HOPE report

Number: 24-009

Basic ecology of otters and their olfactory communication in Sabah, Borneo

Report: KOBAYASHI SHUNSUKE

Date: 2012/7/7 - 2012/11/2

 I searched for the feces of otters (Asiatic small-clawed otter and Smooth otter) in my field sites, and recorded some data of their feces sites (e. g. sizes, construction. )
 I used camera traps for recording marking behavior of otters, and finally got over 100 videos (each videos are 1 minute long) of small-clawed otters, and some of smooth otters. Interestingly, smooth otters and small-clawed otters had shared their feces sites each other, and I got some records that smooth otters visited in small clawed otters' feces sites. In addition, moon rats and malay civets had visited otter's feces sites, and done some interesting behavior there.
 I also tried to do direct observation and capturing them, however unfortunately it failed. On the other hand, even the number of direct observation is so small, but I could get some impression and get some idea for research.

Collecting data


With research assistant


The camera trap

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