Animals

Animals

There are about 210 mammal species in the country. Over 620 species of birds have been recorded in Peninsular Malaysia, with many endemic to the mountains there. A high number of endemic bird species are also found in Malaysian Borneo. 250 reptile species have been recorded in the country, with about 150 species of snakes and 80 species of lizards. There are about 150 species of frogs, and thousands of insect species. Malaysia's exclusive economic zone is 1.5 times larger than its land area, and some of its waters are in the Coral Triangle, a biodiversity hotspot. The waters around Sipadan island are the most biodiverse in the world. Bordering East Malaysia, the Sulu Sea is a biodiversity hotspot, with around 600 coral species and 1200 fish species. 

Moonrat - Night Stinker

 Native to Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo and Myanmar; the moonrat is a species of mammal that has gained fame for a less than flattering reason: it is known for its extremely pungent smell, which has a much higher ammonia content than that of most other mammals. Although they have “rat” in their name and appear rodent-like, they are not that closely related to rodents. The “moon” part or their name probably comes from their mostly white, nighttime appearance. With their beady eyes, they probably aren't going to win any beauty contests.
Moonrats are around 13-16 inches (320-400 millimeters) long and weigh up to about 2.2 pounds (1 kg). They are nocturnal, sleeping away the day and hunting and feeding at night; surviving on worms, insects, crabs, frogs, fish, fruit, and any other small invertebrate that they can find in moist areas.
Moonrats are terrestrial, living in burrows, roots and logs. They prefer to inhabit swamp lands and other moist areas where their preferred food source can be found. These mammals are territorial and solitary, only choosing not to be alone when it is time to mate. In order to mark territory, the moonrat will release a stronger secretion at the edge of the area they inhabit. They will also hiss at predators or rivals they come across in their area. They generally live for up to five years and are kept as pets in some parts of the world. Hopefully, pet owners have a way of minimizing the stinky odor. One tribe in Borneo is known to have used and traded them for meat as well.

Malay Eagle Owl - Ear Tufts and Brown Eyes

The eagle owls are the largest of owls but within that group the barred eagle owl or the the Malay eagle owl is on the smaller side. It does have prominent ear tufts and large powerful talons, trademarks of the eagle owls. If fact, the Malay eagle owl's large, sideways pointing ear tufts and dark brown eyes are its most recognizable features. It also has barred coloration and a light-colored breast and undersides.
The owl has a very large range and its contries of residence include Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar and Thailand. The prefer the tropical forests by rivers. As for food, although they are large raptors, they prefer small prey like the abundant large insects (grasshoppers and beetles) available in the region as well as some small rodents, birds and snakes
The owls usually mate for life and the females use the 
 same nest location every year and lays only one egg each time

Proboscis Monkey - One Big Nose

With a length of 30 inches (76 centimeters) and an average weight of 44 pounds (20 kg), and known for the size of its nose (which hangs below its mouth in the males of the species), the proboscis monkey (also known as the "Dutch Monkey") is an Old World Monkey that can only be found on Southeast Asian island of Borneo (an island that contains the nations of Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia). The female's nose is not nearly so large. Also noted for its pot belly and webbed toes, the proboscis monkey lives primarily along coasts and rivers; never living more than a kilometer away from a water source.
In terms of habitat, it prefers dipterocarp forests, mangrove forests, riverine forests, swamp forests, rubber forests, limestone hill forests, nipa swamps, nibong swamps, tropical forests, and cliffs. The proboscis monkey is also known for its prowess as a swimmer, as it's capable of swimming 65 feet (20 meters) when completely submerged. However, it's primarily arboreal and spends most of its time swinging through trees.
A folivore (eats foliage) and a frugivore (eats fruit), the proboscis monkey survives off at least 55 different plant strains, and prefers to eat overly mature leaves and unripe fruit. Despite its ability to evade danger via tree climbing and swimming, the proboscis still has plenty of predators, including crocodiles, clouded leopards, eagles, monitor lizards, and pythons. The proboscis monkey is a very intelligent species, and is thus capable of various forms of communication. They make honks to communicate group cohesion, honk to get the attention of infants, honk to reassure one another. You know with that nose they had to be honkers! They also emit alarm calls to signal danger, make threat calls, emit calls of agitation, roar and snarl during antagonistic encounters, and shake branches or bare-teeth to show aggression. Unfortunately, as a result of habitat loss and hunting, the proboscis monkey is currently listed as an endangered species, and is thus the subject of conservation efforts.

Asian Golden Cat - Widespread but Threatened Southeast Asian Cat

The Asian Golden Cat, also known as Temminck's Golden Cat (named for Cooenrad Jaccob Temminck, the Dutch zoologist who first described the similar African Golden Cat in 1827), can be found throughout Southeast Asia; ranging from Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh, Southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Sumatra. The cat prefers dry deciduous forests, subtropical evergreen forest, and tropical rainforests where the environments offer them access to forest habitats that have the occasional rocky area. Asian golden cats can also be found at higher altitudes, as photos have been taken of them living almost 13,000 feet (3,960 m) above sea-level.
Although Asian golden cats resemble domestic cats in facial structure, they are much more heavily built. They have a body length of up to 41 inches (105 cm), and weigh up to 35 lbs (16 kg), which is roughly three times the size of a house cat. The coat tends to be of uniform color, but can range from red to golden brown, dark brown to pale cinnamon, gray to black, and even have stripes or spots.
Originally believed to be nocturnal, the Asian golden cat is actually most active from dawn until dusk, and will often sleep during the night time hours. They are also both territorial and solitary, marking territories that have been observed to be as large as 18.4 square miles (47.7 sq. km). Like domestic cats, they have the ability to climb trees, and will do so when hunting birds, rodents, and reptiles; they are also known to hunt muntjacs, small sambar deer, water buffalo calves, and ghoral
Asian golden cats are capable of vocalizations such as hissing, spitting, meowing, purring, growling, and gurgling, and will use them to communicate along with scent marking, urine spraying, raking trees and logs with their claws, and the rubbing of their heads against objects or each other. Unfortunately, they are classified as “near threatened” and must be protected if their species is to continue on.