New Species
Two new species of Fanged Frog from South Eastern Borneo have been made known to science. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.3.3
New Species
Two new species of tropical blueberry from central Sabah have been discovered. From the person who discovered the plants: Blueberries are edible and quite tasty and are sold to kedai’s in the Philippines. However, use in Sabah and Sarawak is unknown. The berries from the newly discovered plants have not yet been eaten by the researcher. They are related to the blueberries I picked in the forests of Virginia as a child. Sandakania 25 2024
New Species
In a saltwater cave in Sipadan, Sabah, a new species of a tiny three-segmented crustacean has been discovered using light to attract the small animal. (Pseudocyclopidae, Sipadantonius roihani gen. et sp. nov.) Zookeys 1219 303-329
New Species
A new species and genus of bagworm moth from Sabah has been made known. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.1
New Species
From the upper reaches of the Temburong River in Brunei, a new species of catfish has been made known to science. 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.3
Chinese in Brunei
This paper uses the Teng Yun Temple as a case study to explore how Chinese associations in Brunei maintain and preserve their culture in a country dominated by Islam and Malay culture. 10.6163/TJEAS.202412_21(2).0004
New Book
A new book “The Spanish Pacific Vol 2” has been published by Amsterdam Press for $150.00. It has only one article pertaining to Borneo “Francisco de Combs’s History of Mindano and Jolo” by Ana M. Rodríguez. I have begged her for a copy of the article and will share it when I receive it.
Gas, Oil and Sarawak
The arguments on who owns the oil and gas fields off the coast of Sarawak are fully explored. The author’s conclusions state Sarawak’s claim on the state’s jurisdiction over the continental shelf and oil and gas cannot be based on past pre-nation and colonial times. Rather, Malaysia own the oil rights but Sarawak can use historical evidence to increase the royalty beyond the 5%. A Rahman Tang Abdullah. Sarawak alteration of boundaries of 1954: Revisiting Sarawak’s claim on petroleum deposits on the continental shelf. Kajian Malaysia (Early view)
Borneo Ground-Cuckoo
The first recorded observations of the bird since 2010 were made in various Brunei national parks. Uniquely, the cuckoo seems to be associated with bearded pigs as the pigs root the bird searches and find bugs in the pig-disturbed soil. The cuckoo is a lowland specialist favouring swampy and river areas visited by pigs. BirdingASIA 41 (2024):37–47
Mammals in Central Borneo
Central Kalimantan is a diverse mosaic of tropical heath (kerangas) and peat swamp forests. This research shows the first detection of the otter-civet and many lesser mouse deer and muntjac. Hunted species like the bearded pig and sambar deer were rarely encountered indicating overhunting. DOI:10.47605/tapro.v13i2.335
Ferns
There are many species of ferns in the lower parts of Mt. Kinabalu. However, as one goes up the mountain and temperatures cool there are fewer species. These species have evolved to live in cooler regions, and, therefore, could have spread to colder regions of the earth. doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcaf013
Pregnancy and Birthing in Proboscis Monkeys
The signs of labour noted were the female appearing to be anxious shortly before birth and often showing posture characteristics such as standing, squatting, and crouching repeatedly. The birth occurred at 10.00 P.M and with a duration of approximately 30 minutes. The four stages of the delivery process were dilatation of the cervix, delivery, pushing out of the placenta, and recovery. The other delivery behaviour was reaching, licking the hand, and consuming the placenta. doi.org/10.1063/5.0250299
Civets
Civets (family Viverridae) are common species openly sold in southeast Asia’s wildlife markets where they are sold for civet coffee, as luxury meat, and as exotic pets. In the pet market, home breeding is allowed by the Indonesian government. However, the acquisition of civets with different coat colours and combinations has been in demand for the pet trade. Whilst commercial civet breeding could provide an alternative supply chain of civet pets than wild harvesting, data here shows that civets from protected species and populations are being illegally harvested from multiple island locations.doi.org/10.1007/s44338-025-00050-5
Borneo Banded Langur
This critically endangered animal has not been well studied. This study observed the social interaction with the environment. The observations included resting, moving, feeding and vocalizing but not grooming, playing or mating. doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e124196
Sunda Shelf and Macaques
During the Pleistocene, the Sunda shelf was drowned by water and then remerged many times. The long-tailed macaques scampered across this bridge before it submerged again. One population on the eastern side of bridge changed and evolved. The researchers discovered new genetic material which tells how the monkeys changed and evolved compared to the monkeys on the western side. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23235
BorneoHistory.Net
