Detection rates and diel activity patterns of four understudied felids from Borneo

• Published in: Ecology and evolution Vol. 14; no. 9; pp. e70301 - n/a
• Main Authors: Allen, Maximilian L., Allan, Andrew T. L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-09-2024; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Activity patterns; Biodiversity; Biodiversity hot spots; Borneo; Cameras; Catopuma badia; Cats; Conservation Ecology; Cryptic species; Deforestation; detection rates; Diel activity; Ecosystems; Endemic species; Environmental protection; Felidae; Forests; Guilds; Habitat loss; Habitats; Indigenous species; National parks; Nature Notes; Neofelis diardi; Neofelis nebulosa diardi; Pardofelis marmorata; Population decline; Predation; Prionailurus bengalensis javanensis; Prionailurus javenensis; Prionailurus planiceps; Rainforests; Threatened species; Wildlife; Wildlife conservation; Borneo; Borneo; Catopuma badia; Prionailurus javenensis; diel activity; Prionailurus planiceps; detection rates; Pardofelis marmorata; Neofelis diardi
• ISSN: 2045-7758; 2045-7758
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70301

Carnivore guilds are charismatic and have vital and irreplaceable roles in their native ecosystems, yet many of these species are threatened and remain understudied. Borneo is a biodiversity hotspot that hosts a rich diversity of endemic wildlife but is threatened by deforestation and habitat loss. Using cameras placed by the Smithsonian Institution in Sabah, Borneo, we assessed the detection rates and diel activity patterns of the native felid species. Across 51 camera trap sites between 2016 and 2019, felids were detected 55 times across a combined 9958 trap nights, including 20 independent detection events for Sunda leopard cats, 15 for Sunda clouded leopards, 12 for Borneo bay cats, and 5 for marbled cats, with no detections of flat‐headed cats. Collectively, this demonstrates the challenge of sampling cryptic species that have declined due to habitat loss and conflict with humans. Despite this, we show that Borneo bay cats and marbled cats exhibited different diel activity patterns than Sunda cloud leopards, suggesting the smaller species use temporal displacement to avoid competition and predation. Sunda leopard cats exhibited broadly similar activity patterns to Sunda clouded leopard, potentially because the two species typically occupy different dietary and habitat niches. These results demonstrate the importance of devoting future research towards monitoring these species and understanding the mechanisms by which they co‐exist.
Diel activity adjusted for solar time for the four documented felids in Sabah, Borneo: Borneo bay cat (a), Sunda leopard cat (b), marbled cat (c), and Sunda clouded leopard (d).