Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Amazing first results from Crocker Range
3:35 PM | Posted by
Andy Hearn |
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With the last camera trap finally in place, the fun phase has begun…
time to check the cameras. And what a start; in addition to the usual crowd of
pigs, muntjac, mousedeer, malay civet and the like, we’ve been getting a number
of amazing results, including some species that we rarely ever encounter, and
even a first for the project….
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Another great result is that of the Endangered Hose’s civet Diplogalehosei. This rarely detected Bornean endemic is thought to be associated with mossy forests at higher altitudes, although a handful of (questionable?) sightings in relatively low forest suggests that they may be more adaptable than previously thought. So far we’ve detected Hose’s civet at three relatively high level sites (867 -1280m), establishing the first confirmed record of this civet in Crocker Range!! Let’s hope these guys keep getting snapped, so that we can start piecing together some information regarding their ecology. Perhaps Crocker would be the perfect place to start some in depth studies of this beastie… any takers?
Last, but certainly not least, is a personal favorite of mine, a tiny, brightly orange coloured carnivore with a white head – the Malay weasel Mustela nudipes. Although thought to be relatively common throughout its range (southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra), and found in a range of habitats (we even recorded some in an oil palm plantation), it is yet another Bornean carnivore that is rarely camera trapped. Why then are we recording them relatively frequently (3 different sites so far) in Crocker? Although listed as Least Concern by the IUCN it has never been studied.
Clearly a great start… I can’t wait to see what the remaining unchecked cameras reveal!
Labels:
3 banded linsang,
borneo,
clouded leopard,
clouded leopards,
conservation,
crocker range,
diplogalehosei,
hose's civet,
malay weasel,
malaysia,
marbled cat,
mustela nudipes,
prionodon linsang,
rainforest,
sabah
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2 comments:
What excellent pictures and congratulations.
Has there ever been any attempt to mount a camera trap so as to target trrs that scratch marks and scat suggest might be used by clouded leopards. Presumably they would favour certian trees for access, egress and ambush like civets?
Very cool blog. Congratulations on your clouded leopard video!
www.harveywildlifephotography.ca