Ôîðóì » Foreign section » Fauna and Flora of Borneo and nearby islands » Îòâåòèòü
Fauna and Flora of Borneo and nearby islands
JOrnitho: Some time ago, I talked with Àâòîð about Borneo and I learned that there wasn’t many species described for this area. Then I proposed the lembu, a large descendant of the goat. The description of this species was approved. Since then, I had ideas for other animals living here and decided to create this thread. We could discuss ideas for this island here and if someone else have suggestions of creatures to Borneo, they can post here too. I'll start with a carnivore and a herbivore: [more]Borneo wild dog (Canis borneensis) Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Habitat: Forests of Borneo A descendant of the domestic dog (Canis domesticus), the Borneo wild dog forms clans, rather than packs, to attack large preys. The Borneo wild dog is similar to the modern gray wolf but is distinguished by its smaller size, lighter weight, more elongated torso, less-prominent forehead, shorter legs and a muzzle that is narrower and more pointed. An adult female have 46 cm of length, while the slightly larger male have 54 cm. Their fur is reddish-brown. The throat, chest, flanks, and belly and the upper parts of the limbs are less brightly colored, and are more dark brown in tone. The lower parts of the limbs are black. The muzzle and forehead are greyish-brown. The tail is very fluffy, and is mainly of a reddish-brown color, with a black tip. Bornean wild dogs’ clans frequently break into small packs of 3–5 animals, particularly during the spring season, this way they can disperse to catch more young herbivores. The dominant dogs do not engage in dominance displays as modern wolves, though other clan members will show submissive behaviour toward them. Fights between members of the same group are rare. Their clans can have 6-30 individuals and urinate to mark their territory and travel routes. This canid digs simple dens and avoids killing prey close to them. Bornean wild dogs are primarily diurnal hunters, hunting in the early hours of the morning. They rarely hunt nocturnally, except on moonlit nights, indicating they greatly rely on sight when hunting. Although not a much fast animal, they can chase their prey for many hours. During a pursuit, one or more dog may take over chasing their prey, while the rest of the pack keeps up at a steadier pace behind, taking over once the other group tires. Most chases are short, lasting only 500 m. The Bornean wild dog frequently drives their prey into water bodies, where the targeted animal's movements are hindered. The dominant pair is generally monogamous, they usually remain together for life. The gestation period lasts 59 to 63 days, with litter sizes averaging 4–6 pups. Pups are suckled for at least one month. During this time, the pack feeds the mother at the den site. Once weaning begins, the adults of the clan will regurgitate food for the pups until they are old enough to join in hunting. They remain at the den site 70–80 days. By the age of six months, pups accompany the adults on hunts, and will assist in killing large prey by the age of eight months. Maximum longevity is of 16 years. Elegant deer (Gracilicervus insularis) Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae Habitat: Forests of Borneo A descendant of the barking deer (Muntjac), the Elegant deer have this name because of their elegant build. They have a slim body and long neck and legs and lives in the forests of Borneo. The elegant deer coat is golden tan on the dorsal side and white on the ventral side of the body, the limbs are dark brown to reddish brown, and the face is dark brown. The fawn is spotted. Like their ancestors, the males of the species have tusk-like upper canine teeth. Their typical head-and-body length is about 103 to 115 cm. They stand up to about 70 to 80 cm. The male also have two-tined antlers. This species is an omnivore, eating grass, fruits, shoots, seeds, and birds' eggs, as well as small invertebrates. It can reach higher branches and twigs by standing erect on its hindlegs and elongating its neck; this helps it reach over for leaves and fruits. When in danger, it will do an alert sound similar to the barking sound of their ancestors. The elegant deer forms harems, comprising a dominant male, three adult females and their offspring of the previous and the present year, the young males form “bachelor herds” until they reach maturity. The gestation period is seven to eight months and they usually bear one offspring at a time, but sometimes produce twins. Females usually give birth in dense growth so that they are hidden from the rest of the herd and predators. Weaning is completed at around 7 months and at around 12 months the fawn is independent, the young males are banished from its mother herd after one year. Adult males often fight between one another for possession of a harem of females, using their antlers or their tusk-like upper canine teeth. Elegant deer show no evidence of a specific breeding season within the species. Reaching sexual maturity with 3 years, the elegant deer have a lifespan of 17 to 20 years.[/more]
JOrnitho: I finished the description for the descendant of the Philippine mouse-deer. Three-horned deer (Amplitragulus tricornis) The human actions during the Holocene caused the decline of many species. However some species survived and in the Neocene they gave rise to new species. One of these new species is the three-horned deer. Despite its appearance, this mammal wasn’t a descendant of the true deer of the Cervidae Family. Their ancestor was the Philippine mouse-deer (Tragulus nigricans). This species is endemic to the forests of the Philippine Archipelago. The three-horned deer have 70 cm of length and 35 cm of height. The males of this species developed a pair of cone shaped horns located over its eyes. Growing over its snout, they have a cone shaped osseous structure that grows during their lives. Oldest the male, bigger is the structure. Both the horns and it are used by them in intraspecific fights. The females lack any of these structures, being more similar to their ancestors. Both males and females have long, tusk-like canines that they use to root through soil and undergrowth for food and for self-defense. Their fur on the upper part of its body and head is jet black. On the sides and in the legs, the fur is orangish-brown. Their underbelly is pale, being near white. This species feeds on leaves, flowers, and other vegetation in the dense forest undergrowth. Sometimes they will also ingest insects. Having a preference for forage during the crepuscule, it'll spend most of the day taking shelter in the dense primary and secondary forests. At sundown, it will wander into more open areas to feed. They will also visit the seashore in search of food, with some small crustaceans living in the sand being possible food. Differently from their solitary ancestors, the three-horned deer lives in small groups formed by a dominant male and two to three females. The males are very territorial, marking their territory and their mates with secretions from an intermandibular scent gland that is exclusive for them and is located under their chin. This territorial marking usually includes urinating or defecating to mark their area. While foraging, they maintain vigilance over the females. In case of predators, these animals beat their hooves quickly against the ground, creating a “drum roll” sound. They will also emit a shrill cry. The breeding season of the three-horned deer starts at the middle of the dry season. The females have the potential to be pregnant throughout most of their adult life, and they are capable of conceiving 147 minutes after giving birth. The gestation period usually lasts 144 days. Typical litters consist of a single fawn, with twins being rare. The precocial young are capable of standing within 30 minutes after birth. Fawns are capable of eating solid food within two weeks, yet it takes around 12 weeks to completely wean. On average, it takes the young, both male and female, 5 months to reach sexual maturity. When this happens, the males are expelled from the herd by the dominant male. The females remain for some more time, but leave the herd to join another one. The young males become wanderers, seeking females to establish a new herd or to defeat a dominant male to take possession of one. However, their horns only have enough size to challenge others in a fight after they reach 1 year. Three-horned deer have a lifespan of 14 years, but many are killed early by predators such as the great crested eagle and the giant chuchunder (provisory name for the shrew's descendant).
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Good one!
JOrnitho: I made the description of the predator descendant of the asian house shrew. I'm still unsure about its common and scientific names. Anyone have a better suggestion? I think that they could have their own family with another genus of weasel-sized shrews also living in the Philippines. Does it seems plausible? Giant chuchunder (Chuchunder ferox) The human actions during the Holocene caused the decline of many species. However some species survived and in the Neocene they gave rise to new species. One of these new species is the giant chuchunder. This species is a descendant of the Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus), which had been introduced by the man in the Philippines during the Holocene. The word chuchunder was the name of its ancestor in India. This species is endemic to the forests of the Philippine Archipelago. The giant chuchunder have 70 cm of body length and a tail of 20 cm, with males being slightly larger than the females. Their fur is chestnut-brown, with a white underbelly. They have black stripes across its back, rump and the base of its tail. The chuchunder's skull is large, with molars that became similar to carnassials of true members of the Carnivora Order. Rather than having canines, they developed long and sharp incisors. However, their jaws are weak, incapable of breaking bones. They have long forelimbs, while their hind ones are shorter. Their eyes are small compared to the size of the head. Due to that, they don't have good vision, but it's compensated by a developed sense of smell and hearing. Like their ancestors, these animals also feed on insects. However, their adapted teeth and size allow them to be efficient predators. Carrion is also consumed. The chuchunder also has venom, which is produced in the grooves of their teeth. Thanks to this adaptation, these animals can kill larger prey, such as the three-horned deer. They aren’t fast to run after their prey for long periods of time, using ambushes to take them by surprise. To kill, the giant chuchunder will bite in the neck to perforate the arteries with its incisors or apply bites at the prey's legs or sides to inject their venom. Then, they search the dead prey through their sense of smell. These animals need to be careful hunting, or they can end up being killed and eaten by the great crested eagle. This species is solitary, with the males having a large territory, with that of the females being located inside it. Inside the territory of a male, there can be at least four females. Intraspecific fights between males happen because of territory, being very gruesome. Interactions between males and females are rare, with it only being common during the mating season. After 64 days of gestation a litter of two to five young is born. The cubs are blind and deaf at birth. Their ear canals open after around 15 days, a few days before their eyes open for the first time. At this age they begin to explore outside the den, consuming solid food for the first time after six weeks. After this point, their mother suckles them with decreasing frequency and they are totally weaned by 16 weeks. They leave their mother within two months. While many females will stay close to the home range of their mother and thus inside the territory of their father, males are forced to move away. They reach sexual maturity with four months and they have a lifespan of 9 years.
wovoka: Good descprition! JOrnitho ïèøåò: chuchunder I remembered Rudyard Kipling's Chuchundra.
JOrnitho: wovoka ïèøåò: I remembered Rudyard Kipling's Chuchundra. Yes! It's the Asian house shrew, the ancestor of the chuchunder.
Áèîëîã: JOrnitho Good! Wovoka, the same association.
wovoka: Bestiary of island Tawi-Tawi (Sulu Archipelago). 1. Didiki gagaq (very small crow in Sama language) - the littlest corvid of neocene 7 cm (descendent of Cissa jefferyi) endemic of Sulu Archipelago (eating very small insects, small seeds and berries and drinking flower nectar). 2. Tangnga gagaq (middle-sized crow in Sama language) - descendent of Cissa jefferyi fill the niche similar to that of South America's Dendrocolaptini birds. The beak is very similar to that of some species. Endemic of Borneo, Sulu Archipelago and Palawan island. Jornitho write: We could even have an entire genus of corvids adapted to that lifestyle living in Asia! 3. Didiki tobba (very small hawk in Sama language) - descendent of Accipiter gularis will hunting both birds. Or take Platysmurus leucopterus (then name will be Tobba gagaq - hawk crow in Sama language). Or Elanus caeruleus then the name will be Lalayah (kite in Sama language) If it will be hawk: 4. Boboq - descendant of Lobopterella dimidiatipes (Boboq - cocroach in Sama language) second bird will eat (cocroach will become a pollinator of Mimusops elengi in the evening time). cocroaches can be pollinators of plants https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5288189_Cockroaches_as_Pollinators_of_Clusia_aff_sellowiana_Clusiaceae_on_Inselbergs_in_French_Guiana https://botany.one/2020/11/cockroaches-the-main-pollinator-of-a-rare-chinese-flower/ 5. Kamande (berry in Sama language) - descendent of Mimusops elengi both birds will eat berries (first will eat nectar). 6. Sisil (mosquito in Sama language) descendent of Aedes albopictus. First bird will eat. 7. Tetea (wasp in Sama language) descendent of Rhynchium haemorroidale (will eat nectar, berries, by caterpillars will feed it's larvae, could try try to hunt first bird), First bird will try to hunt it. 8. Pepedo (butterfly in Sama language) descendant of Troides miranda or Hasora mixta / imago will it nectar, caterpillar -will eat leaves of Mimusops elengi second bird will hunt butterflies and caterpillars. 9. Tikus (rat in Sama language) descendant of Rattus exulans will eat eggs of birds, cocroaches, caterpillars, berries, seeds. third bird will hunt it. Decided to make some variants of rat 1. 2. 3. 10. Soa (snake in Sama language) descendent of Ptyas carinata (Keeled Rat Snake) will eat rat and birds and eggs of predatory bird. some variants of snake 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 11 Padah (grass in Sama language) descendent of Echinochloa crus-galli (the best variant) or Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum or Paspalum scrobiculatum or Rottboellia cochinchinensis or Coix lacryma-jobi.
ìåäâåäü: Interesting bestiary!
wovoka: ìåäâåäü ïèøåò: Interesting bestiary! Thank you!
JOrnitho: Very good species!
wovoka: JOrnitho ïèøåò: Very good species! Thank you! What color of rat is better?
ëÿãóøêà: wovoka What color of rat is better? I think that first rat has the best coloration.
wovoka: ëÿãóøêà ïèøåò: I think that first rat has the best coloration. I think so too. That's why I posted it first
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