Malaysia
Mammals
known only
from Malaysia include two endemic genera: the Red-bellied
Sculptor Squirrel (p. 76 of BBEC
24 MB pdf file), and the Danum Tree Rat Pithecheirops (p.
37 of BBEC
2 MB pdf file). Other endemic mammals include the Mountain
Treeshrew (Downbelow),
the Malayan Water Shrew (EDGE),
the Kinabalu Squirrel (flickr),
the Four-striped Ground Squirrel (Planet'
Mammiferes), the Large
Pencil-tailed Mouse (flickr),
the False Serotine Bat (ARKive),
the Krau Woolly Bat (MBEA),
and the Bronze Tube-nosed Bat (ARKive).
Birds unique to Malaysia include the Mountain
Peacock-pheasant (ARKive),
Campbell's Hill Partridge (Oriental
Bird Images), the Dulit Partridge (Borneo
Bird Images), the White-fronted Falconet (Oriental
Bird Images), the Friendly Bush Warbler (IBC),
the Malayan Whistling Thrush (BirdLife
Int'l), Everett's Thrush (Borneo
Bird Images), and a recently discovered undescribed
flowerpecker from Sabah (OBC
pdf file). Also sometimes considered distinct species are the
Black-headed Pitta Pitta
ussheri (Borneo
Bird Images) and the Bornean Swiftlet Collocalia dodgei (Borneo
Bird Images).
The most distinctive of all Malaysia's endemic animals is the Earless
Monitor (Digimorph),
the only species in the family Lanthanotidae, which is known with
certainty exclusively from Sarawak. The two spinejaw snakes
of the endemic genus Xenophidion
(SysTax)
have been proposed as the sole members of the family Xenophiidae. Other
endemic reptiles include Robinson’s Forest
Dragon (Reptile
Database), a blind skink Dibamus
tiomanensis (Asiatic
Herpetological Research pdf file), the Niah Cave Gecko (Lizards
of Borneo), the Sabah Slender Skink (Ecology
Asia), Leonard’s Pipe Snake (Reptile
Database), Tweedie’s Mountain Reed Snake (Reptile
Database), Schmidt's Reed Snake (Ecology
Asia), the Pahang Water Snake (amphibia.my),
and the Cameron Highlands Pit Viper (www.pitviper.nl).
Amphibians found nowhere else include the Luidan Stream Toad (ARKive),
the Api Dwarf Toad (Frogs
of Borneo), the Montane Horned Frog (Frogs
of Borneo), the Rough-sided Dwarf Litter Frog (Frogs
of Borneo), the Kinabalu Large-Eyed Litter Frog (Frogs
of Borneo), the Kajang Slender Litter Frog (amphibia.my),
the Lowland Grainy Frog (ARKive),
the Minute Narrow-mouthed Frog (amphibia.my),
the Treehole Frog (Ecology
Asia),
the Hole-in-the-head Frog (Frogs
of Borneo), the Tanah Rata Wart Frog (ARKive),
the Western Torrent Frog (Frogs
of Borneo), the Kerangas Bush Frog (Frogs
of Borneo), and the extremely small Microhyla nepenthicola
(Mongabay).
The Spotted Asian Tree Toad Sabahphrynus
(or Pedostibes)
maculatus (BioOne)
and Tung's Narrow-mouthed Frog Gastrophrynoides
immaculatus (amphibia.my)
represent endemic genera.
Freshwater fish known solely from Malaysia include numerous bettas such
as Betta persephone
(ARKive),
Betta pulchra
(IBC),
Betta tussyae
(IBC),
Betta brownorum
(NHM-London),
and Betta ibanorum
(IBC).
Endemic catfish include Encheloclarias
curtisoma
(PlanetCatfish),
Hemibagrus furcatus
(PlanetCatfish),
Akysis alfredi
(FLMNH),
and Wallago maculatus
(FishBase).
Other endemic fish include the Borneo River Shark Glyphis fowlerae (Defra),
a licorice gourami Parosphromenus
harveyi
(IGL),
the Kuching Barb (jjphoto.dk),
a river loach Nemacheilus
elegantissimus (aquariophil),
a goby Stiphodon
aureorostrum (Raffles
Museum pdf file), a needlefish Zenarchopterus beauforti
(FishBase),
and the Striped Redeye Puffer (Puffer
Forum).
Spectacular insects restricted to Malaysia include the world's longest
insect, Chin's Megastick (Mongabay),
the largest leaf insect Phyllium
giganteum (Phasmids
in Cyberspace),
and the Emperor Cicada Pomponia
imperatoria (agr.gc.ca),
also the world's largest. Other endemic
invertebrates include the moths Antheraea
ulrichbroschi (Saturniidae
of Malaysia) and Eupterote
muluana (Moths
of Borneo), a swallowtail Graphium procles
(p. 39 of BBEC
9 MB pdf file), the Jungle Nymph Heteropteryx
dilatata (flickr),
a damselfly Elattoneura
mauros (Odonata
of Pen. Malaysia), a herdsmen ant Dolichoderus maschwitzi
(Antbase),
a stag beetle Odontolabis
vollenhoveni
(PAME),
a jumping spider Sparbambus
gombakensis (Salticidae
of the World), a huntsman spider Heteropoda davidbowie
(ARKive),
a tarantula Coremiocnemis
hoggi (TarantulaCanada), a
trapdoor spider Liphistius
malayanus (ARKive),
a freshwater crab Johora
gapensis (ARKive),
the Sarawak Land Crab Lepidothelphusa
cognetti (ARKive),
and the land snails Opisthostoma
vermiculum (IISE)
and Everettia jucundior
(Bornean
Terrestrial Molluscs).
Orchids unique to Malaysia include Dimorphorchis
rossii
(IOPSE),
Dendrobium
serena-alexianum (Kew),
Paphiopedilum
rothschildianum (slipperorchids.info),
Bulbophyllum cameronense
(IOPSE),
and Thrixspermum
erythrolomum (p. 5 of WWF
3 MB pdf file).
Other endemic plants include Rafflesia
tuan-mudae
(Parasitic
Plant Connection), the Joey on a Stick (ARKive),
the Parasol Palm (PACSOA),
a conifer Dacrydium
gibbsiae (ARKive),
a pitcher plant Nepenthes
rajah (ARKive),
Hopea auriculata
(FPM),
the Kinabalu Kauri (ARKive),
Amorphophallus
julaihii (Int'l
Aroid Soc.), Begonia
tigrina (FPM),
and Orchidantha
longiflora (flickr).
Endemic plant genera include Orchadocarpa
(Rimba Ilmu),
Spelaeanthus
(Genera
of Gesneriaceae), Senyumia
(Genera
of Gesneriaceae), Holttumochloa (Wild
Asia), Kostermansia (FPM),
Aleisanthia
(Ongzi),
Camptandra (flickr),
Nabaluia
(Malesian
Orchid Genera), Borneodendron
(Euphorbiaceae
of Malesia), Exorhopala
(flickr),
and Maingaya
(Rimba Ilmu).
Malaysia is included in the Sundaland biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots). Important terrestrial ecoregions include
the Kinabalu Montane Alpine Meadows (EoE)
and the Peninsular Malaysian Montane Rain Forests (EoE).
Important freshwater ecoregions for endemic species include
the Malay Peninsula Eastern Slope (FEOW)
and the Northeastern Borneo (FEOW).