An observation of several Common Palm Civets Paradoxurus hermaphroditus at a fruiting tree of Endospermum diadenum in Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia: comparing feeding patterns of frugivorous carnivorans 1 2 3 Abstract M. NAKABAYASHI , H. BERNARD and Y. NAKASHIMA Common Palm Civets Paradoxurus hermaphroditus as mother–young and as mating associations. Among three individuals observed feeding at a fruiting Endospermum diadenum tree, no aggression was noted between either of the live two solitarily adult males and reportedlyand one female, interact but intra-specifically agonistic behaviour only occurred rarely, other between than Arctogalidia trivirgata the males. Co-feeding seems to be rare in species of subfamily Paradoxurinae, except in Small-toothed Palm Civet are probably. By basedcontrast, on co-feedingdiffering patterns is more of frequently fruit production observed between in other these frugivorous places. carnivorans, distributed in Central and South America, and in Central Africa. Within Asia, there are perhaps regional differences in incidence of co-feeding. These differences Keywords: agonistic behaviour, gregarious feeding, social interaction Satu pemerhatian beberapa Musang Pandan Paradoxurus hermaphroditus pada pokok sendok sendok mata udang Endospermum diadenum berbuah di Simpanan Hidupan Liar Tabin, Sabah, Malaysia: perbandingan corak makan karnivora yang memakan buah-buahan Abstrak Musang Pandan Paradoxurus hermaphroditus perhubungan di antara ibu dengan anak dan di antara pasangan mengawan. Pemerhatian terhadap tiga individu Musang Pandan hidup secara bersendirian dan interaksi intra-spesies jarang dilaporkan, kecuali yang sedang makan di pokok Endospermum diadenum yang berbuah, menunjukkan bahawa tiada kelakuan agonistik di antara Musangdua individu Akar jantanArctogalidia dewasa trivirgata dengan seekor betina. Tetapi, kelakuan agonistik telah diperhatikan berlaku di antara individu jantan. Kelakuan makan-secara-bersama jarang sekali dilaporkan terhadap spesies di bawah subfamily Paradoxurinae, kecuali . Sebaliknya, kelakuan makan-secara-bersama adalah lebih kerap diperhatikan terhadap spesies furgivora-karnivora yang terdapat di bahagian Amerika tengah dan selatan, dan juga Afrika tengah. Di Asia pula, mung- kin terdapat perbezaan insiden kelakuan makan-secara-bersama iaitu bergantung kepada wilayah. Perbezaan ini mungkin disebabkan oleh perbezaan dalam pola penghasilan buah di wilayah-wilayah yang berlainan. Introduction of Sabah, on the island of Borneo. Tabin was heavily logged Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus is a car dipterocarp tropical rainforest dominated by pioneer species suchin the as 1970s Neolamarckia and 1980s, cadamba leaving and mainly Macaranga regenerating bancana mixed et al. 2010). It lives in a broad- et al. 2007). Common Palm Civets inhabiting Tabin nivoran weighing 2–5 kg as an adult. It is widespread in tropi- eat mostly fruits of pioneer plants such as Leea aculeata ,(Ra En- cal and subtropical Asia (Patou et al dospermumjaratnam diadenum Ficus array of natural habitats and survives well in human-modifiedet al. 2010a) kashima et al. 2010a). andareas thus (Corlett has been1998). regarded It is highly as frugivorousan important (Joshi seed dispersal. 1995, On the cloudy evening and some of 20 species August of 2011, fig trees the crown (Na of a- Grassman 1998, Su Su & Sale 2007, Nakashima relatively large fruiting Endospermum diadenum ma et al. 2010a, 2010b). Due to its nocturnal habit, little is diameter at breast height [DBH], about 30 m tall) was watched knownagent (Rabinowitz about its social 1991, relationships Nakashima in & the Sukor wild. 2010, Nakashi- from about 20 m from the tree, from a concealed (about position 50 cmon the ground to prevent animals detecting the observer. The tree Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand detected high Telemetry in the Royal Chitwan National Park in Nepal and ture oil palm plantation 20 or more years old, and its canopy et al was along the western boundary of Tabin, adjacent to a ma- onmale–male social interactions and male–female between home-range males, and overlap between (Rabinowitz males and females.1991, Joshi This paper. 1995). reports So far, male–male no studies and have male–female been conducted social was connected to an adjacent (non-fruiting) tree (species not interactions in one observation at a fruiting Endospermum dia- known; about 20 cm DBH) approximately 25 m tall. All obser- denum vations were aided by 8×36 binoculars and a 120-lumen head- takenlamp with not tored shine filter. lights The heightcontinuously of the tree or directly and the ontolocations the fo of tree in Tabin Wildlife Reserve (hereafter, Tabin). focal animals were measured by a laser rangefinder. Care was Tabin (5°05'–5°22'N, 118°30'–118°55'E) lies about 50 km - north-east of the town of Lahad Datu, in east Malaysian state cal animal. Sex was determined by visual check of the sexual Small Carnivore Conservation, 42 Vol. 47: 42–45, December 2012 Behavioural observations of Common Palm Civet toothed Palm Civet and a Masked Palm Civet. Both cases were Civet feeding in the focal tree, so we decided to observe this et al organ. On 19 August we had happened to find a Common Palm Brownaccompanied Palm Civets by loud Paradoxurus screaming jerdoni calls. ,Rajamani involving two .animals (2002) Observationstree the next night. Observation ran from 18h00 until 02h00. also reported an arboreal intra-specific interaction between Paradoxurus maymaking tend loud to vocaliseprolonged when spitting/brawling two animals encounter noises. In each these other. cases the animals’ sexes were not specified. Species of toAt 19h55,the tree a maleand started Common foraging Palm Civet until (hereafter 21h16 when male it1) climbedcame to feeding in the fruiting tree may vary by region or season. In downthe tree the and tree. started The male foraging and (28female m up). civets At 20h08,always stayeda female at came least Tabin,In we Common conducted Palm nocturnal Civets, the surveys degree for of nine intraspecific months andco- observed a mother and baby feeding in the same tree once, and two male Common Palm Civets growling at each other in 5 m apart. No aggression was seen. After the female’s depar- a fruiting tree of Ficus racemosa. In Kulen–Promtep Wildlife ture, male 1 continued to forage in the tree. At 22h35, another downmale, smallerthe tree quickly,than male and 1 growling (hereafter was male heard 2) forcame nine to minutes.the tree and started foraging. Ten minutes later (22h45) male 2 climbed 2012),Sanctuary, but Cambodia,it is unclear Common if the group Palm members Civets visiting were afamily salt-lick or time male 1 could be seen clearly, and was not growling. Male 1 were photographedin litt in. 2012). groups Also of in1–5 Cambodia, individuals Iseborn (Edwards et al. The exact location of this growling was not clear, but during this male 2 climbed up the tree again, and male 1 immediately made andnot (S.never Edwards observed Common Palm Civets feeding in a group ancontinued aggressive to forage move andtowards did not male climb 2. Male down 2 the reacted tree. Atby 23h29,climb (2012) surveyedin litt. 2012).in Veun Meanwhile, Sai–Siem Pangat Guning Conservation Halimun, Area, Java, ing down the tree. Ten minutes later, male 2 climbed up the tree again and started feeding. Male 1 came close to male 2, but- (T. Iseborn was not aggressive. At 23h43, male 2 stopped feeding and went Indonesia, although sex was not checked, four Common Palm tonCivets et aland five Small-toothedin litt. Palm2012). Civets were observed feed- ing in the same tree together at once without interaction (Ea- 1down, suddenly crossing ran towardsbranches male into 2 the and adjacent both climbed tree. Theydown showed the ad . 2010, J. Eaton no particular behaviour to each other, until 23h48 when male CivetsThe Arctogalidia other species trivirgata belonging are oftento subfamiliy seen foraging Paradoxurinae compan - are widely distributed across Asia. Only Small-toothed Palm fruitingjacent tree. Endospermum At this time,. Male growling 1 was was not heard. observed Then, thereafter. male 2 was At Borissenko et al et al - 00h14detected male growling 2 climbed on a intoliana the straddling fruiting treethe tree and adjacentcontinued to forthe obs.).ionably In inDanum duos Valleyor even Conservation larger groups Area, (e.g.: Sabah, Duckworth Malaysia, 1997, we observed four individuals. 2004, Eaton of this .species 2010, Moore feeding 2011, on Ficus MN pers. bin- - nendijkii Discussionaging, for 1½ hours (Fig. 1). Palm Civets are usually solo but observations of two together in June 2012, but could not specify theirin litt sex.. 2012). Brown By et al contrast, but similar to Common Palm Civet, Binturong Arctic- but in addition to the obvious needs of mother–young and mat tisare binturong not unusual and (Mudappa Masked Palm 2001, Civet N. Prakash Paguma larvata seem in ingCommon associations, Palm Civets may interactlive mainly directly solitarily with (Joshieach other, . at1995), least - seems to be presently too little information on Golden Palm close to each other in a fruiting tree in Laos. Moreover, he re Civetgeneral Paradoxurus to feed solitarily zeylonensis (MN to pers. determine obs.). Unfortunately, its feeding sociality. there occasionally. Duckworth (1997) also observed two individuals Other tropical continents hold several frugivorous car - Potos flavus and the olingos Bas- ported interspecific encounters of this species once each with saricyon