Search

Developing countries are undergoing rapid urbanisation to fulfil the high demands of incremental population growth, construction, and development. Excessive development has negative impacts on biodiversity by altering or destroying habitats. However, each bird species may respond differently to habitat alteration. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the distribution of urban bird species in metropolitan cities and nearby areas in Peninsular Malaysia. The main objective of this study was to determine the distribution patterns of six aesthetically valuable urban bird species (Black-naped Oriole [Oriolus chinensis], Yellow-vented Bulbul [Pycnonotus goiavier], White-throated Kingfisher [Halcyon smyrnensis], Pink-necked Green-Pigeon [Treron vernans], Coppersmith Barbet [Psilopogon haemacephalus] and Common Iora [Aegithina tiphia]) in Greater Kuala Lumpur (the Klang Valley region) using observations from a citizen science (eBird) database. We mapped species abundance throughout the focal area using ArcGIS and analysed the data using Minitab. Three urban bird species dominated, with the highest number of observations recorded: Yellow-vented Bulbul (46.59%), Pink-necked Green-Pigeon (19.25%), and Black-naped Oriole (13.00%). While, the Coppersmith Barbet had the lowest recorded observations (2.76%). Species abundance differed significantly across the study region (F=5.12,p

The Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala) populations in Putrajaya and Shah Alam, Peninsular Malaysia, have increased by almost 10%–13% every year. If this trend continues, it is believed that habitat overlap may occur between this species and the Milky Stork (Mycteria cinerea), which is currently threatened with extinction. Habitat overlap could lead them to compete for food and other necessary resources, and consequently, one species would outcompete another. However, little is known about the breeding ecology of the Painted Stork in Peninsular Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the breeding ecology of the Painted Stork and examine its nesting characteristics and their effects on breeding success. Direct observations were made of colonies in the Upper Bisa Putrajaya Wetland (UBPW) and Tasik Shah Alam (TSA) during the breeding season from March to September 2016 and 2017. The peak of the breeding season was in June, and no differences were found in nesting colony parameters between study sites, including the nest diameter and nest building period, except for nest height. The average height above the ground level of TSA nests was higher than in UBPW. Human activities near the nesting site in Shah Alam may have led to the birds constructing nests higher to prevent disturbance and predation. Nest diameter and nest building period were influenced by the number of nestlings raised by parents. These findings provide new information that may be used in management programs to control Painted Stork populations and can be useful for conserving threatened species, particularly the Milky Stork.

Populasi rusa sambar (Rusa unicolor) mengalami penurunan dan dikategorikan sebagai rentan oleh Kesatuan Antarabangsa untuk Pemuliharaan Alam dan Sumber Asli pada tahun 2014. Objektif kajian ini untuk mengenal pasti faktor sekitaran yang mempengaruhi kesesuaian habitat rusa sambar, yang terdiri daripada kecerunan, ketinggian, guna tanah, jarak daripada bandar, jarak daripada sungai dan litologi dianalisis menggunakan sistem maklumat geografi (GIS). Data kehadiran rusa sambar dari tahun 1992-2008 diintegrasikan dengan faktor sekitaran menggunakan model entropi maksimum untuk mengenal pasti habitat yang sesuai bagi rusa sambar di kompleks hutan utama Taman Negara. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan jarak dari sungai menyumbang peratusan paling tinggi dalam model kesesuaian habitat iaitu 47.7%. Manakala jarak dari bandar, jenis guna tanah, ketinggian, kecerunan dan litologi menyumbang sebanyak 21.8%, 16.1%, 7.2%, 6.7% dan 0.4%. Habitat yang sesuai bagi rusa sambar meliputi 37% daripada keseluruhan kawasan kajian (2,218,389 hektar). Kajian penentuan potensi habitat rusa sambar yang sesuai di kompleks hutan utama Taman Negara penting untuk pengurusan hidupan liar seperti aktiviti pelepasan semula.

Context The lack of documentation and detailed assessment of previous sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) release programs raises concerns about bears’ capacity to adapt to their new habitats and key elements of release success. Aims We evaluated the influence of the sun bears’ individual profiles and environmental factors on their adaptability, and investigated their habitat use and movements in the wild. Methods We released 13 rescued sun bears (four wild-caught and nine rehabilitated) to natural habitats between December 2015 and August 2017, and inferred adaptability process by analysing their pre- and post-release data. Key results Post-release monitoring showed that sun bears required at least a month to acclimatise to their release area. No nuisance cases were reported, and bears were observed avoiding monitoring teams in a series of encounters. Principal-component analysis identified a previous history of ill health (e.g. malnutrition), low avoidance of humans prior to release and low potential of release sites as significant factors associated with poor adaptability of released bears. Rehabilitated bears also showed lower adaptability to hilly topography with an average elevation of more than 500 m. Individual profiles of adult physically fit wild-caught bears with high avoidance of humans prior to release were associated with high adaptability. Binary logistic regression indicated that habitat type was the main factor influencing bear movement. Bears had a high affinity for oil palm plantations adjacent to the forest edge. Most habitat use of released bears was close to the forest edge. Conclusions In terms of competition, predation, food availability, and adaptability, the selection of forest edges adjacent to other favourable habitats is perceived as a more opportunistic survival strategy, as long as the bears do not rely on humans to survive and endure with the natural interactions in the wild. Implications This study emphasises the importance of improving the likelihood of survival of rehabilitated bears, especially in the early release phase. Reducing human–bear interaction in rehabilitation centres by practising a buddy system and minimal human contact in captivity considerably enhances release effectiveness.

Telemetry is an emerging method to study fish ecology and a reliable tool that provides useful information for managing and conserving aquatic fauna and river habitats. However, the reliability of telemetry depends on several technical factors. Implantation of the acoustic transmitter is one of the major aspects that ensure the survivability of the animal subject when released into the wild. Studies on the technicalities involving telemetry methods are limited; therefore, this study investigated the surgical insertion of an acoustic transmitter into the peritoneal cavity of Channa lucius and Neolissochilus soroides or locally known as Bujuk and Tengas. A severity index was used to rate the appearance of surgical wounds observed on the day of release into the river. Fish mortality and complications such as bleeding were not observed in both species post-surgery. The progress and prognosis of wound healing of C. lucius were better compared to N. soroides, with generally lesser inflammation and more sutures shed. Despite visually severe inflammation on N. soroides on day-12 and day-19 post-surgery, there was a good indication that skin integuments were healing. This data suggests that C. lucius has faster wound healing abilities compared to N. soroides. All fishes implanted with the acoustic telemetry method survived up to 244 days upon release into the Tembat River, Hulu Terengganu, Malaysia, and retained the tag throughout the tracking period.

The impact of dam construction on bird assemblages has been widely investigated in some regions, but bird diversity in catchment areas of hydroelectric dams during operation has been less studied. A high rate of forest regeneration around the affected area is expected to increase bird diversity. From September 2017 to February 2018, this study examined bird species richness and abundance in the Puah catchment area (PCA) and Tembat catchment area (TCA) in the Hulu Terengganu Hydroelectric Complex. PCA may be regarded as disturbed forest, while TCA comprises regenerating forest. This study conducted mist-netting and observations throughout the study period. This study recorded 204 individuals consisting of 62 bird species from 27 families. The Shannon diversity index for the birds captured was higher for TCA than for PCA, but the difference was insignificant. However, insectivorous bird diversity was significantly higher in TCA than in PCA, suggesting that feeding guilds are sensitive to habitat disturbance. Therefore, bird species diversity in both areas is expected to increase following habitat regeneration.

While the breeding biology of the edible-nest swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphagus has previously been studied, research has been limited to direct observations made on cave colonies and details on their incubation behavior remain unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the biparental investment of domestic house-farmed white-nest swiftlets Aerodramus sp. during incubation. This study was conducted at a swiftlet house farm in Bentong, Pahang, central Peninsular Malaysia, from August 2019 to July 2020. An infrared camera connected to a digital video recorder was installed inside the house farm to monitor swiftlets’ daily activities. We determined that the time required for swiftlets to incubate their eggs was 23 ± 0.73 days, while the hatching success rate was 75%. Swiftlets exhibit intermittent incubation with fluctuations in incubation rate from egg-laying until hatching. Both parents incubate equally, with males notably incubate longer at night and females in the morning. The incubation period is influenced by clutch size; parents incubating two eggs have a shorter incubation period than parents that incubating a single egg. Parents alternately exchanged incubation roles when both sexes attended the nest, which often occurred in the early morning before the first emergence period and during nightfall after swiftlets returned to their nests. We identified two behavioral signals during parental exchange: (1) volunteering to move aside and allowing the partner to incubate and (2) being forced by the partner to move aside. The information provided by this study can be useful to bird-nest farmers, who can use it to increase their swiftlet populations by reducing the fatality of nestlings and maintaining a sustainable yield of harvesting.

Penyerpihan habitat adalah pemacu kepada isu kepupusan pelbagai spesies yang menyebabkan serpihan hutan menjadi lebih kecil dan terpencil. Kajian ini dijalankan bertujuan untuk mengukur komposisi serta kepelbagaian spesies mamalia terestrial (bersaiz sederhana dan besar) di koridor ekologi CFS1:PL1 dan CFS1:PL6. Pemasangan 211 perangkap kamera di kedua-dua koridor berjaya menghasilkan sejumlah 43,799 imej bebas (8,594 perangkap/malam). Sebanyak 30 spesies mamalia berjaya direkodkan dengan 28 spesies daripadanya ditemui di PL1 dan 17 spesies di PL6. Artiodactyla adalah Order yang menunjukkan kekerapan hadir tertinggi (869 imej bebas) manakala Karnivora adalah Order yang mencatatkan kepelbagaian spesies tertinggi (14 spesies). Sebanyak sembilan spesies menyumbang kepada lebih daripada 90% komuniti mamalia di PL1 dan PL6 dan tiada perbezaan yang signifikan antara komuniti mamalia di kedua-dua kawasan kajian. Hasil analisis mendapatibabi hutan (Sus scrofa) (PCRI = 62.17), kijang (Muntiacus muntjak) (PCRI = 31.20) dan beruang matahari (Helarctos malayanus) (PCRI = 15.14) merekodkan kekerapan (PCRI > 10) yang tinggi melintasi koridor PL1. Manakala di PL6, spesies yang sering direkodkan ialah kijang (Muntiacus muntjak) (PCRI = 47.70), tapir Malaya (Tapirus indicus) (PCRI = 26.21), babi hutan (Sus scrofa) (PCRI = 23.61), gajah Asia (Elephas maximus) (PCRI = 11.57) dan seladang (Bos gaurus) (PCRI = 10.63). Walau bagaimanapun, kekerapan melintasi koridor bagi mamalia sederhana hanya dilihat di PL1 sahaja oleh spesies pelanduk/napuh (Tragulus sp.) (PCRI = 20.88) dan landak raya (Hystrix brachyura) (PCRI = 14.68). Tuntasnya, langkah pemuliharaan yang lebih efektif dan pelan pembinaan lintasan hidupan liar perlu dilaksanakan di kedua-dua koridor memandangkan koridor ini digunakan pada frekuensi yang tinggi.

Zakaria MA, Daud UNS, Mansor MS, Md. Nor S. 2022. Brood care behavior of the painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala) in Peninsular Malaysia. Biodiversitas 23: 5406-5411. Waterbirds can serve as bio-indicators for their surrounding environments, indicating issues such as habitat degradation and climate change. One factor that contributes to successful reproduction for many bird species is parental behavior during the brood care stage. The painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala) is a waterbird species that provide biparental care throughout the breeding season. Although many studies have focused on populations of this species, information about their behavior, particularly during nestling rearing, remains lacking. Hence, this study was conducted to examine the parental behavior of painted storks between the early and late stages of brood care in two different colonies located in Peninsular Malaysia: Tasik Shah Alam (TSA) in Selangor and Upper Bisa Putrajaya Wetland (UBPW) in Putrajaya from May to September 2016. Three pairs of painted storks were monitored in every site, and seven behaviors were identified: roosting, preening, nest repair, wing opening, flying, feeding and brooding. Of all the behaviors recorded, flying, roosting and wing-opening behavior were the most frequently observed behaviors in both study areas during the early stage of brood care. However, painted storks were found to spend most of their time flying when the chicks had grown up by the late stage. This may be due to the food demand for the parents and their chicks. As the nestlings grow bigger, more food is required before the nestling can fledge independently. This is supported by increased feeding frequency observed from the early to late stages. Males were found to have a higher frequency of all behaviors than females. This data facilitates a greater understanding of painted stork behavior, which can help in their conservation and management processes.

Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease that is transmitted worldwide through infected small mammals such as rodents. In Malaysia, there is a paucity of information on the animal reservoirs that are responsible for leptospirosis transmission, with only a few studies focusing on leptospirosis risk in recreational areas. Therefore, in this study we characterized the species composition and the prevalence of pathogenic

Karyanto P, Bagasta AR, Nayasilana IN, Nor SMD, Atmoko SSU, Susilowati A, Sunarto 2022. Next generation sequencing reveals plants consumed by the vulnerable ebony langur (Trachypithecus auratus) in a fragmented mountain forest. Biodiversitas 23: 4759-4769. Many mountain forests on Java Island have suffered from forest degradation, fragmentation, and alien species invasion that cause a significant change in vegetation structure. This changing floristic structure may affect the foraging substrate of the foliage eater ebony langur, Trachypithecus auratus. Hence, ascertaining the plants eaten by the langur may contribute significantly to informing important ecological data about its foraging adaptation and conservation. We analyzed six fecal samples of the langur from three forest sites in Mount Merbabu National Park, Indonesia. This research used the plant mini barcode to sequence the ribulose-biphosphate carboxylase gene (rbcl) in the mitochondrial DNA of the plants eaten by the langur using the Next Generation Sequencing. We compare the NGS results to floristic reference data from a vegetation survey preceding the fecal analysis. The NGS found 238 OTUs that belong to 32 taxa. Most of the langur’s diet belongs to the lower crop community. The study’s results suggest that the ebony langur’s dietary composition shows an adaptation to the new floristic composition. However, since the habitat is continuously degraded, the stakeholders must perform appropriate home-building-based habitat management practices to conserve this vulnerable species.

Microbiome studies of the parasitoid wasp,Kajian mikrobiom ke atas spesies penyengat parasitoid

Background Habitat degradation is known to have a major impact on the composition of bird communities, yet how these communities recover following such disturbance is less understood. This study examined bird community changes from pre-logging to recovery over the course of habitat disturbance caused by the development of the Hulu Terengganu Hydroelectric Dam Project in Peninsular Malaysia, between 2007 and 2018. Bird surveys were conducted using point count observations and mist netting in the dam area from the pre-logging phase until the operation phase. Results It was observed that while bird species significantly declined after large-scale habitat clearance between the pre-logging and construction phases, they showed positive signs of recovery from the inundation to operation phases. These findings indicate that the bird community is still recovering, and the permanent loss of habitat required by most of the original species has not occurred, as evidenced by recolonisation. Bird species composition differed across phases due to varying habitat conditions. The turnover rate and immigration rate (recolonisation and newly recorded species) were higher between the construction and operation phases. It was also observed that insectivorous birds were more heavily affected than others by changes to the landscape, which highlights the versatility, survivability and tolerance of certain species to extreme disturbance and habitat modification. Conclusion Although the operation phase showed an incremental change in bird species richness due to recolonisation and newly recorded species, this value remains far from that of the pre-logging phase. We predict that bird species recovery will continue to increase for some time before reaching a plateau among the newly created islands, reservoir and catchment area of the dam.

Achieving good welfare of Malayan sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) in captivity through understanding behavioral aspects is crucial in providing improved captive management for conservation purposes. The Malayan sun bear is the smallest bear species and remains the least studied member of the Ursid family. We investigated the behavior patterns of 11 captive sun bears (four cubs, four sub-adults, and three adults) at different time periods (morning, afternoon, and evening). Different behavior pattern were observed between individual bears, and a strong interaction between age grouped and type of behavior were also noticed. We also found that all bear age groups exhibited higher normal behavior than stereotypic behavior. Oral stereotypies were mainly exhibited by cubs, and their locomotor stereotypies were slightly higher in frequency compared to sub-adult and adult individuals. Anticipatory behavior toward keepers during husbandry activities and their potential conflict background may represent a major factor leading to these highly stereotypic behaviors, particularly in cubs and during morning sessions. We suggest that stereotypy can be minimized by providing food or creative tool enrichments to divert the attention of bears from keepers. Minimal stereotypic behavior is crucial in the captive management and conservation of Malayan sun bear, particularly when selecting individual bear to release back to wild habitat.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease and a worldwide public health problem that affects mainly high-risk groups. Characterizing knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among high-risk groups is important to develop appropriate prevention programs. Here, we performed a cross-sectional study among 300 visitors of a recreational forest in Malaysia to examine leptospirosis KAP and demographics. These variables were integrated to create knowledge and practice scores for each respondent. All respondents had heard about leptospirosis, and 87% of them correctly identified it as a disease. The majority of respondents had high knowledge (63%), positive attitude, and good practice (68%) toward prevention of the disease. However, there were gaps in knowledge, with 78% of the respondents indicating eating without washing hands as the major cause of leptospirosis transmission. Our final model identified that higher knowledge score was associated with higher practice score. Our results indicate that it is important to increase knowledge, especially on transmission routes of leptospirosis, among visitors in recreational areas. Moreover, more attention needs to be paid to promote good practice habits among visitors, targeting those at higher risk of being infected by leptospirosis to prevent potential outbreaks in the recreational areas.

Wildlife surveys were conducted in Usun Apau National Park (UANP), Sarawak from Oct 2017 to Oct 2020. This was the first attempt to document fauna diversity in Usun Apau National Park on the UANP plateau at 1200-1400 m a.s.l. On 17 September 2020, 10 AM, we observed an orangutan individual, Pongo pygmaeus , over a period of one minute at Libut Camp UANP (E: 114039’.546, N: 2052’36.44) at 1,020 m a.s.l. We also recorded four nests and orangutan vocalisation twice. This observation is important for Bornean orangutan conservation as this was the first orangutan sighting in UANP and well outside the species distribution range for in Sarawak.

In the earliest stage of development, non-dipterocarp wildlings require specific environmental conditions; they are only able to acclimate to harsher environmental conditions after this stage. As such, the environment acts as a limiting factor of early-stage development in non-dipterocarp shade-tolerant species. We examined the survival rates and growth rates of Heritiera simplicifolia and Scaphium macropodum from the family Malvaceae in the different sets of abiotic conditions. Three abiotic environmental factors medium type, greenhouse technique, and light intensity were varied. The experiment was conducted for six months in an area near Hulu Terengganu Hydroelectric Dam, at the edge of the Tembat Forest Reserve. Height, diameter, leaves numbers, and leaf area was recorded. Our results indicate that the wildlings preferred higher daytime relative humidity and natural air ventilation at night, and they grew more quickly under SN50 (358.74 Photosynthetically Active Radiation; PAR) than under SN70 (101.41 PAR). Subsoil supplemented with vermicompost improved willing growth more consistently than subsoil supplemented with compost or burned mesocarp. The wildling’s height relative growth rate (HRGR) and survival were affected by all treatments. These results indicate that restoration efforts using young indigenous tree species at degraded sites, supply better growth environments and organic nutrients to the rhizosphere.

Taxonomic confusion among island flying foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus) still in debate as in the lack of further genetic studies that describe subspecies validity needs verification. On the basis of morphological variants, 17 subspecies of P. hypomelanus are currently recognized. A previous study showed the distribution of two subspecies of P. hypomelanus in Malaysia: P. hypomelanus robinsoni in Pangkor Island, west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and P. hypomelanus lepidus from Perhentian Island, Kapas Island, and Tioman Island, east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Herein, using the displacement loop (D-loop) region of mitochondrial DNA sequences, phylogenetic and haplotype network was conducted on their population structure in Peninsular Malaysia upon 42 genetic samples from Dangli Island (Langkawi), Pangkor Island (Perak), Redang Island (Terengganu), and Tinggi Island (Johor). Phylogenetically, two main clades separating northwest and southeast populations emerged. No haplotype was shared between the populations. The results from genetic differentiation (estimate of population subdivision (FST) and nucleotide subdivision (Nst)) yielded a gene flow that was nearly cut-off because of the central mountain that forms as an effective barrier between islands of the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia. Although the above finding genetically confirms their subspecies designation, examination using a nuclear marker is needed in future studies.

The mangrove forest is located in the coastal intertidal zone and plays a vital role in buffering against erosion from storm surges, currents, waves, and tides. This ecosystem also serves for ecotourism due to its heterogeneous habitats, which supported a high diversity of plants and animals. Small mammals are among the abundant but poorly recognised inhabitants in mangrove forests. Apart from their role as primary consumer and prey, they are host to various ectoparasites, which potentially become the primary vector for tick-borne diseases among visitors. Therefore, this study aims to determine the small mammal assemblages and their ectoparasite prevalence in mangroves forests of Peninsular Malaysia. The capture-release method was applied for small mammal sampling, and each captured individual was screened and collected for ectoparasites before released. DNA barcoding using CO1 genes was performed for small mammal species verification, whereby ectoparasite identification was based on morphological identification and molecular verification using 16S rDNA genes. A total of 94 small mammals from 6 species were captured across sites, dominated by Rattus tiomanicus (n=74). From this number, 15 individuals (16% prevalence) were infested by ticks, 22 individuals (23%) were infested by mites, whereas 4 individuals (4%) were infested by both ticks and mites. Five species of ticks and one mite species were identified; Amblyomma cordiferum, Ixodes granulatus, Haemaphysalis hystricis, Dermacentor auratus, Dermacentor atrosignatus, and Laelaps echidninus. This study reveals a relatively poor diversity of small mammals in the mangroves forest, of which highly infested with a diversity of ectoparasites, elucidating the relationship of hostectoparasite associations in the riparian zone. This information is crucial to inform visitors to these areas, ultimately safeguard against ectoparasite-borne disease.

The drastic changes in hydroelectric reservoir development created a completely new ecosystem that affects the river, particularly in the inundated area. In this study, five Neolissochilus soroides and Channa lucius were surgically implanted with a unique coded acoustic transmitter to observe the habitat utilisation and movement activity in Tembat Reservoir after the inundation process. All of the individuals were released into the transition zone of the reservoir and observed using passive and active acoustic tracking devices from April to December 2018. Kruskal-Walis test showed no significant difference between the average size of core area for N. soroides and C. lucius, x2(1) = 1.320, p = 0.251. The home range also showed a similar result for N. soroides and C. lucius where there was an insignificant difference, x2(1) = 0.273, p = 0.602. However, duration wise, N. soroides spend more time in the transition zone, R1 (M = 2.71 hrs, SE = 0.38), and C. lucius in the riverine zone, R5 (M = 7.14 hrs, SE = 6.13) and R6 (M = 3.85 hours, SE = 6.36). From the active tracking survey, PCA identified three (62.32%) and four (71.19%) components with eigenvalues greater than 1 for N. soroides and C. lucius, respectively. Three most important habitat parameters for N. soroides were the size of river (r = 0.97), existence of canopy cover (r = 0.77), and substrate type (r = 0.79).While, for C. lucius were mesohabitat type (r = 0.79), distance to riffle (r = 0.97), existence of canopy cover (r = 0.90), and elevation (r = 0.90). A 24-hour movement frequency analysis for both species revealed two active hours of movement at dusk and dawn for both species. From the study, it is known that N. soroides and C. lucius respond differently towards the inundation of the reservoir. The findings in this study can be implemented for effective aquatic management and conservation plan to ensure sustainable dam development.

Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease that is transmitted worldwide through infected small mammals such as rodents. In Malaysia, there is paucity of information on the animal reservoirs that are responsible for leptospirosis transmission, with only few studies focusing on leptospirosis risk in recreational areas. Therefore, in this study, we characterized the species composition and the prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in non-volant small mammals of Hutan Lipur Sekayu, Terengganu. We performed ten trapping sessions totaling 3,000 trapping efforts between September 2019 and October 2020. Kidney samples from captured individuals were extracted for the PCR detection of pathogenic Leptospira spp. Overall, we captured 45 individuals from 8 species (1.56% successful trapping effort), with 9 individuals testing positive for pathogenic Leptospira, that is 20% (n = 9/45) prevalence rate. Rattus tiomanicus (n = 22) was the most dominant captured species and was found to harbour the highest positive individual with pathogenic Leptospira (44.4%, n = 4/9). Despite the low successful trapping effort in this study, the result shows that the non-volant small mammals of Hutan Lipur Sekayu are capable of maintaining and transmitting pathogenic Leptospira, thus making this recreational area a potential infestation ground for leptospirosis.

Unabated land use changes in developing countries have imperilled the urban ecosystem resilience. An urban protected area is one of the critical systems to absorb disturbance regimes in the metropolitan area, but it is increasingly pressured by urbanization. Therefore, assessing their land use and landscape pattern changes are pivotal to identify the conservation capacity. We developed land use maps for Klang Gate, Bukit Kutu, and Sungai Dusun wildlife reserves to assess their spatial and temporal land use changes between 1988 and 2012. The degree of fragmentation, the intensity of human impact and structural connectedness for these wildlife reserves were also quantified. The findings revealed that Klang Gate which located adjacent to the highly urbanizing area experienced a very significant loss of forest while built-up area and commercial agriculture gradually encroached into the reserve. It also has a higher degree of fragmentation and human impact than the other two reserves. Human impact inside of Klang Gate was concomitant to the outside. However, Bukit Kutu almost undisturbed and Sungai Dusun was slightly intruded by commercial agriculture. The results help different stakeholders, such as managing authorities and policy planners to strategize new land use planning that utilize limited land-based resources for future economic and social development. As the findings showed that urban protected areas alone are not sufficient in maintaining the urban ecosystem; therefore new conservation planning that integrates other urban green spaces at their surrounding is critical to ameliorating the conservation on a long-term basis.

The Felda Aring - Tasik Kenyir Road was identified as one of the most threatening roads to wildlife in Malaysia. The present study was conducted to assess the road crossing activities involving the medium- to large-mammal species due to the problem stated. The objectives of this study were to (1) predict the suitability of the road and its surroundings as the roaming areas for the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus, n = 104) and Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus, n = 66), (2) identify the mammalian species inhabiting the forest beside the road, (3) compare the forest’s common species [photographic capture rate index (PCRI) > 10/ detection probability (P) ≥ 0.05] with the ones utilising the road crossing structures; the viaducts and the bridges, and (4) determine the most impacted species from traffic collisions. The road and its surroundings were classified as moderately suitable to the elephant and tapir (suitability values = 0.4 - 0.8). A total of 16 mammal species were recorded at the forest edges, in which the wild pig (Sus scrofa) (PCRI = 118.96, P = 0.3719 ± 0.027), barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) (PCRI = 68.89, P = 0.2219 ± 0.0232), sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) (PCRI = 11.13, P = 0.0507 ± 0.0159), tapir (PCRI = 11.13, P = 0.0469 ± 0.0118), elephant (PCRI = 10.7, P = 0.0787 ± 0.0195) and Malayan porcupine (Hystrix brachyura) (PCRI = 10.7, P = 0.103 ± 0.0252) were the common species utilising the crossing structures. In contrast, the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) were the most frequently hit species on the road [F(7,398) = 28.53, p < 0.0005]. The present study found that large-mammal species were utilising the crossing structures at a higher frequency, whereas more medium-mammal species were involved in traffic collisions.

The coexistence of numerous species within a community results from how those species use available resources. Babblers are one of the major groups of Malaysian insectivorous birds, which frequently forage in dense vegetation cover and have a high level of sympatry. Therefore, examining the diet, prey selection, and niche segregation of babblers can be challenging. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to investigate potential dietary overlap or segregation among 10 babbler species of the 4 genera of the family Pellorneidae and Timaliidae: Pellorneum, Malacopteron, Stachyris, and Cyanoderma in central peninsular Malaysia. We tested the hypothesis that trophically similar species may differ in resource use to avoid competitive exclusion. We identified 81 distinct arthropod taxa from fecal samples, belonging to 71 families representing 13 orders, which were predominantly from 16 dipteran, 13 lepidopteran, and 10 coleopteran families. Of all the prey taxa consumed, 45% were found to be distinct across the 10 babbler species, and ˂35% were shared simultaneously by ≥3 babbler species, indicating minimal dietary overlap. The black-throated babbler Stachyris nigricollis and moustached babbler Malacopteron magnirostre had the most generalist tendencies because they consumed a greater variety of prey taxa. Small dietary overlap values (Ojk) and a relatively wide range of food resources suggest that dietary segregation occurred among the studied babblers. The great diversity of prey consumed revealed the presence of dietary flexibility among the sympatric insectivorous birds, thus reducing any active dietary competition and facilitating the coexistence through niche partitioning.

Additional file 1: Supplementary Table 1. The presence-absence list of all bird species recorded across all study phases. Abbreviations: CAR, carnivore; FRU, frugivore; GRA, granivore; INS, insectivore; NEC, nectarivore; PL, pre-logging phase; LG, logging phase; CN, construction phase; IN, inundation phase; OP, operation phase.

Mineral reservoirs or salt licks are commonly used by wildlife to regulate the concentration of salt and minerals in their bodies. Salt lick utilisation is known to be influenced by the chemical composition, but information on their physical properties, particularly vegetation surrounding the salt licks is scarce. In this study, physical factors and wildlife utilisation at two natural salt licks (SPU and SPS) located in Perak, Malaysia, were determined. Wildlife visitation data were retrieved from camera traps. SPU exhibits two reservoirs represented by rocky and clay substrate, with minimally dense vegetation dominated by hardwood species and climbers. SPS encompasses muddy topsoil, open canopy cover, with highly dense forest floor vegetation. The wildlife survey shows a higher frequency of visitation in SPS, especially by ungulates, potentially due to dense understorey foliage that provides foraging sites for these animals. SPU exhibits more diverse but less frequent wildlife species, particularly primates, carnivores, and avian groups. High emergence and closed canopy cover at this lick serve as perching sites for primates and birds, while less dense understory vegetation could aid in prey detection among carnivore. Regardless of their physical assemblages, salt licks are an essential local hotspot for wildlife, therefore, elucidating the need to prioritise conservation areas by maximising the complementarities of salt licks.

Natural mineral licks are used by many species throughout the world but information relating to the use of artificial saltlicks for wildlife conservation and management is scant. The Department of Wildlife and National Parks in Peninsular Malaysia has established more than 30 artificial saltlicks intended to enrich the habitat with additional mineral resources for wildlife. We used automated camera traps to assess mammal diversity and visitation rates at 14 artificial saltlicks across three wildlife reserves, and compared these metrics to those from nearby (300 m) forest sites. Cameras were operational for an average of 65.3 trap nights (TN), providing 846 TN at artificial saltlicks and 916 TN in forest areas. At artificial saltlicks we recorded 159.7 independent mammal encounters (100 TN–1), significantly higher (p < 0.0001) than from forest sites at 31.1 100 TN–1. Twenty-three species were recorded at artificial saltlicks while 19 species were detected from forest sites. Of the seven most frequent species to visit the artificial saltlicks, only wild pig (p = 0.012), Malayan tapir (p = 0.033), red muntjac (p = 0.008), and Malayan porcupine (p = 0.007) showed significantly higher encounter rates over forest sites, indicating a specific preference and targeted use of artificial saltlicks for these species. Artificial saltlick sites successfully attracted a wide range of species, possibly because they provided valuable resources that would otherwise be absent in the study area. Such areas may be beneficial in diversifying and enriching habitats, particularly where natural mineral licks have been lost or habitats necessitate restoration or rehabilitation.

Understanding dietary diversity is a fundamental task in the study of stump-tailed macaque, Macaca arctoides in its natural habitat. However, direct feeding observation and morphological identification using fecal samples are not effective and nearly impossible to obtain in natural habitats because this species is sensitive to human presence. As ecological methods are challenging and time-consuming, DNA metabarcoding offers a more powerful assessment of the diet. We used a chloroplast tRNL DNA metabarcoding approach to identify the diversity of plants consumed by free-ranging M. arctoides in the Malaysia&ndash, Thailand border region located in Perlis State Park, Peninsular Malaysia. DNA was extracted from three fecal samples, and chloroplast tRNL DNA was amplified and sequenced using the Illumina MiniSeq platform. Sequences were analyzed using the CLC Genomic Workbench software. A total of 145 plant species from 46 families were successfully identified as being consumed by M. arctoides. The most abundant species were yellow saraca, Saraca thaipingensis (11.70%), common fig, Ficus carica (9.33%), aramata, Clathrotropis brachypetala (5.90%), sea fig, Ficus superba (5.44%), and envireira, Malmea dielsiana (1.70%). However, Clathrotropis and Malmea are not considered Malaysian trees because of limited data available from Malaysian plant DNA. Our study is the first to identify plant taxa up to the species level consumed by stump-tailed macaques based on a DNA metabarcoding approach. This result provides an important understanding on diet of wild M. arctoides that only reside in Perlis State Park, Malaysia.

Flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) belongs to the frugivorous bats, which play a crucial role in maintaining proper functioning of an ecosystem and conservation of environment. Bats are well known carriers of pathogenic viruses such as BatCov RaTG13 from the coronavirus family that share 90.55% with SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen causing recent global pandemic coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). However, bats’ possible role as a carrier of pathogenic bacteria is less explored. Here, using metagenomic analysis through high-throughput sequencing, we explored the gut microbiome composition of different island populations on the east and west coasts of Peninsula Malaysia. The 16S rRNA gene in samples from Redang Island, Langkawi Island, Pangkor Island and Tinggi Island was amplified. Bacterial community composition and structure were analyzed with α and β diversity metrics. In contrast to recent studies of host-microbe associations in other mammals, we found no correlation between host phylogeny and bacterial community dissimilarity across four island populations. Our analyses suggest that the significant linear relationship between Redang Island and Langkawi Island implies high bacteria diversity which supporting latitudinal correlation. We found geographic locality is a strong predictor of microbial community composition and observed a positive correlation between ecological features and bacterial richness.

Ismail NA, Jufri ABAK, Daud UNS, Nor SM, Mansor MS. 2020. Short Communication: Roosting behavior of Wintering Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) in Peninsular Malaysia. Biodiversitas 21: 661-665. The East Asian Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica gutturalis primarily breeds in China, Japan, and Korea, typically migrates to Southeast Asia during winter, including Malaysia. To date, knowledge regarding population of Barn Swallow are limited to their breeding grounds and other subspecies (e.g., European Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica rustica). A previous study on Barn Swallow wintering in Malaysia was conducted approximately 50 years ago and mainly focused on population dynamics. The objective of the present study was to investigate the roosting behavior of wintering Barn Swallows in a major roosting site, Bentong, central Peninsular Malaysia, from October 2018 to March 2019. Scan sampling at 5-min intervals was used to examine the roosting behavior of the swallows perching on service wires (i.e., electricity and telephone wires). We found that the swallows began to roost an average of 10 minutes after sunset and slept 55 minutes later. However, cloudy and rainy weather significantly affects swallow roosting period, leading them to perch earlier, 5 minutes before sunset. The pattern of roosting behavior was somewhat similar throughout the migration season, except in the early migration season (October), which was likely inconsistent due to their early adaptation to the town environment. Behavioral scan sampling revealed that swallows spend most of the time motionless, followed by preening. However, anthropogenic disturbances disrupt their behavior and sleep time. We also noted that this communally roosting bird behaved gregariously on wires, particularly at sites illuminated by light, which is likely an anti-predator mechanism.

Mansor, Mohammad Saiful, Abdullah, Nurul Ashikin, Abdullah Halim, Muhammad Rasul, Md. Nor, Shukor, Ramli, Rosli (2018): Diet of tropical insectivorous birds in lowland Malaysian rainforest. Journal of Natural History 52 (35-36): 2301-2316, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2018.1534015, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2018.1534015

Despite the increasing numbers of hydrodam worldwide, only a handful of studies evaluated their impacts on biodiversity. Compared to terrestrial animals, birds were thought to be less affected by inundation process, following impoundment. At the Hulu Terengganu Hydroelectric Dam in Peninsular Malaysia, our study compared species assemblages and diversity of birds within the dam area (i.e. the dam reservoir and catchment area) after recent logging and inundation in relation to a nearby forest logged 30 years ago. Using point count and mist-netting techniques, we recorded a total of 64 species (Shannon Index (H’) = 3.827) in the dam area and 91 species (H’=3.99) in historically-logged forests. Insectivore species richness was significantly higher in the historically-logged forests (Mann-Whitney: Z=4.339, N=205, p

Dietary study provides understanding in predator-prey relationships, yet diet of tropical forest birds is poorly understood. In this study, a non-invasive method, next-generation sequencing (Illumina MiSeq platform) was used to identify prey in the faecal samples of the Rufous-winged Philentoma (Philentoma pyrhoptera). Dietary samples were collected in lowland tropical forest of central Peninsular Malaysia. A general invertebrate primer pair was used for the first time to assess diet of tropical birds. The USEARCH was used to cluster the COI mtDNA sequences into Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU). OTU sequences were aligned and queried through the GenBank or Biodiversity of Life Database (BOLD). We identified 26 distinct arthropod taxa from 31 OTUs. Of all OTUs, there was three that could be identified up to species level, 20 to genus level, three to family level and five could not assigned to any taxa (the BLAST hits were poor). All sequences were identified to class Insecta belonging to 18 families from four orders, where Lepidoptera representing major insect order consumed by study bird species. This non-invasive molecular approach provides a practical and rapid technique to understand of how energy flows across ecosystems. This technique could be very useful to screen for possible particular pest insects consumed by insectivores (e.g. birds and bats) in crop plantation. A comprehensive arthropod studies and local reference sequences need to be added to the database to improve the proportion of sequences that can be identified.

Tropical forests across the world provide important habitats for a diverse number of conservation priority species, yet are under threat from a range of anthropogenic impacts including logging. This study aims to quantify mammalian biodiversity in unlogged and logged forests in the adjoining Tembat and Petuang Forest Reserves, Terengganu, on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Data was collected over a series of surveys using direct and indirect observation methods from 2008 to 2014. A total of 30 medium and large sized mammals species were identified, with 27 of those species found in unlogged forests and 22 species in logged forests. Carnivores encompassed 11 species from 67 observations representing 15% of the total number of observations. The family Felidae had the highest number of species (six species), followed by Hylobatidae, Cercopithecidae and Suidae with three species each. A total of 17 species contributed to more than 90% of the mammal community in the unlogged and logged forests, while six species were uncommon and only observed once during the entire survey. Species abundance in the unlogged forest was significantly greater than the logged forests, but the difference was not significant for species richness. This study provides critical baseline information on the impact of unlogged and logged forests and the identification of threatened species warrant the establishment of conservation measures such as anti-poaching patrol and ranger stations in the study area.

In Peninsular Malaysia, passage and wintering Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) often congregate at nocturnal roosts in towns. As a Holarctic migratory species, it is at risk of population collapse. Despite extensive research, little is known about this species in its wintering grounds, especially in the tropics. This study aimed to determine how climate change influences the population growth of this species across a geographical area over a decade, from 2009 to 2019. A species distribution model was constructed using data obtained from the eBird database – a citizen science project – of records from diverse locations. We used the Kernel Density tool in ArcGIS to describe Barn Swallow density and expansion pattern across Peninsular Malaysia. We demonstrate that the Barn Swallow’s population has fallen by about 27.1% over the last decade. In 2009, the species was dispersed in two distinct areas: Perlis to Pulau Pinang; and the Pahang region bordering Selangor and Negeri Sembilan; in addition, some individuals chose to winter in south-eastern Johor. Within ten years, the flock has descended from Perlis to the northwest corner of Perak, while the vast wintering area in Pahang has decreased and stretched down to Melaka and Johor. The differences in Barn Swallow numbers and distribution patterns observed in this study could be a result of climate and land use changes which have caused this species to spread to parts of other wintering regions, altering the arrival and departure times of migration, thereby interfering with its breeding season.

Pathogenic Leptospira is the causative agent of leptospirosis, an emerging zoonotic disease affecting animals and humans worldwide. The risk of host infection following interaction with environmental sources depends on the ability of Leptospira to persist, survive, and infect the new host to continue the transmission chain. Leptospira may coexist with other pathogens, thus providing a suitable condition for the development of other pathogens, resulting in multi-pathogen infection in humans. Therefore, it is important to better understand the dynamics of transmission by these pathogens. We conducted Boolean searches of several databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, SciELO, and ScienceDirect, to identify relevant published data on Leptospira and coinfection with other pathogenic bacteria. We review the role of the host-microbiota in determining the synanthropic interaction of Leptospira sp. with other bacteria, thus creating a suitable condition for the leptospira to survive and persist successfully. We also discuss the biotic and abiotic factors that amplify the viability of Leptospira in the environment. The coinfection of leptospira with pathogenic bacteria has rarely been reported, potentially contributing to a lack of awareness. Therefore, the occurrence of leptospirosis coinfection may complicate diagnosis, long-lasting examination, and mistreatment that could lead to mortality. Identifying the presence of leptospirosis with other bacteria through metagenomic analysis could reveal possible coinfection. In conclusion, the occurrence of leptospirosis with other diseases should be of concern and may depend on the success of the transmission and severity of individual infections. Medical practitioners may misdiagnose the presence of multiple infections and should be made aware of and receive adequate training on appropriate treatment for leptospirosis patients. Physicians could undertake a more targeted approach for leptospirosis diagnosis by considering other symptoms caused by the coinfected bacteria; thus, more specific treatment could be given.