. each survey area) is no longer available for these surveys. forest. Reproduced from Gray et al. (2014). December 2008 to February 2013 Parts of central and western Mondulkiri PF and eastern Phnom available infra-red, digital camera units with passive infrared - men, WI, USA; Cuddeback Ambush IR, Green Bay, WI, USA) in Prich WS were extensively camera-trapped using commercially whichmotion all detection photographs (Reconyx are RapidFiredigitally stamped Professional with PC90, date Holand time. Fig. 2 (reproduced from Gray et al. 2014) shows the ap- traps were placed in locations (e.g. alongside roads and foot- paths,proximate dry streamlocations beds of andthese at seasonalcamera-trap waterholes) stations. chosen Camera- to - mals, primarily large carnivores (Mainland Clouded Leopard Neofelismaximise nebulosa, chances Leopard of encountering Panthera large pardus ground-living and Tiger P. tigrismam) and wild cattle (Banteng Bos javanicus and Gaur B. gaurus). No camera-traps were baited. All were continuously operational, placed on trees at 20–150 cm (mean 50 cm) above the ground. All notionally independent encounters with small carnivores, the same station were separated by at least 30 minutes, were defined when successive photographs of the same species at - ratana,extracted with from support the camera-trap from TNEG. data and recorded. All species identifications from the photographs were made by Pin Chan Results and discussion In both study phases (1999–2007 and 2008–2013) at least 10 small carnivore species were camera-trapped (Tables 1 & 2) including two species listed as globally Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2014), Binturong Arctictis binturong and Large-spotted Civet Viverra megaspila, and two listed as globally Near-Threatened, Hog Badger Arc- tonyx collaris and Large Indian Civet V. zibetha (Table 3). Fer- ret badgers Melogale were recorded but could not be reliably et al. (2009). The only documented specimens from Cambodia, Fig. 1. Approximate locations of survey areas camera-trapped by WWF includingidentified oneto species, from Mondulkiri, following the are cautions of Large-toothed of Schank Ferret in eastern Cambodia, 1999–2007. A, Chhlong; B, Phnom Prich Wildlife Badger M. personata (Schank et al. 2009), which is categorised Sanctuary; C, Prey Khieu; D, Prey Long; E, Prek Prasab; F, Mondulkiri on the IUCN Red List Protected Forest; G, Virachey National Park; H, west Seima/Snoul; I, Gray et al. (2010), based largely on part of the dataset Western Siem Pang. Reproduced from Gray et al. (2012b). analysed here, concluded as Data that Deficient. the Eastern Plains Landscape 21 Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 50, July 2014 Gray et al. Table 1. Number of camera-trap encounters for all small carnivores from eastern Cambodia between 1999 and 2007. Species A B C D E F G H I Total Yellow-throated Marten 3(3) 2(2) 1(1) 1(1) 7 Hog Badger 4(3) 1(1) 6(4) 1(1) 4(3) 16 Ferret badger 3(2) 1(1) 4 Large Indian Civet 5(3) 40(19) 6(4) 12(6) 10(9) 73 Large-spotted Civet 16(8) 8(4) 4(3) 6(5) 1(1) 3(1) 35 Small Indian Civet 20(12) 3(2) 3(2) 10(3) 1(1) 4(3) 5(3) 1(1) 47 Common Palm Civet 24(9) 33(21) 10(3) 13(6) 3(2) 2(2) 40(21) 1(1) 126 Binturong 1(1) 1(1) 1(1) 3 Small Asian Mongoose 2(1) 1(1) 1(1) 4 Crab-eating Mongoose 1(1) 1 Columns ‘A’ – ‘I’ indicate the number of notionally independent (see text) encounters (and number of camera-trap stations with records) from nine survey areas: A, Chhlong; B, Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary; C, Prey Khieu; D, Prey Long; E, Prek Prasab; F, Mondulkiri Protected Forest; G, Virachey National Park; H, west Seima/Snoul; I, Western Siem Pang. More details of each area are given in Gray et al. (2012b). Scientific names are given in Table 3. Table 2. Number of notionally independent (see text) camera-trap encounters of small carnivores from Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary (PPWS) and Mondulkiri Protected Forest (MPF) (and number of camera-trap stations with records) between 2008 and 2013. 2013 2012 2011 2009/2010 Protected areas