List of food plants of four sympatric Paradoxuriane civet species based on eight-year records on Borneo

Abstract

In this paper, I summarize the plant foods used by four sympatric Paradoxurinae civet species, based on data collected between May 2010 and June 2018, and consider their possible coexistence mechanisms on Borneo. I recorded the plants eaten by them, both by direct observation and fecal analysis, at four sites in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. In total, I recorded 27, 27, 18, and 4 plant food items for common palm civets Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, binturongs Arctictis binturong, small-toothed palm civets Arctogalidia trivirgata, and masked palm civets Paguma larvata, respectively during the study period. The food plant species used by these species studied showed a large degree of overlap, especially among common palm civets, binturongs, and small-toothed palm civets. Based on the results of this study, differences among them in their degree of use of pioneer plant fruits and Ficus, and the acceptance of immature and unripe fruits, could enable these civets to coexist, even in a small area. However, there is no clear evidence for how they are able to coexist. This eight-year record is not enough to fully determine dietary similarities and dissimilarities or the coexistence mechanism of the four sympatric Paradoxurinae species on Borneo. More field observations with mechanical and chemical techniques are needed, not only to elucidate this mechanism but also to consider conservation of these animals and their habitats in a changing environment on Borneo.