Borneo a 'hotbed' of over 360 new species

29 April 2005

This brightly coloured insect was discovered on the Sangkulirang Peninsula, East Kallmantan

Over 360 new species have been discovered in Borneo over the last decade, highlighting the great need for conservation in the area, the WWF says.

Previously unseen insects, frogs, fish, lizards and snakes have made themselves known to science for the first time.

And a new report suggests thousands more species remain undiscovered.

However, these newly introduced and yet-to-be-uncovered species are also under threat, WWF claims, because Borneo's forests are being cleared.

"Borneo is undoubtedly one of the most important centres for wildlife in the world," said Tess Robertson, head of the forests programme at WWF-UK. "It is one of the only two places on Earth where orangutans, elephants and rhinos can be found."

Lost world

Apart from the famous orangutan, Borneo is home to other threatened species such as the clouded leopard, the sun bear and the Bornean gibbon.

Amongst the 361 new species discovered since 1994 are a catfish and a giant cockroach, believed to be the largest in the world.

Other species include 260 insects, 50 plants, 30 freshwater fish, seven frogs, six lizards, five crabs, two snakes and a toad.

WWF's report, Borneo's Lost World, suggests that a panoply of species may yet be found, especially in the largest and most pristine forests in the heart of the island, which is relatively inaccessible.

However, these species, along with their better known compatriots, have an uncertain future because of the timber, rubber, palm oil and paper trades.

Since 1996, deforestation in the whole of Indonesia has increased to an average of two million hectares per year - an area about half the size of the Netherlands.

The WWF claims that logging is set to rise because of the country's growing population and the soaring demands of international markets.

Hydrophis sibauensis is a highly venomous species of water snake, first described in 2001

According to the report, the illegal trade in exotic animals is also on the rise, as logging trails and cleared forest open access to more remote areas.

The WWF says it is working with Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia on a new initiative to conserve the area known as the "Heart of Borneo" - a total of 220,000 sq km of equatorial rainforest - through a network of protected areas and sustainably managed forest.

"The forests of Borneo are crucial not just for the protection of wildlife but also to safeguard water resources necessary for the prosperity of the island," said Ms Robertson.

"Losing the heart of Borneo would be an unacceptable tragedy not only for Borneo, but for all of Asia, and the rest of the globe. It really is now or never."

A new "glass" catfish called Ompok platyrhynchus


Source :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4474257.stm

Borneo Island leopard deemed new species

Clouded leopards found on Sumatra and Borneo represent a new species, research by genetic scientists and the conservation group WWF indicates.

Until now it had been thought they belonged to the species that is found on mainland southeast Asia.

Scientists now believe the two species diverged more than one million years ago, and have evolved separately since.

Island leopard deemed new species

The mainland clouded leopard (left) has been separated from its island cousin (right) for about 1.4 million years, research suggests

With bodies up to 1.1m long, clouded leopards are the biggest predators on Borneo and one of Asia's largest cats.

It's incredible that no-one has ever noticed these differences Andrew Kitchener

The separation of the species was discovered by scientists at the US National Cancer Institute near Washington DC.

"Genetic research results clearly indicate that the clouded leopards of Borneo should be considered a separate species," said Dr Stephen O'Brien, head of the Institute's Laboratory of Genomic Diversity.

"DNA tests highlighted around 40 differences between the two species."

Tell tails

Supporting evidence came from examination of fur patterns. Leopards from Borneo and Sumatra have small "clouds" with many distinct spots within them, grey and dark fur, and twin stripes along their backs.

Their mainland cousins have large cloud markings on their skin with fewer, often faint, spots within the cloud markings, and are lighter and more tawny in colour.

"The moment we started comparing the skins of the mainland clouded leopard and the leopard found on Borneo, it was clear we were comparing two different species," said Dr Andrew Kitchener from the National Museums of Scotland.

"It's incredible that no-one has ever noticed these differences."

WWF, which maintains a large conservation operation on Borneo, estimates there are between 5,000 and 11,000 clouded leopards on the island, with a further 3,000 to 7,000 on Sumatra.

"The fact that Borneo's top predator is now considered a separate species further emphasises the importance of conserving the 'Heart of Borneo'," said WWF's Stuart Chapman, co-ordinator of a project seeking to preserve the island's wildlife.

The three governments with territory on the island - Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei - signed an agreement earlier this year pledging to protect the "Heart of Borneo", 200,000 square kilometres of rainforest in the middle of the island thought to be particularly high in biodiversity.

Source :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6452555.stm

Rare Rhino Borneo captured on film

Rarest Rhino Borneo Video

23 Apr 2007

Rare rhino captured on film

A Borneo rhino, one of the world's rarest species, has been captured on camera in Malaysia.

Source :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6580000/newsid_6586100?redirect=6586109.stm&news=1&nbwm=1&nbram=1&bbwm=1&bbram=1&asb=1

A new tree frog species from Borneo Rhacophorus gadingensis

A new tree frog species
Rhacophorus gadingensis

Newly discovered Borneo tree frog (Rhacophorus gadingensis).
© Alexander Haas

Name: Rhacophorus gadingensis (Anura:Rhacophoridae)

Description: A new species of tree frog measuring 29.5mm long. It has an obtuse snout, a head slightly wider than it is long and webbed fingers and toes. Its back is brown with dark brown blotches, its flanks have blue blotches and its eyes are large. This new tree frog is named after the Gunung Gading National Park in which it was found.

Location: Discovered in Gunung Gading National Park, Sarawak, western Borneo, near the coast west of Kuching. The genus Rhacophorus is known to contain over 60 nominal species of which at least 41 occur in south-east Asia alone. The members of the genus are distributed from southern China, Sri Lanka and south-western and north-eastern India south to Indo-China and Indo-Malaya (Frost, 1985). Of these, as many as 14 species have been reported from Borneo (Inger & Stuebing, 1997; Inger & Tan, 1996).

Source(s): The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 2005 53(2): Pp. 257-263. National University of Singapore. Date of Publication: 31 Dec. 2005

Source :

http://www.panda.org/index.cfm?uNewsID=89620

New cat species discovered in Borneo

New cat species discovered in Borneo

March 14, 2007

Bornean clouded leopard. Photo courtesy of WWF.

Scientists have declared that the clouded leopard found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra is an entirely new species of cat, genetically distinct from the clouded leopard that lives in mainland southeast Asia.

"Genetic research results clearly indicate that the clouded leopards of Borneo and Sumatra should be considered a separate species," said Dr Stephen O'Brien, Head of the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, U.S. National Cancer Institute. "DNA tests highlighted around 40 differences between the two species."

The scientists say that the two species of clouded leopard appear to have diverged about 1.4 million years ago. They also note that the results of the genetic study are supported by separate research on geographical variation in the coat color of the clouded leopard.

"The moment we started comparing the skins of the mainland clouded leopard and the leopard found on Borneo and Sumatra, it was clear we were comparing two different species," said Dr Andrew Kitchener, from the Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland and lead author of the Current Biology paper that described the new species. "It's incredible that no one has ever noticed these differences."

WWF, an environmental group that has been particularly active in conservation efforts in the region, reports that the island clouded leopard species is "is generally darker than the mainland species, has small cloud markings, many distinct spots within the cloud markings, grayer fur, and a double dorsal stripe." The species is the largest predator in Borneo and the second largest, after the Sumatran tiger, on Sumatra.

"The fact that Borneo's top predator is now considered a separate species further emphasizes the uniqueness of the island and the importance of conserving the Heart of Borneo," said Adam Tomasek, head of WWF's Borneo and Sumatra program.

WWF estimates that there are between 5,000 and 11,000 clouded leopard on the island of Borneo and 3,000 to 7,000 on Sumatra. The elusive species is threatened by habitat destruction and poaching for its fur. Further, in some parts of Asia it is served in upscale restaurants as a delicacy. It is listed as "Vulnerable" on the 2006 IUCN Red List.

Rainforests in Borneo and Sumatra have been heavily logged over the past 20 years and are today highly threatened by clearing for oil palm plantations. In an effort to slow deforestation, last month ministers of the three Bornean governments -- Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia -- agreed to conserve a large area in the center of Borneo, sometimes termed "The Heart of Borneo."

2007 update:

Gland, Switzerland – WWF researchers may have discovered a new, mysterious carnivore species in the dense, central forests of Borneo.

The animal, a mammal slightly larger than a domestic cat with dark red fur and a long, bushy tail, was photographed twice by a camera trap at night. This could be the first time in more than a century that a new carnivore has been discovered on the island.

However, WWF researchers have not yet established whether this is an entirely new species or if it is a new species of marten or civet cat, which looks like a cross between a cat and a fox.

They are hoping to be able to confirm more about the discovery by setting cage traps and catching a live specimen.


The proposed scheme, funded by the China Development Bank, is expected to cover an area of 1.8 million hectares, equivalent to about half the size of The Netherlands.

WWF stresses that infertile soil and steep areas, such as those in the Heart of Borneo, prevent the development of oil palm plantations.

According to experts, it is not recommended to plant oil palm in areas 200 metres above sea level, because of low productivity. Most of the Heart of Borneo is between 1000 and 2000 metres high.

WWF’s Heart of Borneo initiative aims to assist the island’s three nations (Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia) to conserve more than 22 million hectares of rainforest in the area.

“This discovery highlights the urgent need to conserve the unique forests in the Heart of Borneo, as this creature – whatever it is – hasn’t been seen since the pictures were taken and is therefore likely to occur in very low numbers,” said Stuart Chapman, WWF’s International Coordinator of the Heart of Borneo Programme. “What other secrets do these remote forests hold?”

It is extremely rare nowadays to discover a new mammal species of this size, particularly a carnivore, WWF says. The potential new species of carnivore in Borneo would be the first since the discovery of the Borneo ferret-badger in 1895.
“We showed the photos of the animal to locals who know the wildlife of the area, but nobody had ever seen this creature before,” said Stephan Wulffraat, a biologist who is coordinating WWF’s research on this species. “We also consulted several Bornean wildlife experts, some thought it looked like a lemur, but most were convinced it was a new species of carnivore."

WWF stresses that the strange animal, which also has very small ears and large hind legs, might remain a mystery for ever, if its habitat is not adequately protected.

Kayan Mentarang National Park in Kalimantan, where the carnivore was photographed, is located in the “Heart of Borneo”, a mountainous region covered with vast tracks of rainforest.

But plans announced by the Indonesian government in July to create the world’s largest palm oil plantation in this area would have a devastating impact on the forests, wildlife and indigenous people.


http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0314-leopard.html