A Brief Survey of Non-Volant Small Mammals in Pulau Tioman, Pahang, Malaysia

Abstract

From 26th to 30th August 2019, a brief survey of non-volant small mammals was conducted in Pulau Tioman, Pahang. A transect line has been set up each at Juara trail and Air Batang for this study. At each location, 60 cage traps were deployed with oil palm fruits, salted fish, and ripe bananas with peanut butter as bait. A total of 21 individuals were captured from five species and were classified into three families during five days of sampling. Muridae was recorded as the most abundant (n=12) with Leopoldamys sabanus (n=6) as the dominant species, followed by Rattus tiomanicus (n=4) and Maxomys surifer (n=2). Meanwhile, only one species was recorded for Tupaiidae and Sciuridae which were Tupaia glis (n=8) and Callosciurus notatus (n=1), respectively. All species were categorized as Least Concern (LC) according to the 2017 IUCN red list. Juara trail comprises a higher species richness and abundance due to the variety of microhabitats which is in the secondary forest area. Extensive sampling is recommended to assess a wider diversity of non-volant small mammals in Pulau Tioman. However, the findings of this survey highlight a decent diversity of non-volant small mammals that should be conserved and protected by sustainable development and management of the island, which has become threatened by the ever-increasing eco-tourism.