Chordata (cont): Vertebrata

CHORDATA (cont) VERTEBRATA

AMPHIBIA • Order Urodela – – – –

Body usually long and cylindrical; head, trunk, and tail are separate; legs, if present, usually all equal in size. Salamanders and Newts.

• Order Salientia – – – – –

Body usually short and stout; head and trunk usually combined, with no tail; legs often smaller in front. Frogs and Toads.

Salamander

REPTILIA •

Order Testudines – Body is covered by "shell" of fused hardened scales; – have toothless beaks. – turtles and Tortoises

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Order Crocodilia – – – –

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Have legs and movable eyelids; mouth without "lips"; found mostly in or near water. Alligators, Crocodiles and Gavials.

Superorder Squamata – – – – –

May or may not have legs; teeth hidden by "lips"; common on land but sometimes in water; Scales often small Lizards and snakes

Marine Turtles in Malaysia Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

MARINE TURTLES OF MALAYSIA

Olive-ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea

The green turtle (Chelonia mydas)

AVES (Birds) • extremely distinctive and successful • estimated 9000 species • evolved remarkable specializations for flight – – – – –

unique "one-way" breathing system light yet strong hollow bones skeleton in which many bones are fused or lost powerful flight muscles feathers.

Ostritch

Snow owl

Flamingos

Hawk

MAMMALS: Characteristics not found in other animals • Middle ear bones • Hair • Mammary gland – milk production

Mammalia

Subclass Metatheria (Marsupials) Youngs born in immature stage Most have pouch Major Groups: •Order Didelphimorphia - opossums •Order Paucituberculata - shrew-like insectivores •Order Dasyuromorphia - Tasmanian wolf •Order Diprotodontia - (10 families and 117 species) kangaroos, wallaby, wombats, koalas

Subclass Prototheria Order Monotremata • Lay eggs with leathery shells • Nourish young with milk • 2 Families: – Family Ornithorhynchidae, duck-billed platypus – Family Tachyglossidae, spiny anteater Platypus

Echidna

EUTHERIA

Major Orders of Mammals: Subclass Eutheria (Placental Mammals) Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates: antelope, deer, camels, pigs, cows, sheep, hippos, etc.) Order Carnivora (carnivores: cats, bears, dogs, polar bear, Order Cetacea (whales, dolphins) Order Chiroptera (bats) Order Insectivora (insect-eaters: hedgehogs, moles, shrews) Order Logomorpha (rabbits, hares) Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates: horses, rhinos, tapirs)

ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION:

Effort by Malaysian Government

Animal Biodiversity : Problems • Studies increase by arithmatic progression but destructions increase by geometric progression

Critically Endangered Species: (Mamalia) Black Shrew (Suncus ater). (Endemic) Horseshoe Bat species (Rhinolophus convexus). (new species) Java Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus). Malayan Roundleaf Bat (Hipposideros nequam). (Endemic) Malayan Water Shrew (Chimarrogale hantu). (Endemic) Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis).

Mammals in Malaysia Total Species: 286 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994) Endemic Species: 27 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994) Endangered species: 1996: 42 (IUCN 1996); 2000: 51(IUCN 2000)

Turtle Species in Malaysia (4 of 7 spesies already identified)

Leatherback turtle (Demochelys coreacea). Green turtle (Chelonia mydas). Olive-Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea). Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).

Sumatran Rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis).

Shrew (Suncus sp)

Otter (Otter Civet)

Conservation Effort by Malaysian Government • Sustainable forest management – Practiced since 1990s – Has important component of conservation of biological diversity – Plant Red List (documentation of plant wealth)

• • • •

Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystem Gazettement of National Parks Establishment of Marine Parks Turtle Conservation Programme – Leatherback (Terengganu), Terrapin (Bota, Perak)

• Orang Utan Conservation Programme – Sipolok (Sabah)

LEGISLATION RELEVANT TO BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (FEDERAL) • • • •

Environmental Quality Act 1974 Fisheries Act 1985 Pesticide Act 1974 Plant Quarantine Act 1976

LEGISLATION RELEVANT TO BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (PENINSULAR MALAYSIA) • • • • •

National Park Act 1980 Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 National Forestry Act 1972 Taman Negara (Pahang) Enactment 1939 Land Conservation Act 1960

LEGISLATION RELEVANT TO BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (SARAWAK) • National Park Ordinance 1956 • Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1958 • Natural Resources Ordinance 1949 as amended by National Resources and Environment (Amendment) Ordinance 1993

LEGISLATION RELEVANT TO BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (SABAH) • Forest Enactment 1968 • Park Enactment 1984

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND LINKAGES

• Langkawi Declaration on the Environment and Development (1989) – By Heads of Government of Commonwealth countries – Further strengthened by United Nation Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) 1992

• Convention on Biological Diversity – Ratified by Malaysia on 24th June 1994

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND LINKAGES (cont)

• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – Malaysia party since 1978

• Member of World Conservation Union • 10th Nov. 1994 - acceed to the Convention on Wetlands of Internationl Importance Especially as Wildfowl Habitat (RAMSAR Convention)

Convention on Biological Diversity • Must incorporate into national policy set of commitments under treaty; • Reaffirms sovereign rights of States over their biological resources; • Responsibility for conserving biological diversity • Utilizing biological resources in sustainable manner • Provide financial support and incentives to national activities to achieve objectives of Convention

MALAYSIA’S NATIONAL POLICY ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Official Declaration: April 16 1998 Kuala Lumpur Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment

ENFORCEMENT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION: MALAYSIA

TOTALLY PROTECTED ANIMALS IN SARAWAK

Example of fines imposed: • rhinoceros – fine RM50,000 and – 5 year jail;

• orang-utan or proboscis monkey – fine RM30,000 and – 2 year jail;

• For other species, – fine RM25,000 and – 2 year jail;