Materials I Used For Small Mammals Trapping

I involved in several field works that doing small mammals trapping. Since July 2006 until Dec 2007 I conduct seven small mammals trapping. It does give amazing results from the planted forests area. My work was more on the tree plantation area which are mainly planted with Acacia mangium, an exotic species of fast growing trees.

To do trapping I need two important materials. Without these two things I will not get any animals. Traps and baits…?

I use collapsible wire live-traps (43x16x16cm). It is a local made traps that ordered from Peninsular Malaysia. I can’t remember who our supplier is. These traps have weaknesses too. It is a collapsible trap so it is easier to carry it into the forest but it can be broken easily. Maybe because the “joining” part is not tight enough and when we carry it in the dense understorey of tropical rainforest, the “joining part” will come apart. So that is why before we bring the traps into the field we have to check it one by one and make sure it fully functional.

How about baits? I choose five different types of baits. Squirrels like banana, oil palm seed and roasted coconut, but rats really like roasted coconut more than squirrels. Treeshrews loves banana very much even though sometimes it enter the traps that I use oil palm seed as baits. The purpose of using several types of baits is just to get as many different species of small mammals as possible. It turns out with good results where more than 20 species of small mammals was captured.

So, I am not going to say I am good in traps small mammals because it is a tough work. That is it for those who are interested of doing small mammals trapping in Bornean rainforest.

Next........

One more day left for me here in Bintulu. I can say that all emotions are combined now. I am excited to see what is waiting for me at my new work place and I am sad leaving all the good memories behind.

Not much to do now, I just pack my stuff and get ready to go.

Am I ready to get back to work? I am not sure because it has been four months not working and the motivation to working is really low now. I hope I get back the momentum when my feet step back on the ground next week.

Just a little bit info about my next work journey. I will be working more on communities it’s called Corporate Social Responsibility. I search online on what is it all about and I am still blurr. Not sure what is actually works that I will be doing. Its okay…for sure I will have sort of introduction or induction to works that I will be doing. I have no worry on that.

I will miss my previous works. Working with animals inside the forest. Will missing it’s a lot…lots and lots….:(

Mousey Tales....It's Animal Jokes

It has been a few days i didn't post anything in my blog. I don't have any idea on what else i want to write here. Nothing interesting happen lately and my life is just a boring and ordinary day.

I found quite interesting site named AnimalJokes, that have a collections of animal's jokes. Here is one of the funny jokes about mouse. Enjoy reading!


Three mice are sitting in a bar in a pretty rough neighborhood late at night trying to impress each other about how tough they are.

The first mouse pounds a shot of scotch, slams the glass onto the bar, turns to the second mouse and says, "Whenever I see a mousetrap, I lie on my back and set it off with my foot. When the bar comes down, I catch it in my teeth, bench press it twenty times to work up an appetite, and then make off with the cheese."

The second mouse orders up two shots of sour mash, pounds them both, slams each glass onto the bar, turns to the first mouse and replies, "Yeah, well when I see rat poison, I collect as much as I can, take it home, grind it up into a powder, and add it to my coffee each morning so I can get a good buzz going for the rest of the day."

The first mouse and the second mouse then turn to the third mouse. The third mouse lets out a long sigh and says to the first two, "I don't have time for this bullshit. I gotta go home and fuck the cat."

Another Sunset - Beautiful.....

No words to explain the beauty of God creation. Just stare and appreciate every moments of it and feel the peace and joy in our heart......

New Species of Giant Rat

Since i don't have a chance to go into the forest and doing observations by myself, i am searching for any news on animals that interests me. In my previous posts, World's Largest Extinct Rodent i found an interesting findings on the largest rats with weigh ~700 kilograms. However, it was an extinct species, so how about the alive giant rats?

A giant rat was recorded by scientists as probable new species to science on their expedition to Indonesia's remote and virtually unknown "Lost World" in the pristine wilderness of western New Guinea's Foja Mountains.

The giant rat was about five times the size of a typical city rat as per Dr. Kristofer Helgen, as Scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. This rat have no fear of human and apparently came into the camp several times during the trip.

Photo Courtesy: Conservation International

The photo shows the mammal expert Martua Sinaga holds a 3-pound (1.4 kg) rat.

World's Largest Extinct Rodent

I surf around in the internet trying to find the largest rodents in the world and end up with the extinct species of rat.

The world's largest rodent, Phoberomys pattersoni claimed to be more like a giant guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) rather than an oversize house rat (Rattus rattus). This species was reported to be the largest rodent that ever existed, although it has been known only from isolated teeth and fragmentary postcranial bones. The weigh (body mass) was estimated ~700 kilograms, more than 10 times the mass of the largest living rodent, the capybara. Fuh...i can't imagine that size of rat.

Almost 700 kilograms and if i look at it i will also think it is a guinea pig and not a rat. If it is still alive, i will not dare to come close to it. This finding was really interesting and it is really really big animal (especially for a rat).

However, the Phoberomys was most likely a herbivore and Marcelo Sanchez-Villagra, a paleontologist at the University of Turbingen in Germany doubt it was a pest.

Read more at: Science Magazine and National Geographic

My First Award

Ratty from The everyday Adventurer listed me in his Eleven Award Winners for the "Honest Scrap Award. This is the first award that i have won since i created this blog April 2007. So, i would like to thank him for giving me this award. Link to his post: My Honest Scarp Award.

Here are the rules for the Honest Scarp Award:

The honorees are to:

A) List 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!

B) Pass the award on to 7 Bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scarp.

Ten Honest Things About Me:

1. Insurance agent is my first job after graduated in Conservation Biology for my bachelor degree.
   
2. I am jobless for about 2 months after my third job as a temporary secondary school teacher.
3. I really love to laugh and smile.
4. I am "boyish" type of girl.
5. I love music but i don't know how to sing correctly following the rhythm. hahaha...
6. I have guitar since 1999 but until today i still can not play any songs...:((
7. I have my first international passport last week.
   
8. I don't like botany and i failed my botany course during my bachelor degree.
9. I climb Mount Kinabalu, Sabah in year 2000 and for that trip i was the third climbers that reach the peak at 4.15am...Yehaa...i am too excited.
10. What is my last? Think..think..think....mmmm....I love to drink coffee....

Okay..that is ten honest things about me. I am not sure if i play this right but i still want to participate. So, now i have to pass this award to another seven person that i think deserve this award.

My Seven Award Winner:

1. aD
   
2. Joe
   
3. Christie Lynn
4. Bibianna
5. William H. Balzac
   
6. Belden
   
7. Mary Moss

Hmm...i think i am done with this award so i hope the seven people that i give this award will participate but no rush friends. Take your time. It takes me three days to think what should i write in this posts too.

The Smallest Mammals of The World

During my presentation on Saturday, i still remember the audience asking me about the largest and the smallest small mammals in the world. I don't have the answer for that question so i didn't give them the accurate answer about that. So, i am not feeling good about it. Therefore, i try to find the information about this fact.

As i browse through the article and some other websites that i found using Google search, there was information about it.

The smallest mammal in the world is the tiny bat weighs less than 2 grams. Its body is about the size of a large bumble-bee, hence the common name "bumble-bee bat". The bumble-bee bat Craseonycteris thonglongyai was first discovered in 1973, it was until recently only known from a small population of approximately 2,300 individuals restricted to the catchment area of the River Kwai, Thailand. The bumble-bee bat is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List where the main threats are from burning of the forest areas near the limestone caves in which it lives.

For more information do visit this site: EDGE and Cambridge Journals Online.

Public Talk on Small Mammals

I have to give a public talk on small mammals study that i have done in Planted Forests Project in Bintulu. What can i say about this talk? I am not well prepared, i think. I only have less than two days to make a preparation and i really screwed it up.

It was about 30+ people attend my talk and it makes me more nervous. I was trying to send a message about small mammals conservation since people always think of small mammals as a pests. However, i don't think i give an informative presentations because i was a little bit blank and out of focus during the presentations. The truth is my power point presentations only complete an hour before the talk. So...i am not ready! Huhuhu...It's okay.

This is some of my friends that attend my talk and some of them are Sarawak Natural Science Society club members.

I would like to thanks all of them that supports my talk yesterday.

I Am Giving A Public Talk

I was a bit surprised yesterday when my boss mentioned to me that I have to replace the speaker for a public talk. This is my last task here before I am leaving and actually today is my last day. The previous speaker is about to talk on common agricultural pesticides and their effects. I have to replace him since he can’t make it because of sudden family emergency. I am a little bit nervous because it was a last minute replacement but then I think it is a good opportunity for me to spread the knowledge that I have to the public.

So many things come out in my mind and lastly I decide to talk about this topic, SMALL MAMMALS: A NEGLECTED GROUP OF CONSERVATION CONCERN? But now I am not sure what should I put in these slides. Never mind I think I will have great things to share with my audience. I know my friends will support me.

Here is the link to the society that arranges this talk and actually not much info about what I am going to presents. It’s okay. This is the blog: Sarawak Natural Science Society.

I will share what will going on tomorrow. Till then..

Go For It, Don't Think Twice

Why I sound very keen to explore the marine life? I can say that I am not yet finish with my adventure with the terrestrial (forest) because there are still lots more to discover.

This thinking was come out in my mind; my life is in God’s hand so any time He can call me back to Him. I don’t want to loose the opportunity that He has given me in this world and cherish every moment of it. Some people say, live your life to the fullest. Then, I will try to do it too.

Marine life is still a stranger to me. I know only a little bit of it when I study the Aquatic Ecosystem during my study period in university. But I never had a chance to go out and discover how beautiful the underwater world is. Seeing it by myself and feel it makes me more appreciate our mother nature, no matter it is in the water or inland.

If we still have the chance of doing what we really want to do, don’t think twice, just go for it! We don’t know what will awaits for us tomorrow.

Swimming with Dolphin

Before this I was talking about something that I already done but now I would like to talk about something that I dream of doing in future. It is not wrong to dream and strive for that dream to make it come true. I am not dreaming something big but something where my interests are. I don’t know how and when I will achieve it but I have to put my belief in myself. Believe that I will achieve it.

In my previous post i did mentioned about diving and i really want to see what is there inside the deep sea. Photos show us how beautiful is life underwater but seeing it with my own eyes will make me more satisfied. I am searching for photos that show people swimming with dolphins and it makes me more interested to learn how to dive.

When I was a child I saw a pair of dolphin enters our river in my village. It was in early 90s and I never saw it again after that. Where are they now? Why they not entered our river anymore? The simple answer is that, maybe because of the pollution in our river or they already traps in fisherman nets. I don’t have the answer but I just guessing.

Ok, back to swimming with dolphins. I found these two great websites and they have a great info and photos about dolphins and other nature photos.

Photo grab from Wild Woodburn Photography website.

Photo grab from Swimming with Dolphin website .

I Am In the TAGGED Game!

Ratty from The Everyday Adventurer has invited me to participate in this game, TAG. I still remember one of the blogger I follow Christie Lyn has invited me with something which is similar with this, 5 Things Meme. That one is much simpler but I am not sure how this game works. Since my friend, Ratty invited me again, then I will try to involve with this game. Before that I think I have to put a link to his post: I’ve Been Tagged. Ok, let keep on going with this game.

Here are the rules:



1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Write six random and/or revealing things about yourself.

4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.

5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog

6. Let the tagger know when your post entry is up on your site.



6 Random Things about me

1. How do i start here? I am the youngest in my family which i have 3 brothers and 5 sisters. I think i have a big family. If Ratty have difficulties in revealing his private life, i am very open person and i like to share my life experienced with my friends because i believe in sharing will inspired others.

2. I am still not finished my dissertation for my MSc and i am already way behind my graduate schedule.Sad sad sad....:'(

3. I have mix blood with Chinese and maybe that is why i have Chinese looks. Ahaks....!!

4. Arghh...i already tell a lot about my life in my blog..what else i have to share here? Hmm...i love wild animals but i like to try wild meats. I have tried Flying Foxes, Phyton, Soft-shell Turtle..opss...:)..but i don't like to eat them. I just want try and taste it....

6. Finally, i enjoy live bands performance and hang out with my dearest friends....:D



Here's My 6 Tag Links



1. OutDoorFreak

2. Bibab's 4eva

3. Oh, For The Love Of Science!

4. Discomfort Zone

5. Observations of A Nerd

6. Divinely Designed

I think that's it for this game and hopefully the six people that i tagged will keep this game on-going. Happy Tagging!!! :D

My Dream, My Adventure, My Journey

Enough on refresh back my memories. It is time to write about the next dream, the next adventure, and the next journey that I am going to do.

Marine Life is one of the other sides of nature that I want to explore. I am dreaming of swimming with the dolphins in the sea. I only have an experienced snorkeling at two recreational islands in Sabah, Pulau Mamutik and Pulau Manukan. Both have a nice place for a beginner like me. But, it is not enough for me. I want more of marine life. I want to swim with the dolphins, turtles, barracudas and eyeing on the coral reefs with the little fish hiding in between the beautiful reefs. Maybe I will lucky enough to observe other amazing creature in the sea. Huh..it is just a dream and I will make sure to make it come true before end of this year.

Sea horse..looks very unique and i have no ideas of this animal yet. This photo i grab from Southern Maryland Online website.

Coral Reef: The Rainforest of the ocean... There are so many hidden treasures in spite of its beauty. I grab the photo from Solcomhouse website. I really admire the beauty of the coral reef ecosystem.

Last but not least, i want to swim with the dolphin...Be close and touch their skin...I grab this photo from Whale-images website.

My dream will come true. When there is a will, there is a way.

Once Upon A Time

I want to share a little bit story of my childhood since i found quite a few of my old time photos. It may look funny and maybe ashamed but sharing just for remembrance and remind myself of why i fell in love with animals. I used to have dogs and cats as a pets but it is fine. Dogs and cats are domestic animals so not a big deal to have them as our pets. But, i am more interested to have wild animals as my pets but it is not easy to have them. I have to look for a young birds or young civets from the wild to raise. I like to play with my pets or my sister pets. The photo above shows that i have fun with my sister's dog.

After a long day playing with this little kitten, we both feel sleepy and we take a nap. Actually this kitten was borrowed from my neighbor's granddaughter and late afternoon i will sent it back to her. Heheheh...i dare to borrow a cat since i don't have one. My mum not allowed me to have cat because i got an asthma when i was a little kids because of cat's fur.

Yeah..at last i got wild bird to be my beloved pets. This is the Imperial Pigeon and i take it from our rambutan tree in our orchard. It was a young bird with only a few full developed flight feather when i took him. I named him Fantagiro because at that time i am not sure whether this bird was she or he. But then my sister gave it another name, Zorro and we called him Zorro after that. I can put him on my hand but i will always got scar on my hand because of it's sharp nails.

Usually when it was going to rain, he really want to have a shower and i will give him a shower. See how he enjoying his sun bath too...ops..noo...he is drying his feather after having his shower. Zorro died after eight years with me. I am not sure why but maybe because it is old. I don't know how long it's life span but for me to keep him for eight years was so great. I have beautiful memories when i kept him and i always want to set him free but i know he will not survived alone in the forest. He is not fit enough because he is not trained to look for his own food. That is why i will not keep wild animals as my pets anymore. I rather set them free and observed them in the wild.

With The Local People

Traditional method of hunting wildlife that used by Iban people. Snares was used to captured bearded pig, samber deer or any large mammals that unlucky walked passed through this snares. I was doing some sort of survey of traditional methods that local people used to hunt widlife for food consumption.

Delivering invitation letter to the head of longhouses for our Sustainable Use of Fish and Wildlife Workshop. We have to delivered it ourself because the place they live was still far from the accessible roads.

Met one couple that went back from their orchard and they captured one soft-shell turtle.

Arranging our luggage on the jetty before entered the long boat. We were heading to the longhouse using the long boats.

Meeting the young generations that we will rely on the future of our nations. The future of our mother nature.

Getting drunk after a few sips of rice wine at the Iban longhouse..argh...

The Iban warrior or an elderly man in the longhouse with lots of tattoos on his body.

My Workmates, My Friends

The early days of working as a field person. Looks very nerdy and boyish. It was Nov 2005 with BG and NM doing site survey for small mammal trapping (UTAR Group). This time i still don't have any idea on how to arrange my own research. Both of them still working there.

With AJ at logging timber at Binyo. I can't remember for what trip was that. He is still working there too. I never got a chance to learn on doing fish inventory with him.

With AAP at QA office requesting map for our inventory. She leaving the company in 2006 to further her study in forestry at UMS, KK. This year is her final year and i hope she will get her degree with flying colours.

With DJ at Similajau National Park, Bintulu in 2007 when our department has been invited to give a talk about conservation work that we have done. This was for the Nature 'n' U program that organized by SFC.

Most of all, this is my ex-boss, Mr. RBS. He was the one that giving the opportunity for me to join this carreer at Conservation Dept. He open the door for me to do what i really have passions in and expand my knowledge and on ground experienced. He leaving the department in 2007.

Refresh Back My Memories - With Wildlife

My interests with wildcat makes me want to hold this juvenile Leopard Cat that in care of mini zoo in Bintulu. It was sent to this mini zoo by the plantation manager. This young leopard cat died last year.

Western Tarsier caught by one of my workers during our small mammals trapping and it hold my finger like a little baby.

Amongst the wildlife that i am working on, i am not a friend of snakes. I don't know if they are venomous or not so i am afraid of all species of snakes.

I found this tortoise when we are doing our site survey for small mammals trapping. Actually it was a pair of it and i think they are mating but we disturb them. Just for a little while, captured some photos with them for a memories.

Frogging and end up with eyeing on slepping birds that roll like a ball.

Having so much interesting experienced when doing bird's survey where we use it's own calls/songs to attract them to come near to our mist nets. The Green Broadbill, one of the species that we can call.

Bats...so much more to learn about them..but will i have a chance doing it again after this?

Fish....I only know how to eat them but still can't remember fish scientific names...

Holding the paralyzed Malay Civet in my arms like holding a little baby. Will i still got this chance?

Time To Move On

Feeling so sad to leave something that i really love behind me. But my life have to move on.
Looking for new place and meet new people that will welcome me with their smile and welcome hearts.

I wonder why it is so hard for certain people to see other people success in their life.
I thought being nice with everyone will make other people treat me nice too. Hmmm..nevermind.

This is just a beginning of the year and i supposed to be very motivated and full of passion
in my next step.

My wish is that, this new place that i will serve will treat me fairly. I am sure i will meet
a very nice person and for sure a very good work environment. I know i will miss a lot of things
about my previous nature of work because the next step will be slightly different. No more
small mammals trapping, no more frogging, no more birding etc etc...can't count all the most memorable experienced that i ever have in my previous work.

Feeling sad when recall back the three years and two months period that i have spent in broaden my knowledge and gaining new skills in doing work with wildlife. The bite of the Ranee Mouse, climbing up hills, cutting trails, sleeping in the jungle....it was a hard time but give me more strentgh to move on.

Curiosity of the Young

I saw a dragonfly in our house one night and i show it to my nephews and nieces. This two little boys seems to be interested with my explanation. I think this dragonfly is the nocturnal species where it is only occur at night because i still remember one of the entomologist told me about nocturnal species of dragonfly. However, I am not sure which species is this one.

The elder brother looks happy (photo above) when he can hold this creature in his hand but his little brother seems to be thinking what this animal could be and maybe think what else he can do to this animal. He looks very curious.

I took a close up photo of this dragonfly and hoping that this can be used for identification.

Anyone can help me?

Back to Work

I am back to work again this month but it is not the same situation as before i am leaving this place. Hoping that i will have a chance to go out into the plantations and doing some surveys. However, it sounds to be not happen for me.

My friend have trip tomorrow, removing cam trap from sites but i can't join them. I am not in the list of the team members for that trip. I thought i can plan my own trip to try the PIT, tagging for the small mammals but it seems to be not going to happen too. I am only here for about two weeks, i think before i am totally leaving this job.

I am okay...I think i will make my own trip to any close nature park. I can make it my own visit to the jogging trail that i used to go before. Or maybe looking for a new trails not far from the town. As long i use my observations skills, i will find interesting animals or anything that nature want to show me.

Ferns & Beketan People

This was my first visit to Beketan community area and it was quite interesting experienced. I have the opportunity to mixed around with them and preparing our meals together.

This fern is one of the menu for that day. I am so sorry that i am not sure what species of fern is this. I am no good in botany, i have to admit it. What i know, this ferns is delicious when it cooked with prawn paste. We collect it from their farming area nearby the river.

I noticed that some of the words in Beketan language is same as my Melanau language. It is really interesting conversations and i am lucky to have a chance to visit the Beketan longhouse.

Sunset in My Village