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. 2025 Mar;36(1):127-162.
doi: 10.21315/tlsr2025.36.1.8. Epub 2025 Mar 30.

Rapid Assessment of Non-Volant Mammals in Selected Areas of Peninsular Malaysia

Hannah Syakirah Ab Hamid  1 , Nur Dayana Zulkifli  1 , Mazrul Aswady Mamat  1 , Amirrudin Ahmad  1   2 , Nobuyuki Yamaguchi  2 , Nurulhuda Zakaria  1   3 , Hafizan Juahir  3   4 , Muhamad Safiih Lola  5 , Mohd Tajuddin Abdullah  6   7
Affiliations

Rapid Assessment of Non-Volant Mammals in Selected Areas of Peninsular Malaysia

Hannah Syakirah Ab Hamid et al. Trop Life Sci Res. 2025 Mar.

Abstract
in English, French

Non-volant mammals in Peninsular Malaysia face numerous threats, primarily driven by habitat loss, fragmentation and illegal hunting. These threats highlight the importance of conducting wildlife surveys in the available forested areas to enhance the current strategies for conservation and management, particularly for a threatened taxon like non-volant mammals. This study aimed to document and update information of non-volant mammals from four areas: Tasik Bera (Pahang state); Tasik Kenyir, Pulau Redang and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Campus (Terengganu state). Cage traps and Visual Encounter Survey methods were utilised to record non-volant mammals from August 2022 until March 2023. This study successfully documented 123 individuals from 27 non-volant mammal species, representing 11 families from 6 orders. Tasik Bera demonstrated the highest species count at 18, followed by UMT Campus with 6, while Tasik Kenyir and Pulau Redang each recorded 4 species. The species diversity was the highest at Tasik Bera (H' = 2.65) and the lowest at Pulau Redang (H' = 1.01). Macaca fascicularis, Tupaia glis and Paradoxurus hermaphroditus were recorded from three of four sites. This study has added new geographically recorded species for Tasik Bera (11 species) and UMT Campus (4 species). This study has advanced our knowledge of the diversity and distribution of non-volant mammals, enhancing our understanding in this field. This understanding is crucial for implementing efficient conservation and management strategies, aiding in the development of targeted conservation strategies to protect these species and their habitats.

Mamalia bukan terbang di Semenanjung Malaysia menghadapi pelbagai ancaman, terutamanya disebabkan oleh kehilangan habitat, pemecahan habitat dan pemburuan haram. Ancaman ini menekankan kepentingan menjalankan tinjauan hidupan liar di kawasan hutan yang masih tersedia untuk meningkatkan strategi pemuliharaan dan pengurusan semasa, khususnya bagi takson yang terancam seperti mamalia bukan terbang. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mendokumentasikan dan mengemas kini maklumat mengenai mamalia bukan terbang dari empat kawasan: Tasik Bera (negeri Pahang); Tasik Kenyir, Pulau Redang, dan Kampus Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) (negeri Terengganu). Kaedah perangkap sangkar dan Tinjauan Penemuan Visual digunakan untuk merekodkan mamalia bukan terbang dari Ogos 2022 hingga Mac 2023. Kajian ini berjaya mendokumentasikan 123 individu daripada 27 spesies mamalia bukan terbang, mewakili 11 famili daripada 6 order. Tasik Bera mencatat jumlah spesies tertinggi dengan 18 spesies, diikuti oleh Kampus UMT dengan 6 spesies, manakala Tasik Kenyir dan Pulau Redang masing-masing merekodkan 4 spesies. Kepelbagaian spesies adalah tertinggi di Tasik Bera (H′ = 2.65) dan paling rendah di Pulau Redang (H′ = 1.01). Macaca fascicularis, Tupaia glis dan Paradoxurus hermaphroditus direkodkan di tiga daripada empat tapak kajian. Kajian ini telah menambah rekod spesies baharu dari segi geografi untuk Tasik Bera (11 spesies) dan Kampus UMT (4 spesies). Kajian ini telah memperluas pengetahuan mengenai kepelbagaian dan taburan mamalia bukan terbang, seterusnya meningkatkan pemahaman dalam bidang ini. Pemahaman ini amat penting bagi pelaksanaan strategi pemuliharaan dan pengurusan yang berkesan, serta membantu dalam pembangunan strategi pemuliharaan yang disasarkan untuk melindungi spesies ini dan habitatnya.

Keywords: Diversity; Habitat; Island; Lake; Non-volant Mammals; Urban; Wetland.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of the study sites. The red dots represent the location of present study sites. (Source: Created using GIS software)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Location of trapping sites with (a) Tasik Bera, (b) Tasik Kenyir, (c) Pulau Redang and (d) UMT Campus.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The distribution of non-volant mammals at Tasik Bera, Tasik Kenyir, Pulau Redang and UMT Campus, categorised by order.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Non-volant mammals species with (a) Tupaia minor, (b) Tupaia glis, (c) Nycticebus coucang, (d) Trachypithecus obscurus, (e) Macaca fascicularis, (f) Lutrogale perspicillata, (g) Viverra tangalunga roadkill, (h) Paradoxurus hermaphroditus roadkill, (i) Prionailurus bengalensis, (j) Tapirus indicus footprint, (k) Tragulus kanchil, (l) Tragulus napu, (m) Callosciurus notatus, (n) Rattus rattus, (o) Rattus tiomanicus, (p) Rattus argentiventer, (q) Rattus exulans, (r) Leopoldamys sabanus, (s) Maxomys rajah and (t) Maxomys whiteheadi.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Species Accumulation Curve (SAC) for four study sites.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Venn diagram showing numbers of shared species between Tasik Bera, Tasik Kenyir, Pulau Redang and UMT Campus. The number of species is shown in each of the subsets.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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