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

Allen, Maximilian L.; Allan, Andrew T. L.

Abstract

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.

Citation

Allen, M. L., & Allan, A. T. L. (2024). Detection rates and diel activity patterns of four understudied felids from Borneo. Ecology and Evolution, 14(9), Article e70301. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70301

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 30, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Sep 15, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-09
• Deposit Date: Sep 16, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 16, 2024
• Journal: Ecology and Evolution
• Electronic ISSN: 2045-7758
• Publisher: Wiley Open Access
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 9
• Article Number: e70301
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70301
• Keywords: detection rates, diel activity, Prionailurus planiceps, Catopuma badia, Pardofelis marmorata, Borneo, Prionailurus javenensis, Neofelis diardi
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2864897