DOCSLIB.ORG

Borneo Set Departure Tour: June 24 – July 2011

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Borneo Set Departure Tour: June 24 – July 2011 Borneo Set Departure Tour: June 24 – July 2011 Bornean Orang Utan at Danum Valley We were very lucky to meet up with a number of Orang Utans during our stay in Danum Valley, but this was by far our best sighting. This large male was totally indifferent to our presence as he fed in a low tree along the entrance road to our lodge. Borneo is always a super exciting place to see wildlife. Surprisingly for the tropics, I’ve come to expect the unexpected. Most people think of the tropical forests as being sort of static places - the same year round with little variation in conditions. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth – conditions vary considerably but not in the way we expect in the temperate zones. Where most of us come from we can predict the seasonal changes but in the tropics these changes are often capricious…unpredictable and invariably baffling, or failing this they are so subtle as to be quite difficult to discern. I’ve been travelling and naturalising in Borneo for close to twenty years and still so much is a mystery to me. This year it was strange because many of the birds I would expect to find without much difficulty either showed up at the last minute or simply refused to reveal themselves to us. But the counter to that was that we found a number of goodies I don’t expect to see on every trip. That’s always exciting - for me as well as the participants! Borneo is quite rightly regarded as one of the great storehouses of our planet’s incredible biological diversity. Charles Darwin called Borneo “one great, wild, untidy, luxuriant hothouse made by nature herself.” What a fabulous summation of this remarkable place! It succinctly conjures an image of a Henri Rousseau jungle painting. These days the reality is that much of the rich and verdant rainforest of Borneo has been lost forever, given up to our greed for fuel and comfort. This third largest island in the world is rapidly being taken over by oil palm plantations and timber companies. The Malaysian state of Sabah in the north harbors the largest remaining tracts of lowland and montane rainforest in Borneo. From here the towering spinal mountain range dominated by Mount Kinabalu emanates, and the teeming, complex rainforests still fan out below them to the lowlands and ultimately to the coast. The vast majority of Borneo’s endemic animals and plants are found in Sabah. There are two reasons from this – the first is that most of the island’s higher mountains are in Sabah and these geographically isolated locations are where speciation bubbles away. The other is simply that Sabah is further away from mainland so eons ago there was less opportunity for this speciation to be watered down on those occasions that Borneo was joined to it by a land bridge. The wildlife of this remarkable island is incomparable. With a host of enticing birds (including 48 endemics), a charismatic mammal fauna, many strange and unusual reptiles and the largest collection of carnivorous pitcher plants, it’s not surprising that naturalists are irresistibly drawn to the island. Our birding started at Tambunan, a mid elevation site en route to Mount Kinabalu, where we had the chance to catch up with a few endemics that we knew we would not find elsewhere. We did pretty well here despite some very slow conditions. We left Sabah’s capital, Kota Kinabalu in the dark, arriving at our birding site just after dawn. This area of the Crocker Range National Park we pass through is at a slightly lower altitude to Mount Kinabalu and a good place to locate a handful of endemics and other specialties that are difficult to find at Kinabalu. We found Little Cuckoo-Doves to be plentiful, their charming vocalizations could be heard throughout the morning. We also had our first encounters with a few species we would become very familiar with over the next few days – Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush, Bornean Whistler, totally manic flocks of Chestnut-crested Yuhinas, and Black-capped White-eyes. We found a little group of the newly split Bornean Leafbird and had nice looks Mountain Imperial- Pigeon, and the flaming Temminck’s Sunbird. Probably our most exciting find of the morning was a very close Bock’s Hawk Cuckoo (recently split from Large Hawk Cuckoo based largely on its quite different call), which we were able to study through the scope for quite some time. We had a few sightings of the rather shy, endemic Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher on the trails on Mount Kinabalu. Mount Kinabalu is one of those truly memorable mountains that seem to burst from the ground. It dominates the west coast and is pivotal to the identity of the local people. The cool montane forests on the slopes of Kinabalu and the surrounding Crocker Ranges are home to most of Borneo’s endemic species. Mount Kinabalu is so central to the identity of Sabahans that it is featured prominently on the state flag and is the subject of innumerable folkloric tales. It is also the key to Borneo’s incredible biodiversity, for it’s here in these northern mountain ranges that most of Borneo’s endemics evolved. Birding in this cool climate and verdant forests was a real pleasure as we strolled the trails and road in search of a host of goodies. We spent most of our time strolling and searching the narrow road that leads up to Timpohon Gate, the jumping off point for all those foolhardy people who aspire to climb to the summit. At the higher reaches there are a few species than are more common than even a little further down. So on our first morning we went in search of Bornean Whistling-Thrush, Sunda Bush- Warblers, and Bornean Treepies. The first two we found easily but oddly the treepies were a little more elusive. They showed up eventually though. Over the next few days we walked the road a number of times as well as a couple of the trails. The beautiful Mempening Trail paid off with great sightings of one of my favorite Bornean birds, the delightful Mountain Wren-Babbler. At various altitudes along the road we found mixed flocks comprising some neat birds like Bornean Whistler, Checker-throated and Maroon woodpeckers, Sunda Cuckoo-shrike Gray-throated Minivet, Hair-crested Drongo, Black-and- crimson Oriole, Short-tailed Green Magpie, Gray-throated Babbler, Sunda, Chestnut-capped and Bare-headed laughingthrushes, White-browed Shrike-Babbler, more large flocks of Chestnut-crested Yuhina, Mountain Leaf and Yellow-breasted warblers, and White-throated Fantail. We found the endemic Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher in thick forest on the Silau Silau Trail. A few other flycatchers - Indigo, Snowy-browed and Little Pied flycatchers – put in appearances. At the last minute we got something other than a stratospheric view of a Black-sided Flowerpecker, which was much appreciated by all. Black-capped White-eyes and Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrushes abounded and Ashy Drongos were everywhere. Mountain Tailorbirds would pipe up occasionally with their tuneful songs, allowing us to see them a couple of times. Another last minute bird was the bizarre Bare-headed Laughingthrush, who finally turned up amongst a mixed flock of Sunda and Chestnut-hooded laughingthrushes. The birding on Mount Kinabalu can be slow and frustrating but patience pays off and if one takes the time to enjoy everything the forest has to offer – the trees, the flowers, the insects, the mammals, the sounds and smells – it’s simply a wonderful experience to be here. The legendary Rafflesia flower of Borneo! We made a quick visit to the nearby Poring Hot Springs one afternoon where the highlight was not a bird but rather a flower! None other than the amazing Rafflesia, the largest and unarguably the strangest flower in the world. We were lucky to see one blooming, as this parasite with its unusual life cycle on appears above ground when it blooms over a period of about four days at most. We found a few nice birds here, too including the delightful and musical White-crowned Shama. A bunch of Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers were feeding in a flowering tree in the resort gardens but sadly they’ve seen fit to remove all the banana plants so our hoped-for swag of spiderhunters didn’t eventuate. On another afternoon we again went in search of plants! Over on another part of the mountain, the outpost of Mesilau allows access to a slightly higher area where the poorer soils support a variety of the exotic and beautiful carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plants. We were able to observe and photograph four species in their natural setting, as well as a number of other endemic and beautiful plants – orchids, mosses, begonias and more. Our local ranger was remarkably knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his chosen subject so that was another fun aspect of our visit. Our next destination was Danum Valley, one of the premier birding and wildlife destinations in Asia so our long stay here was a rare opportunity to really experience the intricacies of this most complex of ecosystems – the Sundaic tropical lowland rainforests. There is no doubt that Danum Valley represents one of the most important, not to mention, exciting nature reserves in Asia. It is simply brimming with luxuriant forest and amazing wildlife, although as with most lowland tropical rainforests, finding some of this elusive wildlife can be a challenge! The forests here are the tallest rainforests in the world and the beautiful emergent Koompassia trees are truly stunning.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Checklist of the Mammals of Indonesia
    CHECKLIST OF THE MAMMALS OF INDONESIA Scientific, English, Indonesia Name and Distribution Area Table in Indonesia Including CITES, IUCN and Indonesian Category for Conservation i ii CHECKLIST OF THE MAMMALS OF INDONESIA Scientific, English, Indonesia Name and Distribution Area Table in Indonesia Including CITES, IUCN and Indonesian Category for Conservation By Ibnu Maryanto Maharadatunkamsi Anang Setiawan Achmadi Sigit Wiantoro Eko Sulistyadi Masaaki Yoneda Agustinus Suyanto Jito Sugardjito RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY INDONESIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCES (LIPI) iii © 2019 RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY, INDONESIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCES (LIPI) Cataloging in Publication Data. CHECKLIST OF THE MAMMALS OF INDONESIA: Scientific, English, Indonesia Name and Distribution Area Table in Indonesia Including CITES, IUCN and Indonesian Category for Conservation/ Ibnu Maryanto, Maharadatunkamsi, Anang Setiawan Achmadi, Sigit Wiantoro, Eko Sulistyadi, Masaaki Yoneda, Agustinus Suyanto, & Jito Sugardjito. ix+ 66 pp; 21 x 29,7 cm ISBN: 978-979-579-108-9 1. Checklist of mammals 2. Indonesia Cover Desain : Eko Harsono Photo : I. Maryanto Third Edition : December 2019 Published by: RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY, INDONESIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCES (LIPI). Jl Raya Jakarta-Bogor, Km 46, Cibinong, Bogor, Jawa Barat 16911 Telp: 021-87907604/87907636; Fax: 021-87907612 Email: [email protected] . iv PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION This book is a third edition of checklist of the Mammals of Indonesia. The new edition provides remarkable information in several ways compare to the first and second editions, the remarks column contain the abbreviation of the specific island distributions, synonym and specific location. Thus, in this edition we are also corrected the distribution of some species including some new additional species in accordance with the discovery of new species in Indonesia.
    [Show full text]
  • Endemism and Diversity of Small Mammals Along Two Neighboring Bornean Mountains
    Endemism and diversity of small mammals along two neighboring Bornean mountains Miguel Camacho-Sanchez1,2,*, Melissa T.R. Hawkins3,4,5,*, Fred Tuh Yit Yu6, Jesus E. Maldonado3 and Jennifer A. Leonard1 1 Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain 2 CiBIO—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal 3 Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC, USA 4 Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, USA 5 Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA 6 Sabah Parks, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia * These authors contributed equally to this work. ABSTRACT Mountains offer replicated units with large biotic and abiotic gradients in a reduced spatial scale. This transforms them into well-suited scenarios to evaluate biogeographic theories. Mountain biogeography is a hot topic of research and many theories have been proposed to describe the changes in biodiversity with elevation. Geometric constraints, which predict the highest diversity to occur in mid-elevations, have been a focal part of this discussion. Despite this, there is no general theory to explain these patterns, probably because of the interaction among different predictors with the local effects of historical factors. We characterize the diversity of small non-volant mammals across the elevational gradient on Mount (Mt.) Kinabalu (4,095 m) and Mt. Tambuyukon (2,579 m), two neighboring mountains in Borneo, Malaysia. We documented a decrease in species richness with elevation which deviates from expectations of the geometric constraints and suggests that spatial Submitted 14 February 2018 Accepted 9 September 2019 factors (e.g., larger diversity in larger areas) are important.
    [Show full text]
  • BORNEO: Bristleheads, Broadbills, Barbets, Bulbuls, Bee-Eaters, Babblers, and a Whole Lot More
    BORNEO: Bristleheads, Broadbills, Barbets, Bulbuls, Bee-eaters, Babblers, and a whole lot more A Tropical Birding Set Departure July 1-16, 2018 Guide: Ken Behrens All photos by Ken Behrens TOUR SUMMARY Borneo lies in one of the biologically richest areas on Earth – the Asian equivalent of Costa Rica or Ecuador. It holds many widespread Asian birds, plus a diverse set of birds that are restricted to the Sunda region (southern Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo), and dozens of its own endemic birds and mammals. For family listing birders, the Bornean Bristlehead, which makes up its own family, and is endemic to the island, is the top target. For most other visitors, Orangutan, the only great ape found in Asia, is the creature that they most want to see. But those two species just hint at the wonders held by this mysterious island, which is rich in bulbuls, babblers, treeshrews, squirrels, kingfishers, hornbills, pittas, and much more. Although there has been rampant environmental destruction on Borneo, mainly due to the creation of oil palm plantations, there are still extensive forested areas left, and the Malaysian state of Sabah, at the northern end of the island, seems to be trying hard to preserve its biological heritage. Ecotourism is a big part of this conservation effort, and Sabah has developed an excellent tourist infrastructure, with comfortable lodges, efficient transport companies, many protected areas, and decent roads and airports. So with good infrastructure, and remarkable biological diversity, including many marquee species like Orangutan, several pittas and a whole Borneo: Bristleheads and Broadbills July 1-16, 2018 range of hornbills, Sabah stands out as one of the most attractive destinations on Earth for a travelling birder or naturalist.
    [Show full text]
  • Mount Kinabalu & the Rainforests of Borneo
    Mount Kinabalu & the Rainforests of Borneo Naturetrek Tour Report 25 September - 15 October 2011 Golden Birdwing courtesy of Derek Brown Sunda Clouded Leopard courtesy of Fredoline Florence Slow Loris courtesy of Derek Brown Western Tarsier courtesy of Derek Brown Report compiled by Chris Kehoe Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report Mount Kinabalu & the Rainforests of Borneo Tour Leaders: Chris Kehoe Naturetrek Tour Leader Osman Assan Local guide Wangkong Intal Local guide Participants: Janice Fiske David Davis Derek Brown Catherine Brown Alison Bourne Gillian MacPhail Day 1 Sunday 25th September Outbound to Kuala Lumpur via Abu Dhabi We set off from the UK in the afternoon to Abu Dhabi. Day 2 Monday 26th September Outbound to Kota Kinabalu, en route to Kinabalu Park Weather: warm and overcast on arrival in KK, cooler at Kinabalu Park, dry On arrival in Abu Dhabi in the early hours there was a short wait before an onward flight to Kuala Lumpur, arriving there in the early afternoon. After a few hours in transit at Kuala Lumpur, we flew to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, a few minutes ahead of schedule at 20.00. Osman, Danny (our driver) and I were waiting in the arrivals area and a 90 minute drive delivered us to the Rose Cabin Lodge near the entrance to Kinabalu Park. After the long journey everyone was keen to get to bed. Day 3 Tuesday 27th September Kinabalu Park Weather: heavy rain at dawn, thereafter mostly overcast but dry after 08.30.
    [Show full text]
  • 107 Rare Mammals Recorded in Borneo – Malaysia
    TAPROBANICA , ISSN 1800-427X. October, 2011. Vol. 03, No. 02: pp. 107-109. © Taprobanica Private Limited, Jl. Kuricang 18 Gd.9 No.47, Ciputat 15412, Tangerang, Indonesia. Rare mammals recorded in Borneo – Order: Erinaceomorpha Malaysia Short-tailed Gymnure, Hylomys suillus dorsalis (endemic subspecies): Mesilau Resort, Kinabalu National Park, 1900 m (Fig. 2). While on a wildlife-watching trip to Sabah, Borneo, May 21 to June 5, 2011, Jeffrey Harding and I saw several rare and endangered mammal species whose distributions are not well known. Following is a list of the rarest ones with notes on location, elevation, and conservation status. Elevations were taken with a Barigo altimeter. Conservation status notes are based on IUCN (2011). Taxonomy follows Wilson & Reeder (2005). Evidence included field notes and photographs for most species mentioned below. I offer these notes in case they may be of use in future conservation efforts or distribution studies. Order: Carnivora Fig. 2: Short-tailed Gymnure Small-toothed Palm Civet, Arctogalidia trivirgata stigmaticus: not listed as endangered, but Order: Primates population decreasing and range poorly known. I Besides the common and widespread Long-tailed photographed (Fig. 1) one at night on the middle Macaques (M. fascicularis) and Silvered Lutungs Kinabatangan River feeding on figs. Unlike the (Trachypithecus cristatus), we saw the following illustrations in Payne et al. (1985) and Francis endangered species in the wild: (2008), this individual has thin, dark lateral bars on its sides and stripes on the side of its neck, in Southern Pig-tailed Macaque, Macaca addition to the usual dark longitudinal stripes on the nemestrina (vulnerable, population decreasing).
    [Show full text]
  • Assessment Summaries and Management Plan
    ASSESSMENT SUMMARIES AND MANAGEMENT PLAN New Planting Procedure for Extention scope PT. GSB PT GALEMPA SEJAHTERA BERSAMA DISTRICT OF EMPAT LAWANG SOUTH SUMATERA PROVINCE Contents 1. Preliminary .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Executive summary ............................................................................................................ 1 1.2. Scope of HCV and SEIA Assessment ................................................................................... 1 1.2.1 General information/Contact person ............................................................................. 1 1.3. List of Legal, Regulatory Permits and Property Deeds ....................................................... 4 1.4. Historical of Land ................................................................................................................ 5 1.5. Area and New planting plan ............................................................................................... 6 2. Procedure and Assessment Process ....................................................................................... 9 2.1 Assessment Team ............................................................................................................... 9 2.1.1 Social Environment Impact Assessment (AMDAL/ SEIA) ............................................... 9 2.1.2 Social Impact Assessment (SIA) .....................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • List of 28 Orders, 129 Families, 598 Genera and 1121 Species in Mammal Images Library 31 December 2013
    What the American Society of Mammalogists has in the images library LIST OF 28 ORDERS, 129 FAMILIES, 598 GENERA AND 1121 SPECIES IN MAMMAL IMAGES LIBRARY 31 DECEMBER 2013 AFROSORICIDA (5 genera, 5 species) – golden moles and tenrecs CHRYSOCHLORIDAE - golden moles Chrysospalax villosus - Rough-haired Golden Mole TENRECIDAE - tenrecs 1. Echinops telfairi - Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec 2. Hemicentetes semispinosus – Lowland Streaked Tenrec 3. Microgale dobsoni - Dobson’s Shrew Tenrec 4. Tenrec ecaudatus – Tailless Tenrec ARTIODACTYLA (83 genera, 142 species) – paraxonic (mostly even-toed) ungulates ANTILOCAPRIDAE - pronghorns Antilocapra americana - Pronghorn BOVIDAE (46 genera) - cattle, sheep, goats, and antelopes 1. Addax nasomaculatus - Addax 2. Aepyceros melampus - Impala 3. Alcelaphus buselaphus - Hartebeest 4. Alcelaphus caama – Red Hartebeest 5. Ammotragus lervia - Barbary Sheep 6. Antidorcas marsupialis - Springbok 7. Antilope cervicapra – Blackbuck 8. Beatragus hunter – Hunter’s Hartebeest 9. Bison bison - American Bison 10. Bison bonasus - European Bison 11. Bos frontalis - Gaur 12. Bos javanicus - Banteng 13. Bos taurus -Auroch 14. Boselaphus tragocamelus - Nilgai 15. Bubalus bubalis - Water Buffalo 16. Bubalus depressicornis - Anoa 17. Bubalus quarlesi - Mountain Anoa 18. Budorcas taxicolor - Takin 19. Capra caucasica - Tur 20. Capra falconeri - Markhor 21. Capra hircus - Goat 22. Capra nubiana – Nubian Ibex 23. Capra pyrenaica – Spanish Ibex 24. Capricornis crispus – Japanese Serow 25. Cephalophus jentinki - Jentink's Duiker 26. Cephalophus natalensis – Red Duiker 1 What the American Society of Mammalogists has in the images library 27. Cephalophus niger – Black Duiker 28. Cephalophus rufilatus – Red-flanked Duiker 29. Cephalophus silvicultor - Yellow-backed Duiker 30. Cephalophus zebra - Zebra Duiker 31. Connochaetes gnou - Black Wildebeest 32. Connochaetes taurinus - Blue Wildebeest 33. Damaliscus korrigum – Topi 34.
    [Show full text]
  • View Preprint
    A peer-reviewed version of this preprint was published in PeerJ on 8 October 2019. View the peer-reviewed version (peerj.com/articles/7858), which is the preferred citable publication unless you specifically need to cite this preprint. Camacho-Sanchez M, Hawkins MTR, Tuh Yit Yu F, Maldonado JE, Leonard JA. 2019. Endemism and diversity of small mammals along two neighboring Bornean mountains. PeerJ 7:e7858 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7858 Small mammal diversity along two neighboring Bornean mountains Melissa T. R. Hawkins Corresp., 1, 2, 3 , Miguel Camacho-Sanchez 4 , Fred Tuh Yit Yuh 5 , Jesus E Maldonado 1 , Jennifer A Leonard 4 1 Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington DC, United States 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California, United States 3 Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, United States 4 Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain 5 Sabah Parks, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Corresponding Author: Melissa T. R. Hawkins Email address: [email protected] Biodiversity across elevational gradients generally follows patterns, the evolutionary origins of which are debated. We trapped small non-volant mammals across an elevational gradient on Mount (Mt.) Kinabalu (4,101 m) and Mt. Tambuyukon (2,579 m), two neighboring mountains in Borneo, Malaysia. We also included visual records and camera trap data from Mt. Tambuyukon. On Mt. Tambuyukon we trapped a total of 299 individuals from 23 species in 6,187 trap nights (4.8% success rate). For Mt. Kinabalu we trapped a total 213 animals from 19 species, in 2,044 trap nights, a 10.4% success rate.
    [Show full text]
  • Fiona Reid's Wildlife Encounters – Borneo 2017 Trip Report
    Fiona Reid’s Wildlife Encounters – Borneo 2017 Trip Report Pre-trip: Nov 3-6 Main trip: Nov 6-21 Participants: Stuart Barnes (SB), Gwen Brewer, Rayelene Brown (RB), Tom Fiore, Dawn Hannay (DH), Joanna Langdale, Raelene Neilson. Photos are credited with initials. Guides: Fiona Reid (Trip Leader); CK Leong (pre-trip), Siti Salihahfarhain Saidin (Kinabalu, Poring), Mike Gordon (Deramakot) John Bakar (Kinabatangan, Danum) I have wanted to go to Borneo for years. With reports from Danum Valley of numerous mammals, the amazing plant life, and more recently spotlighting trips for mammals at Deramakot, what was not to love? Perhaps the tales of deforestation, oil palm plantations and poaching. But it turned out that Sabah at least is doing a lot for conservation and control of logging, which was really good to see. Our trip was put together by Adventure Alternative Borneo. Nov 2 Joanna and I arrived in the early hours and stayed at Hotel 63 in Kota Kinabalu (KK). We took a walk later in the day up Signal Hill, where we saw our first two mammals, Prevost’s and Plantain Squirrels. Later in the afternoon, other participants arrived and we took a taxi to the KK Bird sanctuary. Saw a few egrets, Glossy Starlings and monitor lizards, a black skink (not identified) and some common birds. We all went out to Seremban Seafood Restaurant near the docks which proved to be very nice. It became our go-to place in KK. Nov 3 We picked up a rental van (delivered to hotel). I had been deemed too old to drive in KK, so Rayelene was behind the wheel.
    [Show full text]
  • A Unique Resource Mutualism Between the Giant Bornean Pitcher Plant, Nepenthes Rajah, and Members of a Small Mammal Community
    A Unique Resource Mutualism between the Giant Bornean Pitcher Plant, Nepenthes rajah, and Members of a Small Mammal Community Melinda Greenwood1, Charles Clarke2, Ch’ien C. Lee3, Ansou Gunsalam4, Rohan H. Clarke1* 1 School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia, 2 School of Science, Monash University, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia, 3 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, 4 Sabah Parks, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Abstract The carnivorous pitcher plant genus Nepenthes grows in nutrient-deficient substrates and produce jug-shaped leaf organs (pitchers) that trap arthropods as a source of N and P. A number of Bornean Nepenthes demonstrate novel nutrient acquisition strategies. Notably, three giant montane species are engaged in a mutualistic association with the mountain treeshrew, Tupaia montana, in which the treeshrew defecates into the pitchers while visiting them to feed on nectar secretions on the pitchers’ lids. Although the basis of this resource mutualism has been elucidated, many aspects are yet to be investigated. We sought to provide insights into the value of the mutualism to each participant. During initial observations we discovered that the summit rat, R. baluensis, also feeds on sugary exudates of N. rajah pitchers and defecates into them, and that this behavior appears to be habitual. The scope of the study was therefore expanded to assess to what degree N. rajah interacts with the small mammal community. We found that both T. montana and R. baluensis are engaged in a mutualistic interaction with N. rajah. T .montana visit pitchers more frequently than R. baluensis, but daily scat deposition rates within pitchers do not differ, suggesting that the mutualistic relationships are of a similar strength.
    [Show full text]
  • High Gene Flow Across Heterogeneous Tropical Montane Environments in A
    High gene flow across heterogeneous tropical montane environments in a Bornean endemic small mammal Lillian Parker1, Melissa Hawkins1, Miguel Camacho-Sanchez2, Michael Campana1, Jacob West-Roberts1, Tammy Wilbert1, Haw Chuan Lim3, Larry Rockwood3, Jennifer Leonard2, and Jes´usMaldonado1 1Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute 2Estaci´onBiol´ogicade Do~nana 3George Mason University College of Science April 28, 2020 Abstract Rapid shifts in environmental variables associated with elevational changes in montane ecosystems provide opportunities to test hypotheses regarding the effects of environmental heterogeneity on gene flow and genetic structure. In tropical mountains, spatial environmental heterogeneity combined with seasonal environmental stability is predicted to result in low dispersal across elevations. Few studies have investigated the genetic consequences of elevational environmental heterogeneity in tropical montane mammals. Here, we use a population genomics approach to test the hypothesis that mountain treeshrews (Tupaia montana) exhibit limited gene flow across elevational gradients and between two neighboring peaks within Kinabalu National Park (KNP) in Borneo. We sampled 83 individuals across elevations on Mt. Tambuyukon (MT) and Mt. Kinabalu (MK) and sequenced mitogenomes and 4,106 ultraconserved elements containing an average of 1.9 single nucleotide polymorphisms per locus. We detected high gene flow across elevations and between peaks. We found greater genetic differentiation on MT than MK despite its lower elevation and associated environmental variation. This implies that, contrary to our hypothesis, genetic structure in this system is not primarily shaped by elevation. We propose that this pattern may instead be the result of colonization history combined with restricted upslope gene flow on MT due to unique plant communities associated with its upper montane habitats.
    [Show full text]
  • Mount Kinabalu & the Rainforests of Borneo's Orang-Utans
    Mount Kinabalu & the Rainforests of Borneo's Orang-utans Naturetrek Tour Report 19 September – 8 October 2014 Oriental Pied Hornbill, Sukau Western Tarsier, Sepilok Bornean Angle-headed Dragon, Danum Valley File-eared Frog, Danum Valley Report & Images compiled by Terry Reis Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report Mount Kinabalu & the Rainforests of Borneo Tour Leaders: Terry Reis Naturetrek Osman Assan Local Guide Participants: Jonas Christiansen Brian Davies Diana Davies Gail Marsden Garry Rowe Sue Wild Bill Wild Stephen Woodham Day 1 Friday 19th September Outbound to Kuala Lumpur Six participants travelled from London, departing from Heathrow on a mid-day Malaysian Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur, a journey of about 12 hours. Day 2 Saturday 20th September Outbound to Kuala Lumpur and onward to Kota Kinabalu Weather: Hot and humid, with rain during the drive to Kinabalu National Park, then fine All participants travelled from Kuala Lumpur, with Brian and Diana on a different flight. Everyone arrived in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the Malaysian province of Sabah, by 12.30 (local time). Osman and I were waiting outside the baggage hall. We travelled by minibus to the main gate to Kinabalu (National) Park, a journey of about two hours. The rain during our ascent cleared sufficiently that we walked part of the bitumen road in the park, to get acquainted with some montane bird species. Almost immediately we found a mixed species flock of at least eight species, including Bornean endemics; Black-sided Flowerpecker, Bornean Whistler and Chestnut- hooded Laughingthrush.
    [Show full text]