All Creatures Great and Small # 47
Coral Reefs
Need to study the reefs before they are gone, and so are the tourists.
Research papers compiled indicated that Malaysian-based coral reef publication in WoS database is relatively lacking, especially in coral physiology (reproduction) and reef-associated invertebrates (Sponges, bacteria, etc.) whereas its research pool is dominated by Marine Protected Areas studies. East Coast Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah were the dominant study areas for coral reef. Most of the studies were focused on Cnidaria (including reef-building corals), coral reef environments (water quality), and reef-associated fish (Pisces). /doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3395069/v1
Habitat Destruction and Sarawak
Say goodbye to 27% of the Rainforest in Borneo
Sarawak has experienced significant changes in its landscape over the last two decades. It has lost an alarming 3.18 Mha of tree cover between 2002 and 2022, equivalent to a 27% loss in the tree cover of the state. The total area of primary forest in the state shrank by 22% between 2002 and 2022. There is mounting evidence pointing to a changing climate in the state of Sarawak. Int. J. Global Warming, Vol. X, No. Y, xxxx I have a copy, just ask!
Narum Community
Need people to record language for posterity
The Narum community is located in Marudi, Sarawak. There are similarities between the language of the Narum and the Kenyah. The number who can master the Narum language, especially the younger generation, is very limited. The language is threatened. https://doi.org/10.17576/geo-2021-1702-32
Borneo Earless Monitor
Hot stone and body temperature
This study investigated the thermal biology of the lizard. The study revealed air temperature was the major contributor of heat, as well as contact with a warm object such as a stone.
Cobbold Commission
People duped by elites… What else is new
This paper shows how the inquiry became a vehicle for local elite advancement and led many to dismiss Sabah’s public as incapable of determining its own future. Many elites—traditional headmen and local power brokers—claimed to speak for thousands of followers. https://doi.org/10.1080/23337486.2023.2268958
Early Photograph of Kuching Mosque
Wrong building
A photograph of the early Kuching mosque, widely used by academics, is that of a fort and not of the mosque. https://isvshome.com/pdf/ISVS_10-10/ISVSej_10.10.20_Atta.pdf. I have a copy. Just ask
Rattan Species
All tied up
There are about 28 species of Rattan in Malaysia. Korthalsia is a genus of clustering climbing palms generally known as rattan. Currently, Korthalsia is highly diverse in Sabah and Sarawak, with 15 species documented in this region. 10.13057/biodiv/d241059
Predation on the Sun Skink
Snake eats Skink, transmitter and all
Eutropis multifasciata is a forest-dwelling lizard broadly distributed in forested and disturbed habitats across Southeast Asia. It is associated with leaf litter and human structures and occurs abundantly in primary and secondary lowland forests, mangroves, peat swamps, plantations, and clearings. The following observations were made during a field study on the life history of E. multifasciata at the Sebungan Oil Palm Estate, Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia. On 22 September 2022, the transmitter signals originated from a water puddle within peat soil. After a 1.5 h search, at 10:11 h, an adult Sunbeam Snake (Xenopeltis unicolor) was discovered at the site. The snake was identifiable by the iridescent scales and distinctive wedged-shaped head. Its head and body were deep inside the root-bound soil, and a total length of 0.7 m was estimated for the snake. The predator and the ingested transmitter were left in situ. The transmitter signals became progressively weaker. Herpetology Notes, volume 16: 841-843 (2023) (published online on 18 November 2023)
Sarawak Javanese
I thought the Javanese were here much earlier
In Sarawak, Javanese came to Kuching areas in the 1900s. The migration of Javanese to Malaysia, whether in Peninsula or Sarawak, has changed many aspects of people in this region in terms of culture, custom, socio-economy and language. She further stated that records have shown that the ancient Javanese language was first used in Sukabumi inscriptions in 804 AD. Nurul Aznina and Sharifah Raihan (2017) documented that there are countless Javanese speakers in Peninsula Malaysia, especially in the west coast states like Johor, Selangor, and Perak. As for Sarawak, not much study has been done and there is no record of the numbers of Javanese speakers in this region. Borneo International Journal eISSN 2636-9826; Vol. 6 (4); 2023; 25-30;
Niah- Bidayuh Connection?
Can we connect?
Dr Franca Cole recently gave a lecture at the Borneo Museum for the Friends of the Sarawak Museum. She stated in her observation of 126,000 pottery shards that there were not enough shards to make a whole pot. A person in the audience stated that Bisingai Bidayuh have a similar funeral practice. I could not turn around fast enough to see who was speaking. I have found a connection in the literature(Nuek: A Dayak Bidayuh Community Rituals, Ceremonies and Festivals Kuching, p. 90) Could there be a connection between the two groups? Furthermore, I have been searching for the origin of the Bidayuh. Dr. Cole has not returned my e-mails.
Volcanic Eruptions
Big Bang changes places
It has been suggested that a volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in 536 caused massive global cooling after that date. Now, researchers have concluded the eruption occurred in El Salvador at the Ilpongo volcanic site. This would negate the explosion of Krakatoa and the subsequent events that followed as proposed by David Keys and supported by us. (Sahari and McLaughlin) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.07.037
Snakes
Snake eats squirrel forced to give up meal
On 16 August 2022 at 15:50 h, we observed a male Red Tailed Rat Snake (G. oxycephalum) feeding on a Plantain squirrel (Callosciurus notatus) at the Santubong National Park, Kuching, Sarawak. The snake fell from the canopy to the forest floor. After falling, the snake remained wrapped around the squirrel’s midsection. Then the snake tightened its hold and began to eat the squirrel head first. It took 12 minutes to completely eat the squirrel. The snake was captured and forced to regurgitate the squirrel, and a snip of the snake’s tail was snipped for DNA research purposes. Herpetology Notes, volume 16: 855-857 (2023) (published online on 25 November 2023)
Tourist Experience
Not sure what it is but know it’s all good
There has been a proposal to establish an “augmented reality system” at the Sarawak Cultural Village. Tourists can visit interesting areas and explore their surroundings while AR technology displays information and material relevant to them. Journal of Information and Knowledge Management (JIKM) Volume 13 Number 2 (2023)
Orangutan
and things are getting worse
