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Per Christiansen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Andrew C Kitchener - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • a neotype of the clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa griffith 1821
    Mammalian Biology, 2011
    Co-Authors: Per Christiansen, Andrew C Kitchener
    Abstract:

    Recent research has recognised that the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is, in fact, two separate species, which differ markedly with respect to craniodental and pelage morphology and genomic characters. There is confusion about the origin and inaccuracies in the description of the nominal specimen, and the undisputed lack of a type specimen prompts designation of a neotype of Neofelis nebulosa. In this paper a neotype specimen consisting of a skin, a skull, and a mandible (BM1955.1644) is designated, which is housed at the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London. The type locality of Neofelis nebulosa is fixed as Chumphon, Peninsular Thailand, under Article 76 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, rather than the original and dubious locality of Canton, China by Edward Griffith. Descriptive data of the neotype specimen are accompanied by comparisons with other specimens of both species of Neofelis, N. nebulosa and N. diardi.

  • geographical variation in and evolutionary history of the sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi mammalia carnivora felidae with the description of a new subspecies from borneo
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2011
    Co-Authors: Andreas Wilting, Laurentius Ambu, Per Christiansen, Andrew C Kitchener, Yvonne J M Kemp, Jorns Fickel
    Abstract:

    Recent morphological and molecular studies led to the recognition of two extant species of clouded leopards; Neofelis nebulosa from mainland southeast Asia and Neofelis diardi from the Sunda Islands of Borneo and Sumatra, including the Batu Islands. In addition to these new species-level distinctions, preliminary molecular data suggested a genetic substructure that separates Bornean and Sumatran clouded leopards, indicating the possibility of two subspecies of N. diardi. This suggestion was based on an analysis of only three Sumatran and seven Bornean individuals. Accordingly, in this study we re-evaluated this proposed subspecies differentiation using additional molecular (mainly historical) samples of eight Bornean and 13 Sumatran clouded leopards; a craniometric analysis of 28 specimens; and examination of pelage morphology of 20 museum specimens and of photographs of 12 wild camera-trapped animals. Molecular (mtDNA and microsatellite loci), craniomandibular and dental analyses strongly support the differentiation of Bornean and Sumatran clouded leopards, but pelage characteristics fail to separate them completely, most probably owing to small sample sizes, but it may also reflect habitat similarities between the two islands and their recent divergence. However, some provisional discriminating pelage characters are presented that need further testing. According to our estimates both populations diverged from each other during the Middle to Late Pleistocene (between 400 and 120 kyr). We present a discussion on the evolutionary history of Neofelis diardi sspp. on the Sunda Shelf, a revised taxonomy for the Sunda clouded leopard, N. diardi, and formally describe the Bornean subspecies, Neofelis diardi borneensis, including the designation of a holotype (BM.3.4.9.2 from Baram, Sarawak) in accordance with the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.

  • geographical variation in the clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa reveals two species
    Current Biology, 2006
    Co-Authors: Andrew C Kitchener, Mark A Beaumont, Douglas Richardson
    Abstract:

    Summary The clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa , is an endangered semiarboreal felid with a wide distribution in tropical forests of southern and southeast Asia, including the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in the Indonesian archipelago [1]. In common with many larger animal species, it displays morphological variation within its wide geographical range and is currently regarded as comprising of up to four subspecies [2–4]. It is widely recognized that taxonomic designation has a major impact on conservation planning and action [5–8]. Given that the last taxonomic revision was made over 50 years ago [2], a more detailed examination of geographical variation is needed. We describe here the results of a morphometric analysis of the pelages of 57 clouded leopards sampled throughout the species' range. We conclude that there are two distinct morphological groups, which differ primarily in the size of their cloud markings. These results are supported by a recent genetic analysis [9]. On that basis, we give diagnoses for the distinction of two species, one in mainland Asia ( N. nebulosa ) and the other in Indonesia ( N. diardi ). The implications for conservation that arise from this new taxonomic arrangement are discussed.

Andrew J Hearn - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • integrating sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi conservation into development and restoration planning in sabah borneo
    Biological Conservation, 2019
    Co-Authors: żaneta Kaszta, Ewan A Macdonald, Samuel A Cushman, Andrew J Hearn, Dawn Burnham, Benoit Goossens, Senthilvel K S S Nathan
    Abstract:

    Abstract Changes in land use/cover are the main drivers of global biodiversity loss, and thus tools to evaluate effects of landscape change on biodiversity are crucial. In this study we integrated several methods from landscape ecology and landscape genetics into a GIS-based analytical framework, and evaluated the impacts of development and forest restoration scenarios on landscape connectivity, population dynamics and genetic diversity of Sunda clouded leopard in the Malaysian state of Sabah. We also investigated the separate and interactive effects of changing mortality risk and connectivity. Our study suggested that the current clouded leopard population size is larger (+26%) than the current carrying capacity of the landscape due to time lag effects and extinction debt. Additionally, we predicted that proposed developments in Sabah may decrease landscape connectivity by 23% and, when including the increased mortality risk associated with these developments, result in a 40–63% decrease in population size and substantial reduction in genetic diversity. These negative impacts could be mitigated only to a very limited degree through extensive and targeted forest restoration. Our results suggest that realignment of roads and railways based on resistance to movement, without including mortality risk, might be misleading and may in some cases lead to decrease in population size. We therefore recommend that efforts to optimally plan road and railway locations base the optimization on effects of development on population size, density and distribution rather than solely on population connectivity.

  • multi scale habitat selection modeling identifies threats and conservation opportunities for the sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi
    Biological Conservation, 2018
    Co-Authors: Susan M. Cheyne, Andrew J Hearn, Iding Achmad Haidir, Luke T B Hunter, żaneta Kaszta, Helen M Bothwell, Matthew Linkie
    Abstract:

    Abstract Clouded leopards are among Asia's most widely distributed felids, but also among its least known and most vulnerable. Clouded leopards occur in some of the most rapidly disappearing forests in the world, yet a comprehensive assessment of their status and habitat use is lacking, which in turn limits identification of their priority conservation needs and capacity to act as umbrella species for conserving associated forest biodiversity. To address this need for the Sunda species (Neofelis diardi), we applied multi-scale modeling to identify both key environmental variables influencing habitat use and optimal scales of relationship with these variables. We detected clouded leopards at 18.3% of 1544 camera stations and 17 of 22 sampling locations on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Multi-scale GLMM revealed that recent forest loss and large-scale plantations strongly and negatively influence clouded leopard detection. Our findings also suggest that higher elevations and ridges are important components of N. diardi habitat use. We illustrate how scale optimization of habitat use can provide critical information for characterizing the requirements of protected areas, and identify core habitat patches and connectivity gaps in need of future protection. Our findings indicate greater challenges facing clouded leopards on Sumatra, including higher poaching pressure, greater fragmentation, and roughly half the habitat area available to N. diardi on Borneo. This research contributes vital insights to assist in prioritizing habitat conservation networks for the protection of this vulnerable felid and the forest biodiversity for which it is an ambassador species.

  • predicted distribution of the sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi mammalia carnivora felidae on borneo
    Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 2016
    Co-Authors: Andrew J Hearn, Azlan Mohamed, Susan M. Cheyne, Hiromitsu Samejima, Joanna Ross, Gilmoore Bolongon, Jedediah F Brodie, Anthony J Giordano, Raymond Alfred
    Abstract:

    The Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi is a medium sized (15–25 kg) cat, found only on the Sundaic islands of Borneo and Sumatra. In recent years intensive camera-trapping surveys in Borneo have begun to shed light on the habitat associations and basic ecology of this elusive wild cat, but its distribution on an island-wide scale remains very poorly known. Such information is an essential element in the assessment of the Sunda clouded leopard’s conservation status and in the development of conservation action. In this paper we use MaxEnt niche distribution modelling to make predictions regarding the current distribution of this cat on Borneo. We collected a total of 259 occurrence records for the Sunda clouded leopard, stemming from all Bornean regions apart from Brunei and South Kalimantan, of which 48 (Balanced Model) or 94 (Spatial Filtering Model) were used in our modelling. Our habitat suitability model suggests that this species has a widespread distribution over a large contiguous portion of Borneo. The only exception is South Kalimantan, which is predicted largely to comprise unsuitable habitat. The predicted distribution closely follows the current distribution of little-encroached forest on Borneo (including selectively logged and unlogged areas). The species is notably predicted to be absent from the extensive areas of oil palm plantation, particularly in much of the low-lying coastal land. The predicted range encompasses a large proportion of the existing and proposed protected area network on Borneo. We highlight the priority areas for the conservation of the Sunda clouded leopard in Borneo based on our predicted distribution.

  • activity patterns and temporal avoidance by prey in response to sunda clouded leopard predation risk
    Journal of Zoology, 2013
    Co-Authors: Joanna Ross, Andrew J Hearn, Paul J. Johnson
    Abstract:

    Little is known about the activity patterns of Bornean ungulates, or the temporal interactions of these species with the Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi. In this study, we use photographic capture data to quantify the activity patterns for the Sunda clouded leopard and six potential prey species: bearded pig Sus barbatus, Bornean yellow muntjac Muntiacus atherodes, red muntjac Muntiacusmuntjak, lesser mouse deer Tragulus kanchil, greater mouse deer Tragulusnapu, and sambar deer Rusa unicolor, and to calculate the overlap in activity patterns between these species. This is the first insight into the temporal interactions between the Sunda clouded leopard and its potential prey. Sunda clouded leopards' activity patterns overlapped most with those of sambar deer and greater mouse deer. In the absence of clouded leopards, we report a significant difference in activity patterns for bearded pigs which show greater nocturnal activity in the absence of this predator. This suggests that bearded pigs may be prey species for clouded leopards and they are capable of altering their activity pattern in response to this risk. © 2013 The Zoological Society of London.

  • insights into the spatial and temporal ecology of the sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi
    2013
    Co-Authors: Andrew J Hearn, Joanna Ross, Daniel Pamin, Henry Bernard, Luke T B Hunter
    Abstract:

    The Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi is an extremely challenging species to study and as such remains one of the least known of the world's larger (>10 kg) cats. We used a combination of radio-tracking and camera-trap surveys to provide some of the fi rst insights into the spatial and temporal ecology of this elusive felid. A female clouded leopard, radio-tagged and tracked over 109 days in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, occupied a home-range of 16.1 km 2 and a core-range of 5.4 km 2 (95% and 50% fi xed- kernel estimators, respectively). Photographic records of this species from three intensive camera-trap surveys, amounting to 135 independent capture events of at least 22 individuals, were pooled and used to investigate patterns of activity. Sunda clouded leopards were found to be primarily, although not exclusively, nocturnal. We compare our results with those from two fi eld studies of the mainland clouded leopard, N. nebulosa, in Thailand. Although preliminary, our data serve to underscore the need for more intensive research of this elusive wild cat.

Anthony J Giordano - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Evaluating Support for Clouded Leopard Reintroduction in Taiwan: Insights from Surveys of Indigenous and Urban Communities
    Human Ecology, 2020
    Co-Authors: Evan Greenspan, Anthony J Giordano, Clayton K. Nielsen, Nick Ching-min Sun, Kurtis Jai-chyi Pei
    Abstract:

    The Indochinese clouded leopard ( Neofelis nebulosa ) was recently declared extinct in Taiwan but is a potential candidate for reintroduction. We assessed the level of public support for reintroduction and the value of clouded leopards to Taiwanese residents via their willingness-to-pay (WTP) among indigenous and urban communities for a potential reintroduction to the Tawushan Nature Reserve. We also investigated sociodemographic factors related to such support or lack thereof. Questionnaires were completed by 263 rural indigenous residents and 500 urban residents across three metropolitan areas. We found 48%, 31%, and 21% of rural respondents supported, were neutral toward, or opposed a reintroduction, respectively, whereas for urban respondents these percentages were 71%, 22%, and 7% respectively. Rural and urban residents were >3 and >7 times more likely to pay to support a reintroduction than those willing to pay to prevent it, respectively, and the hypothetical donations of urban and rural supporters totaled 11.1 and 21.3 times more than opposition WTP totals. More positive attitudes towards clouded leopards were positively related to respondent support and greater WTP for reintroduction. Clouded leopard reintroduction is generally supported by the Taiwanese public, but rural support could change post-release given the large percentage of neutral respondents. We recommend indigenous involvement in any reintroduction effort and an educational campaign to increase awareness among Taiwanese residents about clouded leopards and their potential reintroduction.

  • taiwanese attitudes toward the clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa and its potential reintroduction
    Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 2020
    Co-Authors: Evan Greenspan, Anthony J Giordano, Clayton K. Nielsen, Nick Ching-min Sun, Kurtis Jai-chyi Pei
    Abstract:

    Social acceptance is crucial to reintroduction projects involving large felids, yet few studies have assessed public attitudes toward reintroduction candidates prior to release. To assess attitudes...

  • predicted distribution of the sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi mammalia carnivora felidae on borneo
    Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 2016
    Co-Authors: Andrew J Hearn, Azlan Mohamed, Susan M. Cheyne, Hiromitsu Samejima, Joanna Ross, Gilmoore Bolongon, Jedediah F Brodie, Anthony J Giordano, Raymond Alfred
    Abstract:

    The Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi is a medium sized (15–25 kg) cat, found only on the Sundaic islands of Borneo and Sumatra. In recent years intensive camera-trapping surveys in Borneo have begun to shed light on the habitat associations and basic ecology of this elusive wild cat, but its distribution on an island-wide scale remains very poorly known. Such information is an essential element in the assessment of the Sunda clouded leopard’s conservation status and in the development of conservation action. In this paper we use MaxEnt niche distribution modelling to make predictions regarding the current distribution of this cat on Borneo. We collected a total of 259 occurrence records for the Sunda clouded leopard, stemming from all Bornean regions apart from Brunei and South Kalimantan, of which 48 (Balanced Model) or 94 (Spatial Filtering Model) were used in our modelling. Our habitat suitability model suggests that this species has a widespread distribution over a large contiguous portion of Borneo. The only exception is South Kalimantan, which is predicted largely to comprise unsuitable habitat. The predicted distribution closely follows the current distribution of little-encroached forest on Borneo (including selectively logged and unlogged areas). The species is notably predicted to be absent from the extensive areas of oil palm plantation, particularly in much of the low-lying coastal land. The predicted range encompasses a large proportion of the existing and proposed protected area network on Borneo. We highlight the priority areas for the conservation of the Sunda clouded leopard in Borneo based on our predicted distribution.

  • Bornean felids in and around the Imbak Canyon conservation area, Sabah, Malaysia
    Cat Specialist Group, 2013
    Co-Authors: Henry Bernard, Jedediah F Brodie, Anthony J Giordano, Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Waidi Sinun
    Abstract:

    We photo-captured three of the five species of Bornean felids in and around the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area in central Sabah, Malaysian Borneo - the Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi, marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata and leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis. The Sunda clouded leopard was the most frequently photographed felid (11 photos), followed by marbled cat and leopard cat (2 photos each). The Sunda clouded leopard and marbled cat are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN/SSC Red List of Threatened Species, whereas the leopard cat is a species of Least Concern (IUCN 2012). All three species were detected within primary and logged forest habitats. These findings may indicate that, in addition to primary forests, regenerating secondary forests are important to felids conservation

  • density of the vulnerable sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi in a protected area in sabah malaysian borneo
    Oryx, 2012
    Co-Authors: Jedediah F Brodie, Anthony J Giordano
    Abstract:

    Population density is an important parameter for monitoring and guiding conservation of small or threatened wildlife populations. Yet, despite the Vulnerable status of both species of clouded leopard Neofelis spp., and their disappearing tropical forest habitat, information on their population density is lacking from across their broad geographic ranges. Here we estimated population density of the Sunda clouded leopard N. diardi in the Maliau Basin Conservation Area in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, one of the first such estimates for either species of clouded leopard. With 25 camera-trap stations, each operated for at least 81 trap-nights, we obtained 59 detections of four individual Sunda clouded leopards in undisturbed primary rainforest but only a single detection in logged forest, despite similar sampling effort. Using spatially-explicit mark–recapture models, we estimated a density of 1.9 individuals per 100 km2 (95% confidence interval 0.7–5.4) for primary forest and 0.8 per 100 km2 (0.2–2.6) for the entire study area (including logged forest). These results will contribute to a better understanding of clouded leopard status and serve as a reference for future assessments of the species.

Susan M. Cheyne - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • multi scale habitat selection modeling identifies threats and conservation opportunities for the sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi
    Biological Conservation, 2018
    Co-Authors: Susan M. Cheyne, Andrew J Hearn, Iding Achmad Haidir, Luke T B Hunter, żaneta Kaszta, Helen M Bothwell, Matthew Linkie
    Abstract:

    Abstract Clouded leopards are among Asia's most widely distributed felids, but also among its least known and most vulnerable. Clouded leopards occur in some of the most rapidly disappearing forests in the world, yet a comprehensive assessment of their status and habitat use is lacking, which in turn limits identification of their priority conservation needs and capacity to act as umbrella species for conserving associated forest biodiversity. To address this need for the Sunda species (Neofelis diardi), we applied multi-scale modeling to identify both key environmental variables influencing habitat use and optimal scales of relationship with these variables. We detected clouded leopards at 18.3% of 1544 camera stations and 17 of 22 sampling locations on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Multi-scale GLMM revealed that recent forest loss and large-scale plantations strongly and negatively influence clouded leopard detection. Our findings also suggest that higher elevations and ridges are important components of N. diardi habitat use. We illustrate how scale optimization of habitat use can provide critical information for characterizing the requirements of protected areas, and identify core habitat patches and connectivity gaps in need of future protection. Our findings indicate greater challenges facing clouded leopards on Sumatra, including higher poaching pressure, greater fragmentation, and roughly half the habitat area available to N. diardi on Borneo. This research contributes vital insights to assist in prioritizing habitat conservation networks for the protection of this vulnerable felid and the forest biodiversity for which it is an ambassador species.

  • Down from the treetops: red langur (Presbytis rubicunda) terrestrial behavior
    Primates, 2018
    Co-Authors: Susan M. Cheyne, Claire J. Neale, Carolyn Thompson, Cara H. Wilcox, Yvette C. Ehlers Smith, David A. Ehlers Smith
    Abstract:

    Using direct observations and camera traps at eight sites across Indonesian Borneo we show how red langurs ( Presbytis rubicunda ) are more terrestrial than previously believed, regularly coming to the ground. This unusual behavior has been found at six of the eight sites surveyed. We find that red langurs come to the ground more frequently in disturbed forests, specifically ones which have been impacted by logging, fire, and hunting, though more data are needed to confirm this as a direct correlation. We also found a trend towards decreased ground use with increased elevation of the habitat. When on the ground, red langurs are predominantly engaged in feeding (50% direct observations, 61% camera traps) and traveling (29% direct observations, 13% camera traps). Red langurs are found on the ground throughout the day, at similar times to activity periods of the apex predator, the Sunda clouded leopard ( Neofelis diardi ). We suggest that ground use by red langurs could be an adaptation to disturbed forest to exploit additional food sources and to facilitate travel.

  • Felids of Sebangau: Camera trapping to estimate activity patterns and population abundance in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
    2016
    Co-Authors: Bernat Ripoll, Suwido H Limin, Susan M. Cheyne
    Abstract:

    project in the Natural Laboratory of Peat-Swamp Forest in the Sebangau Catchment, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia (2008-2015). The project has identified four of the five felids on Borneo: Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi; macan dahan), flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps; kucing tandang), marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata; kucing batu) and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis; kucing kuwuk). All of these species are protected by Indonesian Law (PP. 7/1999) and are listed on the IUCN Red List. The four species have clearly defined activity budgets, especially the smaller cats, to allow niche partitioning. We have identified this forest block as an important area for numbers of all four species in the global context of cat populations. The bay cat (Pardofelis badia (kucing merah) has not been found in tropical peat-swamp forest at time of writing

  • predicted distribution of the sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi mammalia carnivora felidae on borneo
    Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 2016
    Co-Authors: Andrew J Hearn, Azlan Mohamed, Susan M. Cheyne, Hiromitsu Samejima, Joanna Ross, Gilmoore Bolongon, Jedediah F Brodie, Anthony J Giordano, Raymond Alfred
    Abstract:

    The Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi is a medium sized (15–25 kg) cat, found only on the Sundaic islands of Borneo and Sumatra. In recent years intensive camera-trapping surveys in Borneo have begun to shed light on the habitat associations and basic ecology of this elusive wild cat, but its distribution on an island-wide scale remains very poorly known. Such information is an essential element in the assessment of the Sunda clouded leopard’s conservation status and in the development of conservation action. In this paper we use MaxEnt niche distribution modelling to make predictions regarding the current distribution of this cat on Borneo. We collected a total of 259 occurrence records for the Sunda clouded leopard, stemming from all Bornean regions apart from Brunei and South Kalimantan, of which 48 (Balanced Model) or 94 (Spatial Filtering Model) were used in our modelling. Our habitat suitability model suggests that this species has a widespread distribution over a large contiguous portion of Borneo. The only exception is South Kalimantan, which is predicted largely to comprise unsuitable habitat. The predicted distribution closely follows the current distribution of little-encroached forest on Borneo (including selectively logged and unlogged areas). The species is notably predicted to be absent from the extensive areas of oil palm plantation, particularly in much of the low-lying coastal land. The predicted range encompasses a large proportion of the existing and proposed protected area network on Borneo. We highlight the priority areas for the conservation of the Sunda clouded leopard in Borneo based on our predicted distribution.

  • felids of sebangau camera trapping to estimate activity patterns and population abundance in central kalimantan indonesia
    Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 2015
    Co-Authors: Adul Adul, Bernat Ripoll, Suwido H Limin, Susan M. Cheyne
    Abstract:

    Adul, Ripoll B, Limin SH, Cheyne SM. 2015. Felids of Sebangau: Camera trapping to estimate activity patterns andpopulation abundance in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 16: 151-155. We present data from a seven year camera trappingproject in the Natural Laboratory of Peat-Swamp Forest in the Sebangau Catchment, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia (2008-2015). Theproject has identified four of the five felids on Borneo: Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi; macan dahan), flat-headed cat(Prionailurus planiceps; kucing tandang), marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata; kucing batu) and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis;kucing kuwuk). All of these species are protected by Indonesian Law (PP. 7/1999) and are listed on the IUCN Red List. The four specieshave clearly defined activity budgets, especially the smaller cats, to allow niche partitioning. We have identified this forest block as animportant area for numbers of all four species in the global context of cat populations. The bay cat (Pardofelis badia (kucing merah) hasnot been found in tropical peat-swamp forest at time of writing.Keywords: Activity patterns, camera trapping, felids, population abundance, Sebangau