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New World
Newly Discovered Species in the Heart of Borneo
Dendrelaphis haasi, a new snake species
discovered in 2008
© Gernot Vogel
Cover photos: Main / View of Gunung Kinabalu, Sabah © Eric in S F (sic); © A.Shapiro (WWF-US). Based on NASA, Visible Earth,
Inset photos from left to right / Rhacophorus belalongensis © Max Dehling; ESRI, 2008 data sources.
Dendrobium lohokii © Amos Tan; Dendrelaphis kopsteini © Gernot Vogel.
A declaration of support for
biodiversity
In February 2007, an historic Declaration to conserve the Heart of Borneo, an area covering
220,000km2 of irreplaceable rainforest on the world’s third largest island, was officially signed
between its three governments – Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia.
That single ground breaking decision taken by the three WWF’s Heart of Borneo Initiative
governments to safeguard one of the most biologically
rich and diverse habitats on earth, was a massive To support the efforts of the three governments, WWF
visionary step. Its importance is underlined by the launched a large scale conservation initiative, one that
number and diversity of species discovered in the Heart spans the local-to-global spectrum.
of Borneo since the Declaration was made.
At the local and national level, the three governments
Scientists have discovered more than 123 new species have mapped out a course of conservation and
in the Heart of Borneo area during the past 3 years – an management of the Heart of Borneo around five 1
average of more than 3 new species per month. These pillars of protected area, trans-boundary and
fascinating finds include the world’s longest known stick sustainable natural resource management, eco-tourism
insect, a flame-coloured snake and a colour-changing and capacity building.
frog. In total, 67 plants, 29 invertebrates, 17 fish, five
frogs, three snakes and two lizards and a brand new WWF is supporting these efforts in all three countries,
species of bird have been discovered (see Appendix). working very closely with government agencies to turn
the paper declaration into tangible on-ground action,
Heart of Borneo – heart of biodiversity district by district, region by region, to fulfil the
conservation promise of the Heart of Borneo Declaration.
The Heart of Borneo is a global treasure teeming with
unique and extraordinary life. Once described by Charles Internationally,WWF is using its global network to focus
Darwin as “one great luxuriant hothouse made by nature efforts to support the Declaration through its Heart of
for herself”, this island within an island is home to 10 Borneo (HoB) Initiative. Amongst its many other
primate species, more than 350 bird species, and 150 activities, WWF is working with key regional forums
reptiles and amphibian species. In addition, a staggering such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
10,000 plant species are sheltered by the region’s (ASEAN) and regional institutions such as the Asian
rainforests. Development Bank (ADB) to leverage support for
delivering on the HoB commitments.
Numbering among Borneo’s more than 200 species of
mammal are elephants, orang-utans, clouded leopard and Other HoB Initiative activities include the establishment
rhinoceros, co-existing here in one of the last strongholds of a ‘Green Business Network’ to raise awareness in the
remaining for these charismatic species. private sector of the vital role it can play in delivering
conservation and sustainable development to the HoB.
Although the habitats inside the Heart of Borneo are With an estimated 50% of land within current HoB
certainly exceptional they are also some of the least boundaries in private hands, the private sector is crucial
explored. As the last 3 years of independent scientific to ensuring sustainable land use.
discovery has proven, new forms of life continue to be
unearthed and the future promise of more discoveries is In order to achieve the far-reaching commitments
a tantalising one for the next generation of researchers to envisaged in the HoB Declaration, the HoB Initiative also
contemplate. The challenge is to ensure that these recognises that long-term financing schemes, equitably
precious landscapes are still intact for future generations. shared amongst stakeholders, need to be developed.
Several financing mechanisms are being explored,
The Heart of Borneo Declaration is proving to be a major including Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and
driver of conservation and sustainable development Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation
in the region and sets forth a framework of action for (REDD) to provide incentives to practice sustainable
Borneo’s threatened species and equatorial rainforest land use and encourage the implementation of
through a network of protected areas and responsibly conservation measures.
managed forests.
a closer look at the new discoveries...
© Gernot Vogel
2
© Orang Asli
Only three specimens of this extraordinary creature have When threatened, the Kopstein’s bronzeback has the
ever been found, all of them from the Heart of Borneo. ability to flare its nape, revealing bright orange
Borneo has long been known as an exciting hub for colours. Like most Dendrelaphis species, the
monster insects, not least the giant cockroaches that Kopstein’s bronzeback has an aggressive disposition
measure 10cm in length and were only discovered in the with a painful bite. In the wild, many inhabit trees
Heart of Borneo in 2004. and they hunt frogs and lizards.
Phobaeticus chani was selected as one of “The Top 10 The scientists who discovered this snake, Gernot
New Species” described in 2008 by The International Vogel and Johan van Rooijen, named the snake in
Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State honour of Felix Kopstein, an Austrian physician and
University and an international committee of herpetologist. Some weeks after the publication of
taxonomists2. this species, Gernot received a telephone call from
the Netherlands. The person introduced himself as
Peter Kopstein, the son of Felix Kopstein. He was 82
and wanted to express his thanks for the late honour
of his father, who died when Peter was young. Gernot
and Felix subsequently exchanged several letters4.
© Stefan Hertwig
© Stefan Hertwig
© Peter O’Byrne
© Richard Webster
4
© CK Yeo
A remarkably striking zebra-striped fish was officially A new bird species, the ‘Spectacled Flowerpecker’, was
described in 20087. The eight-banded barb, as it is recently discovered in the Danum Valley Conservation
commonly-called, has been mostly recorded from the Area, Sabah, in the Heart of Borneo8.
middle Kapuas between the towns of Sanggau and
Putussibau, Kalimantan, in the Heart of Borneo. Scientists observed the bird while walking along a 250m
canopy-walkway and very quickly realised they were on
One of 17 fish discovered in the Heart of Borneo in recent the verge of discovering something very significant.
years, the eight-banded barb measures around 3.6cm, and
typically inhabits slow-moving, shallow, shady rainforest The bird is an attractive grey colour with bright white
streams and swamps. The water in this habitat type is arcs above and below the eye, a white throat extending
often murky, with substrate composed of mud or fallen as a broad white stripe down the centre of the belly, and
leaves, twigs and branches. Such environments are also white tufts at the breast sides. The name given to the
often dimly-lit due to the rainforest canopy above. species refers to the bird’s prominent eye-rings.
The fish were found sheltering among overhanging tree The finding is all the more surprising given its location
roots and aquatic vegetation. It is noted as something of a in Danum Valley, where a scientific research station
shy, reluctant feeder. has been in operation since 1986. Scientists believe the
species is a canopy specialist, inhabiting and feeding off
fruits in the high trees. The species very rarely ventures
below the canopy, explaining why the bird has only just
been found.
As a result of the Heart of Borneo declaration, 58 per Perhaps the rarest of the extensive invertebrate species
cent of Brunei Darussalam’s national territory will fall group are slugs which, according to scientists, are
under some level of environmental protection, good infrequently encountered. At great altitudes on Borneo,
news for new species such as the Belalong tree frog, several rare and highly endemic species appear to exist,
Rhacophorus belalongensis, discovered in 20089. This including one new colourful green and yellow species,
species was discovered in the Sungai Belalong basin Ibycus rachelae, described from Sabah, Malaysia, in the
in the Temburong district, hence its name, and it is Heart of Borneo10. Discovered on leaves in primary
miniature: males barely measure more than 3cm and montane forest at altitudes up to 1,900m on Gunung
females usually less than 3.8cm species. The species Kinabalu, the species has a particularly long tail, three
was encountered in the rainforests of Brunei, where times the length of its head, with a body length of 4cm.
it was found on vegetation next to small, fast-flowing According to scientists, the slug has the habit of wrapping
creeks at heights between one and three metres above the long tail around its body when resting.
the ground. Scientists also heard the frog calling from
the very tops of trees up to 10m high. From the Ariophantidae family, this unusual species
makes use of so-called ‘love darts’ in courtship. Made of
calcium carbonate, the love dart is harpoon-like which
pierces and injects a hormone into a mate, and may play
a role in increasing the chances of reproduction. Many
more new species of slug and land snail have been
collected in the Heart of Borneo recently but await
official scientific description11.
a closer look at the new discoveries...
© Andrea Lucky
© Daisy Wowor
The new prawn is tiny, measuring barely more than one The discovery of this species is highly significant as it has
centremetre in length and it differs from similar species expanded the known range of the genus to include
by having a greater number of teeth. Southeast Asia. Prior to this publication, no Lordomyrma
had been described from the area bounded by New
Several other new species of freshwater prawn from Guinea to the south and Japan to the north.
Borneo are currently awaiting official scientific
description14. Although often perceived as insignificant, invertebrates
play very important roles in ecology.
© Christopher Austin
© David Bickford
7
Subtotal 5
Reptiles
Anomochilus monticola Das, Lakim, Lim & Hui 2008 Gunung Kinabalu Park, Ranau District, Sabah, Malaysia
Dendelaphis kopsteini Vogel & van Rooijen 2007 Borneo-wide
Dendrelaphis haasi Vogel & van Rooijen 2008 Borneo-wide
Lipinia inexpectata Das & Austin 2007 Kapit Division, Sarawak
Luperosaurus sorok Das, Lakim & Kandaung 2008 Crocker Range Park, Sabah
Subtotal 5
8 Birds
‘Spectacled Flowerpecker’ (awaiting Edwards, Webster & Rowlett 2009 Danum Valley, Sabah
formal scientific naming)
Subtotal 1
Fish
Pangio lidi Hadiaty & Kottelat 2009 Belayan River in the Mahakam drainage
Eirmotus insignis Tan & Kottelat 2008 Kapuas drainage in Kalimantan Barat
Eirmotus isthmus Tan & Kottelat 2008 Mentaya drainage, Central Kalimantan
Homaloptera batek Tan 2009 Upper Mahakam basin in East Kalimantan
Kottelatlimia hipporhynchos Kottelat & Tan 2008 Kahayan, Sampit and Kapuas basins
Lobocheilos erinaceus Kottelat & Tan 2008 Danum Valley, Sabah
Lobocheilos ixocheilos Kottelat & Tan 2008 Kapuas drainage in Kalimantan, Borneo
Lobocheilos ovalis Kottelat & Tan 2008 Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah
Lobocheilos tenura Kottelat & Tan 2008 Kapuas drainage in Kalimantan
Lobocheilos terminalis Kottelat & Tan 2008 Kinabatangan and Segama drainages in Sabah, Borneo
Lobocheilos unicornis Kottelat & Tan 2008 Segama drainage in Danum Valley, Sabah
Nanobagrus immaculatus Ng 2008 Kahayan River drainage
Ompok supernus Ng 2008 Rungan River drainage in Kalimantan
Subtotal 17
Invertebrates
Aphelocheirus bruneiensis Zettel, Lane & Moore 2008 Brunei
Chinemesa uniannulata Redei 2007 Danum Valley, Sabah
Enigmocephala deinorhyncha Redei 2007 Kapit Division, Sarawak
Eriococcus szentivanyi Kozár & Williams 2009 Gunung Kinabalu, Sabah
Eulichas villosa Hájek 2009 Gunung Emas and Gunung Kinabalu
Foenobethylus bidentatus Várkonyi & Polaszek 2007 Brunei
Hoyicoccus hendersonae Kozár & Williams 2009 Gunung Kinabalu, Sabah
Subtotal 29
Plants
Alocasia infernalis Boyce 2007 Kapit Division, Sarawak
Alphonsea borneensis Turner 2009 Sintang, Central Kalimantan
Appendicula clemensiorum Wood 2008 Mount Kinabalu National Park
Appendicula tembuyukenensis Wood 2008 Mount Kinabalu National Park, Kota Belud District
Ascidieria maculiflora Wood 2008 Ulu Padas, Sipitang District
Boesenbergia imbakensis Sakai & Nagam. 2009 Imbak Canyon, Kinabatangan, Sabah
Boesenbergia laevivaginata Sakai & Nagam. 2009 Bario, Marudi District
Boesenbergia subulata Sakai & Nagam. 2009 Belait, Labi
Bulbophyllum aschemon Verm. & Lamb 2008 Kelabit Highlands
Bulbophyllum belliae Verm. & Lamb 2008 Mount Kinabalu National Park
Bulbophyllum belonaeglossum Verm. & Lamb 2008 Sabah
Bulbophyllum cyrtognomom Verm. & Lamb 2008 Crocker Range
Bulbophyllum haematostictum Verm. & Lamb 2008 Batu Punggul near Sepulot, Sabah
Bulbophyllum leptoglossum Verm. & Lamb 2008 Gunung Mulu National Park
Bulbophyllum retrorsum Verm. & Lamb 2008 Kinabalu National Park
Bulbophyllum rutilan Verm. & Lamb 2008 Long Pa Sia area, Sipitang District, Sabah
Bulbophyllum simii Verm. & Lamb 2008 Lanjak Entimau Protected Forest, Sarawak
Callicarpa argentii Bramley 2009 Gunung Meranti, Central Kalimantan
Chelonistele senagangensis Wood 2008 Ulu Senagang, Tenom District, Sabah
Cleisocentron gokusingii Wood & Lamb 2008 Mount Rimau near Long Pa Sia, Sipitang District, Sabah
Dendrobium cymbicallum P.O’Byrne & J.J.Wood 2007 Sipitang District
Dendrobium deflexilobum Wood & Lamb 2008 Crocker Range, Tambunan District
Dendrobium devogelii Wood 2008 Apo Kayan, between Long Ampung and Long Nawan,
Kalimantan
Dendrobium jamirusii Wood & Lamb 2008 Kalabakan area, Pensiangan District, Tawau Division
Dendrobium jiewhoei Wood & Chan 2008 Crocker Range, Tambunan District
Dendrobium lohokii Wood & Lamb 2008 Pensiangan District, Sabah
Dendrobium lumakuense Wood 2008 Mount Lumaku, Sipitang District, Sabah
Dendrobium montis-hosei Wood 2008 Hose Mountains, Kapit District, Sarawak
Dendrobium muluense Wood 2008 Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak
Dendrobium punbatuense Wood 2008 Pun Batu, Pensiangan District, Sabah
Species Scientist(s) Year Location
Dendrobium roseocalca Wood 2008 Crocker Range
Dendrobium sabahense Wood 2008 Batu Urun, Kinabatangan District, Sabah
Dendrobium serena-alexianum Wood & Lamb 2008 Foothills of Gunung Kinabalu
Dendrobium strongyloflorum Wood 2008 Kelabit Highland
Dendrobium tetrabrachium Wood 2008 Julau District, Sarawak
Dendrobium toppiorum Lamb & Wood 2008 Sipitang District, Sabah
Fissistigma brevistipitatum Turner 2009 Sungai Millian, Nabawan District, Interior Division, Sabah
Fissistigma bygravei Turner 2009 Babagon to Ulu Terian, Penampang District, West Coast
Division
Fissistigma carrii Turner 2009 Gunung Kinabalu
Fissistigma montanum Turner 2009 Pagon Ridge, Brunei
Friesodielsia formosa Turner 2009 Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, headwaters of S. Kahayan
Gardenia chanii Low 2007 Badas Forest Reserve, Belait District
Goniothalamus kamarudinii Turner & Saunders 2009 Gunung Kinabalu
Goniothalamus megalocalyx Turner & Saunders 2009 Extreme headwaters of Balleh River, western slope of Bukit
Tibang, Kapit District
10 Goniothalamus phaeotrichus Turner & Saunders 2009 Sungai Iban, Belaga District, Kapit Division
Homalomena ardua Boyce & Wong 2008 Mulu National Park, Sarawak
Homalomena striatieopetiolata Boyce & Wong 2008 Mulu National Park, Sarawak
Jejewoodia crockerensis Wood & Lamb 2008 Crocker Range
Liparis trifoliata Wood & Ormerod 2008 Gunung Kinabalu
Malleola honhoffii Schuit. & Vogel 2007 Kelabit Highlands
Mallotus connatus Aparicio 2007 Sintang, Kalimantan
Mycaranthes depauperata Wood 2008 Sipitang District, Sabah
Plagiostachys brevicalcarata Julius & Takano 2007 Ulu Kimanis, Crocker Range Park, Papar District
Plagiostachys longicaudata Julius & Takano 2007 Lahad Datu District, Danum Valley Conservation Area
Plagiostachys megacarpa Julius & Takano 2007 Ulu Kimanis, Crocker Range Park, Papar District
Plagiostachys roseiflora Julius & Takano 2007 Danum Valley Conservation Area, Lahad Datu District
Plagiostachys viridisepala Julius & Takano 2007 Kinabalu Park-Sayap, Kota Belud District
Polyalthia beamaniorum Turner 2008 Crocker Range, Keningau District
Polyalthia charitopoda Turner 2008 Bukit Telingan, Labi
Polyalthia miliusoides Turner 2008 Keningau District
Sarcoglyphis masiusii Miadin, A.L.Lamb & Emoi 2008 Tawau District, Sabah
Syzygium flagrimonte Ashton 2009 Gunung Api, Mulu National Park
Syzygium praestantilimbum Ashton 2009 Labi, Brunei
Syzygium tubiflorum Ashton 2009 Maliau Basin, Sabah
Thrixspermum erythrolomum O’Byrne & Verm. 2008 Tambunan District, Gunung Trus Madi, Sabah
Trichoglottis sitihasmahae Wood & Lamb 2008 Gunung Kinabalu, Sabah
Wendlandia tombuyukonensis Suzana, Pereira & Sugau 2008 Gunung Kinabalu Park, Ranau District, Sabah, Malaysia
Subtotal 67
Total 123
References
1
Hennemann, F.H.; Conle, O.V. (2008) Revision of Oriental Phasmatodea:
The tribe Pharnaciini Günther, 1953, including the description of the world's
longest insect, and a survey of the family Phasmatidae Gray, 1835 with keys
to the subfamilies and tribes (Phasmatodea: "Anareolatae": Phasmatidae).
Zootaxa, 1906: 1-316.
2
Top 10 New Species - 2009, International Institute for Species Exploration
at Arizona State University.
3
Vogel, G. & van Rooijen, J. (2007) A new species of Dendrelaphis
(Serpentes: Colubridae) from Southeast Asia. Zootaxa 1394: 25–45 (2007).
4
Per. comm. Gernot Vogel, Society for Southeast Asian Herpetology,
Heidelberg, Germany. 17 December 2009.
5
P.O'Byrne & J.J. Vermeulen (2008) Orchidaceae Thrixspermum
erythrolomum. Malesian Orchid J. 2: 56 (-58; figs. 1-2). 2008 [15 Aug
2008].
6
Dehling, M. (2008) A new treefrog (Anura: Rhacophoridae: Rhacophorus) 11
from Gunung Mulu, Borneo. Salamandra 44(4): 193–205.
7
Tan, H.H. and M. Kottelat (2008) Revision of the cyprinid fish genus
Eirmotus, with description of three new species from Sumatra and Borneo.
Raffles Bull. Zool. 56(2):423-433.
8
Edwards, David P.; Webster, Richard E.; & Rowlett, Rose Ann (2009).
“‘Spectacled Flowerpecker’: a species new to science discovered in
Borneo?”. BirdingASIA 12: 38–41.
9
Dehling, M., Grafe, U. (2008) A new treefrog of the genus Rhacophorus
(Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Brunei Darussalam (Borneo). Salamandra 44:
101–112.
10
Schilthuizen M., Liew T. S. (2008) The slugs and semislugs of Sabah,
Malaysian Borneo (Gastropoda, Pulmonata: Veronicellidae, Rathouisiidae,
Ariophantidae, Limacidae, Philomycidae). Basteria, 2008, vol. 72, no4-6, pp.
287-306 [20 page(s) (article)]. Netherlands Malacological Society, Leiden.
11
Per. comm. Prof. Dr. Menno Schilthuizen, National Museum of Natural
History 'Naturalis', Leiden, The Netherlands, 3 March 2009.
12
van Rooijen, J. & Vogel, G. (2008) Contributions to a review of the
Dendrelaphis pictus complex (Serpentes: Colubridae) - 1. Description of a
sympatric species. Amphibia-Reptilia, Volume 29, Number 1, 2008, pp.
101-115(15).
13
Daisy Wowor and John W Short (2007) Two new freshwater prawns of
the genus Macrobrachium Bate, 1868 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae)
from the Kelian River, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The Raffles Bulletin of
Zoology 2007 55(1): 77-87.
14
Per. comm. Dr Daisy Wowor, Division of Zoology, Research Center for
Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Jl. Raya Jakarta Bogor, Indonesia,
5 January 2010.
15
Andrea Lucky & Eli M. Sarnat (2008) New species of Lordomyrma
Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Southeast Asia and Fiji. Zootaxa
1681: 37–46 (2008).
16
Indraneil Das & Christopher C. Austin (2007) New Species of Lipinia
(Squamata: Scincidae) from Borneo, Revealed by Molecular and
Morphological Data. Journal of Herpetology, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 61–71,
2007.
17
Bickford, Iskandar & Barlian (2008) A lungless frog discovered on
Borneo. Current Biology 18 (9): R374–R375.
© Bach Tran
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Written and researched by Christian Thompson, the green room, with advisory from
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