In the Borneo canopy, life thrives in surprising ways, camera-trap study shows
by Carolyn Cowan on 4 August 2021
The first systematic camera-trapping survey of arboreal mammals in Southeast Asia reveals a diverse and distinct community; the researchers also recorded evidence of new behaviors and the first ever photograph of a rare flying rodent.
The team collected more than 8,000 photographs, cataloging 57 species in total, 30 of which were detected exclusively on ground cameras and 18 exclusively in the canopy.
Since few past studies have targeted arboreal mammals, scientists do not know how human disturbances such as logging may affect them.
The results demonstrate that surveying in the forest canopy is “crucial to our understanding of rainforest mammal communities,” say the study authors.