Status of Biological Diversity in Malaysia and Threat Assessment of Plant Species in Malaysia Proceedings of the Seminar and Workshop 28 30 June 2005 THE STATUS OF MAMMALIAN BIODIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA 1. Macaca nemestrina (Cercopithecidae) Photo courtesy L.G. Saw 2. Rhacophorus bipunctatus (Rhacophoridae). Photo courtesy Elango Velautham 3. Cyrtodactylus cavernicolus (Gekkonidae). Photo courtesy Indraneil Das 4. Panthera tigris (Felidae). Photo courtesy L.G. Saw 5. Cervus unicolor (Cervidae). Photo courtesy G.W.H. Davison 6. Calliophis bivirgata (Elapidae). Photo courtesy Jeet Sukumaran 7. Amyda cartilaginea (Trionychidae). Photo courtesy Indraneil Das 8. Bufo parvus (Bufonidae). Photo courtesy Norsham Yaakob 9. Riverine vegetation in a Malaysian lowland dipterocarp forest. Photo courtesy L.G. Saw 2 G.W.H. DAVISON & ZUBAID AKBAR (2007) STATUS OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA & THREAT ASSESSMENT OF PLANT SPECIES IN MALAYSIA THE STATUS OF MAMMALIAN BIODIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA 1G.W.H. Davison & 2Zubaid Akbar ABSTRACT There are approximately 298 valid named species of non-marine mammals within the political borders of Malaysia. This total includes 229 species in Peninsular Malaysia, and 221 species in East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), of which 152 species are shared. Over the past 22 years the list for Peninsular Malaysia has expanded by 22, and over the past 25 years the list for East Malaysia has expanded by 30. Most of the additions are bats. Two genera of mammals (Pithecheirops, Diplogale) and 30 species are endemic to Malaysia, so far as records now show. Biodiversity questions range from historical uncertainty, to the definition of geographical limits, continued survival, synonymy, species already described elsewhere but newly recorded (various examples) and taxonomy of cryptic species. Since these questions are so varied in type, scattered across a range of taxa, and each involve few species, it will be inefficient to focus research effort on a major untargetted build-up of museum specimens. Two important fields to concentrate on are genetic diversity/biosystematics (including within-species diversity), and conservation (population dynamics, habitat availability, community structure). These will be important for retaining the genetic viability of increasingly fragmented populations of forest mammals, and can only be effective if adequate resources are available to support research as well as management posts with associated capacity-building. INTRODUCTION The status of the biodiversity of mammals, like that of other biological groups, can be divided into two main themes: first, the description of the diversity that exists at the various genetic, population and species levels of taxonomy; and second, documenting the changes in numbers of each species in the wild, as a response to development and other pressures. Knowledge about the total number of mammal species that occur in Malaysia is still increasing rapidly, and there are still several taxonomically difficult groups (for example Cynopterus; Crocidura; Myotis; Haeromys; Petaurillus; Glyphotes). There are approximately 298 valid named species of non-marine mammals within the political borders of Malaysia (Table 1; 1National Parks Board, Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569; [email protected] 2School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor; [email protected] 3 THE STATUS OF MAMMALIAN BIODIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA Appendix), and perhaps another four known but unnamed species. This total includes 229 species in Peninsular Malaysia, and 221 species in East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), of which 152 species are shared. This means that 77 of the species in Peninsular Malaysia have not been found in Sabah or Sarawak, and for 68 species the reverse is true. Over the past 22 years there have been 23 additions and one deletion (a mongoose) from the list for Peninsular Malaysia. One species (Javan Rhino Rhinoceros sondaicus) has become locally extinct there in historical time. Over the past 25 years there have been 31 additions and one deletion (the squirrel Glyphotes canalvus, sunk in the synonymy of Callosciurus orestes) to the list in East Malaysia. Nearly all of the additions are of bats. Table 1. Diversity of mammals in the three major political divisions of Malaysia*. Peninsular Sarawak Sabah Sabah & Malaysia Sarawak Total species 229 180 203 221 recorded Total genera 108 98 104 105 recorded Total families 32 30 31 31 recorded Non-bats 123 118 120 129 Most speciose Bats (106), Bats (62), Bats (83), Bats (92), orders Rodents (55) Rodents (56) Rodents (58) Rodents (62) Most speciose Rhinolophus (18), Rhinolophus (8), Myotis (10), Hipposideros (11), genera Hipposideros (18), Hipposideros (8), Rhinolophus (8) Rhinolophu (10), Myotis (9) Tupaia (8), Tupaia (8) Myotis (10) No. of genera 63 58 61 61 with 1 species No. of families 9 12 (2†) 13 13 with 1 species No. of orders 3 2 3 3 with 1 species * Compiled after various authors. † The two families that were each represented by a single species, now locally extinct, in Sarawak are Bovidae (Bos javanicus) and Rhinocerotidae (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) Of 128 bats recorded from Malaysia, 106 are known from Peninsular Malaysia and 92 from Sabah and Sarawak. Of 178 non-flying terrestrial mammals recorded from ‘Malaysia, 123 are known from the Peninsula and 129 from Sabah and Sarawak. Thus only 22 (24%) of the bats known from Sabah and Sarawak are not shared with the Peninsula, whereas 55 (42.6%) of the non-flying mammals from Sabah and Sarawak are not shared. There is greater similarity between the bat faunas of these geographically separate areas than between their non-bat faunas. Two genera (Pithecheirops, Diplogale) and 30 species are known only from records within the political boundaries of Malaysia, and for the time being they can be considered endemic (Table 2). There is obviously a strong possibility that species known from Peninsular Malaysia and lowland Sabah/Sarawak may also occur in Kalimantan, Sumatra and/or Brunei. 4 G.W.H. DAVISON & ZUBAID AKBAR (2007) Table 2. Mammals so far known only from specimens and sightings within the political boundaries of Malaysia Suncus ater Sabah (Kinabalu) Montane Crocidura baluensis Sabah (Kinabalu) Montane Tupaia montana Sarawak, Sabah Montane Rhinolophus convexus Peninsular Malaysia Montane Rhinolophus chiewkweeae Peninsular Malaysia Lowland Hipposideros ‘bicolor’ 142 kHz Peninsular Malaysia Lowland Hipposideros coxi SW Sarawak Lowland Hipposideros nequam Peninsular Malaysia Lowland Myotis ridleyi Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah Lowland Myotis gomantongensis Sabah Lowland Pipistrellus cuprosus Sabah Lowland Pipistrellus societatis Peninsular Malaysia Lowland Hesperoptenus doriae Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak Lowland Hesperoptenus tomesi Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah Lowland Murina aenea Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah Lowland Murina rozendaali Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah Lowland Kerivoula sp. nov. Peninsular Malaysia Lowland Callosciurus (Glyphotes) simus Sabah, Sarawak Montane Lariscus hosei Sabah, Sarawak Largely montane Dremomys everetti Sabah, Sarawak Montane Petaurillus emiliae Sarawak Lowland Maxomys alticola Sabah Montane Maxomys baeodon Sabah, Sarawak Montane Maxomys inas Peninsular Malaysia Montane Lenothrix malaisia Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak Lowland Pithecheirops otion Sabah Lowland Chiropodomys major Sabah, Sarawak Lowland and submontane Melogale everetti Sabah Montane Diplogale hosei Sabah, Sarawak Montane Herpestes hosei Sarawak Unknown Endemic to PM 7 (Lowland 5; Montane 2) Endemic to Sabah 7 (Lowland 3; Montane 4) Endemic to Sarawak 3 (Lowland 2; Unknown 1) Endemic to Sabah + Sarawak 7 (Lowland 1; Montane 6) Endemic to PM + Sabah and/or Sarawak 6 (Lowland 6) Total endemic to Malaysia 30 (Lowland 17; Montane 12; Unknown 1) Several species can be considered near-endemic, that is, they have been recorded from within and also from just beyond the borders of Malaysia, or almost certainly occur beyond Malaysia based on habitat requirements (Table 3). The number of endemics and near-endemics is uncertain for two main reasons: some species (especially bats) are known from only a handful of specimens, so they could easily turn up elsewhere; and suitable habitat in adjacent territories (e.g., Kalimantan) may have been insufficiently studied. A couple of montane forms in Peninsular Malaysia, otherwise endemic, might extend just across the border into Thailand. One bat, Myotis oreias, is known from only a single specimen from Singapore, where later surveys have failed to find it; if the species is valid, it might still survive in Malaysia or elsewhere in the region. 5 THE STATUS OF MAMMALIAN BIODIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA Table 3. Species of mammals known predominantly from within the political boundaries of Malaysia, but which are either known or almost certainly occur in similar habitats in adjacent territories. Tupaia longipes* Sabah and Sarawak, southwards into East Kalimantan Dendrogale melanura Mountains of north & central Borneo – under-recorded Kalimantan? Hipposideros ridleyi Extinct in Singapore, otherwise only known within Malaysia Callosciurus baluensis Mountains of north & central Borneo – under-recorded Kalimantan? Callosciurus adamsi Not recorded yet from Kalimantan? Callosciurus orestes Mountains of north & central Borneo – under-recorded Kalimantan? Petaurillus hosei / kinlochi* Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak; known from Brunei *Taxonomic status uncertain In addition to endemics