Field surveys of ectoparasites on rodents and scandents were conducted in four localities of wildlife reserves in Peninsular Malaysia from October 2008 to November 2009. A total of 16 animals comprising 5 species of hosts were caught and examined for ectoparasites. The hosts examined were Maxomys rajah, Maxomys whiteheadi, Leopoldamys sabanus, Lariscus insignis and Tupaia glis. Of these hosts, 9 genera, consisting of 14 species of ectoparasites were extracted. Three species of ticks (Ixodidae), 7 species of mesostigmatid mites (Laelaptidae), 3 species of chiggers (Trombiculidae) and 1 species of listrophorid mites (Listrophoriidae) were identified. The infestation rate of ectoparasites observed ranged from 12.5% to 62.5%. Among the ectoparasites found, Ixodes granulatus and Leptotrombidium deliense are of known medical importance.
Despite well-known privileged perception of dark over light stimuli, it is unknown to what extent this dark dominance is maintained when visual transients occur in rapid succession, for example, during perception of moving stimuli. Here, we address this question using dark and light transients presented at different flicker frequencies. Although both human participants and tree shrews exhibited dark dominance for temporally modulated transients, these occurred at different flicker frequencies, namely, at 11 Hz in humans and 40 Hz and higher in tree shrews. Tree shrew V1 neuronal activity confirmed that differences between light and dark flicker were maximal at 40 Hz, corresponding closely to behavioral findings. These findings suggest large differences in flicker perception between humans and tree shrews, which may be related to the lifestyle of these species. A specialization for detecting dark transients at high temporal frequencies may thus be adaptive for tree shrews, which are particularly fast-moving small mammals.
A faunal survey aimed to document small mammals was conducted at Nature Study Centre of Kuala Atok, Taman Negara Pahang from 16th to 23rd May 2008. This survey was part of the Biodiversity Inventory Programme that was organised by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP). On average, ten mist nets, two four-bank harp traps, 100 cage traps and 40 Sherman traps were set for six trapping nights. A total of 79 individuals from three orders, seven families and 23 species were caught in this study. Of the 23 species, three were frugivorous bats, 15 were insectivorous bats, four were rodents and one was treeshrew. Our sampling site was bounded by Pahang River and mainly covered with lowland secondary forest. This is evidence by the highest abundance of Long-tailed Giant Rat (Leopoldamys sabanus) for non-volant small mammals, and Fawn Roundleaf Bat (Hipposideros cervinus) for volant small mammals that are adapted to disturbed habitat. The increasing species cumulative curve for Chiropteran indicates that there may be more species yet to be recorded from this study site compared to rodents and treeshrews. Preliminary analysis on the species similarity between our study site to other survey reports in Peninsular Malaysia, positioned Kuala Atok with Krau Wildlife Reserve and Bukit Fraser Forest Reserve that are located adjacent to our study site. This similarity further indicate the
importance of future survey in Kuala Atok especially for Chiropterans to properly document the species diversity in this site that may be as rich as other well studied area e.g. Krau Wildlife Reserve.
This data article is about non-volant small mammal (squirrel, rat and tree shrew) capture from fragmented forest understories within sub-urban areas of Setiu (Peladang Agro Resort and Setiu Wetland Research Station) and inhabited areas of Hulu Terengganu (Saok and Lasir waterfalls) that are situated in Terengganu State, Peninsular Malaysia. Fruits like banana and oil palm were individually placed into each cage before the cages were fastened onto three to five meter height tree branches. The traps were also spatially distributed about ten meters from each other. Under this installation, fifty baited traps were used during the twenty-four nights of sample collection. All animals caught were distinguished by morphology and released at the same location it was caught. The understory data comprise of seven non-volant mammal species from family groups Sciuridae, Muridae and Tupaiidae. Overall, Callosciurus notatus (n = 17, 39%) were dominant in the capture pool from all sites. Comparatively, Sundascriurus tenuis (n = 2, 4%) and Rattus rattus (n = 4, 9.3%) were restricted to Saok Waterfalls and Setiu Wetland. Banana and oil palm fruits did not attract any small mammals during the Lasir Waterfall (Hulu Terengganu) survey. All data were interpret into Shannon, Simpson, Margalef, Menhinik and Evenness indices to individually or collectively distinguish small mammal variety in Terengganu State.