Project update - Malaysia Tropical Forest Conservation Project (Malaysia) - August 2004
Added to website: 01 August 2004
Project Brief
Aim
The Malaysia Tropical Forest Conservation Project is a collaborative project between Coral Cay Conservation and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. The aim of the project is to conduct rapid biodiversity assessments of the islands forests, in order to compile a detailed species list and highlight the species distributions between and across the two main islands.
Location
The islands of Besar, Kecil, Rawa and Susudara of the Perhentian Archipelago, Terengganu, approximately 20km off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
CCC Partners
CCC is working in partnership with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Peninsular Malaysia).
Terrestrial Science Programme
Baseline Surveys
This month we completed a forth survey of the permanently inhabited island of Kecil, pushed further inland into the less disturbed island of Besar and returned also to the North-West of Besar to conduct surveys near the protected Turtle Sanctuary Beach. 4 nights were spent at each location at temporary campsites set up by the expedition teams.
Interesting / Unusual Sightings
The expedition to West Kecil had us staying in a mixed area of undisturbed forest and disused plantation land. The region was alive with rats in the evenings and Sun Skinks during the day. Visual Encounter Surveys around an unoccupied resort found a variety of animals from the colourful Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) to the intimidating Asian False Vampire Bat (Megaderma spasma) that preys upon many vertebrates - even other bats! The steep slopes of Kecil gave us vantage points to observe White Bellied Sea Eagles and the islands largest bats, the Island Flying Fox as they crossed the seas.
The long hike to the central ridges of Besar gave us a chance to survey areas untouched by humans. Looking out across the island and deep into the monsoon sheltered valleys we were able to see the rarely observed Brown Spiny Rat (Maxomys rajah), Sheath Tailed Bats (Emballonura monicola), Island Flying Foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus), and a host of reptiles such as the Olive Tree Skink (Dasia olivacea) and impressive Gliding Lizard (Draco volans). The area was home to many Pied Imperial Pigeons (Ducula bicolor) and White-Rumped Shama’s calling from the trees around us.
Blue Lagoon, situated just south of Besar’s Turtle Sanctuary saw a hive of activity. Many species of reptile were found: Horned Tree Lizards (Arcanthosaura armata), Green Eyed Geckos (Gekko smithi), Oriental Whipsnakes (Ahaetulla prasina) and even the venomous Wagler’s Pit Viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri). In addition, another species was added to our list of bird observations this week, the Maroon Woodpecker (Blythipicus rubiginosus). It is largely a bird associated with undisturbed forest, a good indicator for the quality of this region.
