No abstract

To reveal the diversity of Indonesian bent-toed geckos, we pay attention to Kalimantan (Borneo)—an island which has received less attention than other Indonesian islands such as Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, the Moluccas, and the Lesser Sunda archipelagos. About 30 years after Hikida (1990) described three new Cyrtodactylus from Borneo, four more species were described, namely C. limajalur and C. muluensis in 2019, and C. hantu and C. miriensis in 2021, all by Davis et al. Through examination of the collection at MZB and three addition specimens collected from Tawau, we found several undescribed species, one of which we describe here. This new species is easily differentiated from all other congeners by the combination of the following characters: maximum SVL of at least 65.8 mm; no tubercles on dorsal surface of upper arm; tubercles present in the ventrolateral body folds; 28–30 paravertebral tubercles; 17–20 longitudinal dorsal tubercle rows; 39–46 ventral scale rows at midbody; 17–19 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; precloacal pit with 5–7 pores in males arranged in a wide Λ-shape but absent in females; no enlarged transverse median subcaudals; paired dark brown semilunar-shaped markings on the upper nape. Further study is needed to reveal its molecular phylogenetic position and biogeographical history.

Abstract. Fauzi MA, Hamidy A, Kurniawan N. 2020. Harvesting trends of Amboina box turtles (Cuora amboinensis) seventeen years after listing in Appendix II CITES. Biodiversitas 21: 1142-1148. Among Southeast Asian freshwater turtles, the Amboina box turtle (Cuora amboinensis) held the highest recorded harvesting levels. The large volumes of harvesting influenced its International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) revised the conservation status of C.amboinensis from Near Threatened to Vulnerable in 2000. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) also inclusion of Amboina box turtle in Appendix II category. The CITES trade database provided a data set that tracks the legal trade of C. amboinensis in the global market from 2000 to 2017. Before 2005, Malaysia was the largest major supplier of this species to the global market. However, after 2005, Indonesia replaces Malaysia as the biggest exporter. From 2005 to 2014, the data showed that the trade trends already followed the quota of provisions. The trade routes of C amboinensis showed that the USA was the country to which these turtles were most frequently imported (50 times during 2000-2017), while China was still the biggest importer country in terms of quantity (463584 individuals from 2000-2017). The USA re-exported C. amboinensis for the pet trade to several European countries. Vietnam reportedly also re-exported C. amboinensis from Laos. However, Laos has rarely reported the occurrence of export activities to Vietnam. Based on these findings, we were able to understand the dynamics of the C. amboinensis trade globally more clearly, propose several actions deemed necessary for its conservation, and suggest greater on-going coordinated efforts to monitor the trade of this species.

No abstract

Local knowledge on the benefits of wild meat is probably the motivation behind consumption of such unusual source of protein. Various tribes in Indonesia are known to include wild meat of monitor lizards, Varanus spp. in their diet for several reasons including health benefits. Water monitor, Varanus salvator, is widely distributed across the Indonesian Archipelago and commonly found even in degraded habitats. Meat and internal organs of this species are commonly known to be consumed in Indonesia by at least three ethnics, i.e. Batak on Sumatra, Dayak on Kalimantan, and Minahasa on Sulawesi islands. We aim to investigate consumption of water monitor meat in a few communities in the western part of Java, where there is likely a custom albeit benign. Previous observations in the province of West Java showed consumption of a smaller scope in Sundanese communities, where religious background is of a restriction. Consumption of water monitor meat all over on Java seemed to be infrequent, yet also prevailing at a level of small business. In the western part of Java, consumption and sales seemed to be dominant in the northern areas, but mostly in Jakarta than in the regencies of West Java province. Direct observations and casual interviews with a few associates in West Java revealed a long-term practice in Cibinong. Besides its gastronomic benefit, meat of water monitor is believed as health tonic for men and a therapeutic method to treat skin diseases.