5 research outputs found
NON-VOLANT SMALL MAMMALS
No full textBorneo is home to at least 87 species of non-volant small mammals, and is represented by at least seven families: Muridae, Soricidae, Erinacidae, Tupaiidae, Sciuridae, Hystricidae and Ptiloceridae. The primary forests of Bako National Park has a rich non-volant small mammal
fauna. However, as past studies on mammals were focused on bats, flying lemurs and primates, a substantial gap exists in our knowledge of the small terrestrial mammals of the Park
The Gut Microbiomes of Wild Rodents within Forested Environments in Sarawak, Borneo
No full textThe gut microbiota of rodents is shaped by highly diverse bacterial communities. Within the gut environment,
there are core gut bacteria that are responsible for facilitating essential bodily processes while maintaining the
health of the host rodents. Currently, research on the gut microbiota of wild rodents in Borneo remains limited,
especially those encompassing the potential influence of environmental factors. Through the Next-Generation
Sequencing (NGS) performed using Oxford Nanopore Technologies, a total of 1052 bacterial genera were detected
from 16 rodent individuals of six rodent species. These bacteria were found to be prevalent in the gut microbiota
of wild rodents in forested regions. Several bacterial families of importance belonging to the phylum Bacillota
were identified, including Lachnospiraceae (18%), Lactobacillaceae (20%) and Oscillospiraceae (19%). They were
found to have a high relative abundance when compared with other bacterial families. The diversity of gut
microbes among individual rodents showed no significant differences. However, the gut microbiome composition
of wild rodents appears to have been influenced by the host species and their life stages. The outcome of this study
allows for a better understanding of the prevailing core microbiome members shared across multiple wild rodent
individuals within forested areas
The Gut Microbiomes of Wild Rodents within Forested Environments in Sarawak, Borneo: Rodent Gut Microbiomes in Sarawak Forests
No full textThe gut microbiota of rodents is shaped by highly diverse bacterial communities. Within the gut environment, there are core gut bacteria that are responsible for facilitating essential bodily processes while maintaining the health of the host rodents. Currently, research on the gut microbiota of wild rodents in Borneo remains limited, especially those encompassing the potential influence of environmental factors. Through the Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) performed using Oxford Nanopore Technologies, a total of 1052 bacterial genera were detected from 16 rodent individuals of six rodent species. These bacteria were found to be prevalent in the gut microbiota of wild rodents in forested regions. Several bacterial families of importance belonging to the phylum Bacillota were identified, including Lachnospiraceae (18%), Lactobacillaceae (20%) and Oscillospiraceae (19%). They were found to have a high relative abundance when compared with other bacterial families. The diversity of gut microbes among individual rodents showed no significant differences. However, the gut microbiome composition of wild rodents appears to have been influenced by the host species and their life stages. The outcome of this study allows for a better understanding of the prevailing core microbiome members shared across multiple wild rodent individuals within forested areas
MAMMALS OF SOUTHWESTERN BUNGO RANGE
No full textThe Bungo Range NP covers an area of 8096 hectares that consist mainly of limestone forest with some small areas of peat swamp forest and mixed dipterocarp forest (Sarawak Forestry Corporation, 2020). The presence of two major limestone caves nearby, Wind Cave and Fairy Cave Nature Reserve indicate that the geological structures, forest, and mountains in the district of Bau are unique. While the area is expected to host a large variety of flora and fauna
due to its diverse surrounding ecosystems, it is one of the least explored national parks in Sarawak
Metagenomic insights into host-specific gastroenteritis bacteria in forest rodents of Sarawak, Borneo: implications for one health surveillance of rodent-borne pathogens
No full textAbstract Rodents are known to act as reservoirs for zoonotic diseases due to their widespread distribution and synanthropic nature. Among these, foodborne pathogens capable of causing gastroenteritis in humans are of particular concern, as rodents can facilitate their transmission through contamination of food sources. Forest-dwelling rodents may harbour bacterial taxa native to their habitat, posing a risk of zoonotic spillover to nearby human settlements. This risk is further heightened by the growing prevalence of ecotourism activities, particularly in tropical countries like Malaysia. In this study, rodent trapping was conducted in selected forested areas adjacent to human settlements across Sarawak. Nanopore sequencing of the full-length 16 S rRNA gene was conducted on faecal DNA from 46 rodent individuals representing seven different species (Maxomys surifer, M. tajuddinii, M. whiteheadi, Niviventer cremoriventer, Rattus tanezumi, R. tiomanicus and Sundamys muelleri). A total of ten bacterial species associated with gastroenteritis were successfully detected. Notable findings in this study include Campylobacter, Salmonella and Shigella species, which are known to cause bacterial gastroenteritis in humans. Also, the presence of certain bacterial taxa in specific rodent genera suggests potential host specificity of foodborne pathogens. This study highlights the potential public health risks caused by rodent-borne bacterial transmission and the importance of monitoring forest rodents as potential reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens
