Mammals of South East Asia; A Photographic Guide

Mammals are familiar to everybody, as they include domestic animals such as dogs, cats, horses and cattle as well as, of course ourselves – humans. However, fewer people know about the tremendous diversity of wild mammals. Over 4400 species occur around the world. South-east Asia is particularly rich in mammals with over 500 species in the region covered by this book including wild cattle, elephants, rhinoceros, antelopes, wild cats, bears, monkeys and many smaller species such as rodents, shrews and bats. Watching mammals presents more challenges than watching birds, since many species are small and nocturnal, and difficult to observe and identify. In South-east Asia, even larger mammals can be difficult to find, as their natural habitats are thick tropical forests. Nevertheless, a keen observer can locate many mammals. The loud morning songs of gibbons ring across the forests in many areas. Many monkeys and squirrels can be seen during a walk through forests or gardens. Civets, flying squirrels, lorises and other mammals may be found during a night walk through lowland rainforest with a spotlight. Larger mammals such as cattle, tapirs, or bears can be located by tracks or signs, or seen from hides near salt licks. Bats can often be seen at roost in caves, or at dusk as they hunt for insects. This book provides an introduction to the wild mammals of South-east Asia, including the countries of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and western Indonesia including Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Borneo. Most species of larger mammals are included, which should enable identification of many animals encountered in these groups. For smaller animals, such as rodents, insectivores and bats, only representative species are included, because there is not space in a book of this size to describe all species. Much remains to be learned about mammals in South-east Asia. In the past 10 years, several new species of large mammals were discovered that were previously unknown to science, including Saola, Large-antlered Muntjac and Annamite Muntjac from the Annamite mountains in Laos and Vietnam, Spiralhorned Ox from Cambodia, and Putao Muntjac from Northern Myanmar. Many more species of small mammals have also been discovered, including a new striped rabbit, several new rodents and many new bats. Many areas have never been thoroughly surveyed for small mammals, and no doubt further species await discovery. Unfortunately, this tremendous diversity of mammals is also at risk. Several larger mammals are threatened with imminent extinction. Schomburgk’s Deer, which formerly occurred in lowland swamps in Thailand, is believed to be already extinct. The continued existence of Kouprey is in doubt, and the newly discovered Saola is under heavy hunting pressure in Laos and Vietnam. The Asian One-homed Rhinoceros survives only as a few individuals in Vietnam, and a tiny population of about 50 in western Java. The Asian Two-horned Rhinoceros has disappeared from much of its range. Many primates, including Orangutans and Proboscis Monkeys, have experienced substantial declines. Tiger populations in many regions are probably too small to be sustainable. The greatest single threat to most Asian mammals is loss of habitat. Until recently, most of South-east Asia was covered in continuous forest. The island of Borneo formed one of the largest continuous blocks of tropical rainforest in the world. Now, much of this has been cleared or severely degraded. Less than 10% of the land area in most jurisdictions is set aside as parks or reserves, and much forest that remains has been heavily logged. Some large mammals can adapt to logged forest, especially those that traditionally fed in forest openings or grassy areas along river banks. However, many smaller mammals with more specialized habitat requirements may be unable to adapt. Furthermore, logged forests are vulnerable to encroachment and fires. In the past two decades, numerous large forest fires have burned millions of hectares of logged forest in Borneo and Sumatra. These burned-over forests, even if protected from further disturbance, will take decades or even centuries to recover. Some areas where seed sources are gone may never regain their original diversity. Another threat to many mammals is hunting. Although some mammals have been traditionally hunted for centuries, growing human populations and the widespread availability of guns have greatly increased hunting pressure. At the same time, with loss of habitat, many mammal populations have become smaller and more vulnerable to hunting. Development of roads and agricultural areas around forest reserves has increased opportunities for poachers, and the demand for parts of some species, such as rhinoceros horns, pangolin scales, or tiger bones, for so-called “medicinal” purposes, has greatly increased the profits associated with illegal hunting. Unless drastic efforts are made to curtail the illegal wildlife trade, many larger mammals will become extinct in the near future. The loss of a species represents an irreversible loss of millions of years of evolution. Humans have a moral obligation to prevent the extinction of any species, both for the sake of the animals themselves, and so that our children and their children can see and appreciate them. Also, wild mammals represent an inestimable genetic resource. The wild ancestors of many economically important domestic mammals are still found in Asia today – but they are also threatened. Wild populations could prove invaluable for improving domestic stocks through cross-breeding programmes, or for developing new domestic breeds – if they are preserved. Finally, many wild mammals are of great ecological importance. For example, several species of fruit bats are key pollinators of such economically important trees as durians, kapok and mangroves. Other bats, as well as squirrels and many larger mammals including monkeys, bears and even elephants, are important seed dispersers, and play a key role in forest regeneration. Insectivorous bats eat hundreds of millions of insects every night. Wild carnivores help control rodent population’s, thus maintaining ecological balance. The continued existence of this tremendous diversity of native mammal species in South-east Asia, and the natural habitats where they live, is dependent on the stewardship and care of the people living in the region. One of the primary goals of this book is to increase awareness of the fascinating diversity of wildlife in the region, in the hope that improved understanding will lead to better care and conservation of wild animals into the future.