By Paul Carter – July 2020
In June 2020 I took three one-night trips to the Big Bear Lake area in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles; spending about 3 hours each night looking for Humboldt’s Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis), seen on the Castle Rock Trail. The trip list of 15+ mammals included a Black Bear with three cubs seen on Skyline Drive.
Continue readingThis version: 29 May 2020.
Summary
In Southwest Mongolia there is a form of Meriones gerbil that does not fit field guide descriptions of those in range. It has a bicoloured tail with a clean white under-tail sharply demarcated from the orange-brown dorsal half; as well as longer dark hairs on a tail tuft, and darker hairs dorsally on the tail (photos of two specimens shown below). It seems that field guide accounts and other references do not fully describe all colour variations. Field guides, for example, indicate that the only gerbil in the region with a white under-tail would be Tamarisk Gerbil (nearest records are 150 km to the west); however Meriones psammophilus can also have white under-tails (Olga Nanova, pers. comm. 2020 May 29). I have summarised below the taxonomy of the Meriones gerbils in Mongolia, with reference to local field guides as well as later papers by Nanova (2014) and Nanova et al (2020); and included notable tail descriptions where available.
Brief taxonomic overview of Meriones in Mongolia
Batsaikhan et al (2014) described three Meriones gerbils in Mongolia:
(a) Meriones tamariscinus (Tamarisk Gerbil).
(b) Meriones unguiculatus (Mongolian Gerbil)
(c) Meriones meridianus (Midday Gerbil); including M. m. psammophilus.
Nanova et al (2020) note that “Midday jird Meriones meridianus sensu lato is a widely distributed and highly variable species complex, whose taxonomy is still controversial despite several genetic and morphological studies”. Nanova (2014) and Nanova et al (2020) concluded (on morphometric and genetic data) that there are three clades of M. meridianus with interspecific level of differentiation that should be treated as distinct species:
c1) M. psammophilus (Milne-Edwards, 1871).
c2) M. meridianus (Pallas, 1773).
c3) M. penicilliger (Heptner, 1933).
M. psammophilus inhabits the Mongolian-Chinese part of the superspecies range; but excluding the Mongolian Dzungaria region which is inhabited by M. meridianus (Nanova, 2014). Nanova et al (2020) note that the distribution ranges of all three species (psammophilus, meridianus and penicilliger) overlap in Dzungaria. The Mongolian Dzungaria includes the Great Gobi B SPA in the southwestern corner of Mongolia. M. penicilliger does not occur in Mongolia. Nanova et al (2020) noted that Meriones chengi (Wang, 1964; Cheng’s Gerbil) from Northwest China is likely a junior synonym of M. psammophilus (Ito et al, 2010; Nanova, 2014).
Following Nanova et al (2020) there are four forms of Meriones gerbils in Mongolia; as listed below with some range and field identification comments:
1 – Meriones tamariscinus (Tamarisk Gerbil): In Mongolia it is restricted to Mongolia Dzungaria (see location map at end of this post). Smith and Xie (2013, p141) show that its range continues to the southeast, within China but close to the Mongolia border. With respect to the Tamarisk Gerbil records shown in Smith and Xie (2013) it would not be unexpected (?), considering topography and habitat, for Tamarisk Gerbil to be found in parts of the Trans Gobi Altai area east of the Santamu Basin as marked on the map; this area being a low-lying area connected to the China range of Tamarisk Gerbil, with no apparent physical barriers.
2 – Meriones unguiculatus (Mongolian Gerbil): Parts of Mongolia excluding Dzungaria. The range map for Mongolian Gerbil in Batsaikhan et al (2014) excludes the Great Gobi A SPA region but Smith and Xie (2013) show records just south of the border. Mongolian Gerbil has a sharply bicoloured tail that is dark-greyish brown above, pale brown below; with black tuft at the end; and has greyish-black claws (Smith and Xie, 2013). Batsaikhan et al (2014) note that Mongolian Gerbil has dark claws; and the tail tip forms a dark brown or black tail tassle.
3a – Meriones meridianus / Meriones meridianus meridianus: referring to the form restricted to Mongolia Dzungaria. Descriptions in Batsaikhan et al (2014 p178) would refer primarily to M. psammophilus. Nanova (2014 p8) notes that “black tail brush is … present in some individuals of M. meridianus” but does not mention this for M. psammophilus.
3b – Meriones psammophilus / Meriones meridianus psammophilus: its Mongolia range excludes Dzungaria. Batsaikhan et al (2014 p178) describes this taxon as having light yellow claws, a uniformly coloured tail and not having a well-developed tail tuft. Nanova (2014 p8) notes that “M. psammophilus is the most brightly coloured morph within the superspecies, with the presence of a rufous tint”. Nanova et al (2014 p8) stated that “no distinct geographical variation was found for M. psammophilus” (with reference to cranial measurements). Meriones psammophilus is, however, quite variable in fur coloration and can have white under-tails (Olga Nanova, pers. comm. 2020 May 29).
Photos of gerbils with white under-tails
The two gerbils below were photographed in 2016 on a Mongolian Gobi trip with Jon Hall and Phil Telpher. I photographed three specimens at the two locations and Jon Hall had a photograph of one at the first location. These gerbils have distinctly bicoloured tails that are white below and not pale brown and do not have dark claws; which should distinguish them from Meriones unguiculatus (Mongolian Gerbil). The photographed forms appear to represent a colour variation of Meriones psammophilus / Meriones meridianus psammophilus described by Nanova above.
Gerbil #1 was photographed at Mother Mountain (Eej Khairkhan Uul). Key features are (a) a clearly bicoloured tail that is distinctly white below; and orange-brown above with a darker brown dorsal section; the border between the white and orange is sharp; (b) tail tuft is orange-brown with longer black hairs dorsally and off the tip and more similar to that of Mongolian Gerbil (?) (c) hind claws whitish; (d) forefoot claws greyish.
Gerbil #2 was photographed in the Great Gobi A SPA; it has a tail very similar to that of Gerbil #1; both hindfoot claws appear whitish; fore-foot claws appear to be pinkish-grey to whitish. It was photographed at 8.50 am under a “gooseberry type/looking bush”.
Location Map
The locations of Gerbil #1 and #2 are marked as Boxes 1 and 2; they are 220 km apart. The Red Line shows the northern range limit in China and Mongolia of Tamarisk Gerbil (TG); data based on Batsaikhan et al (2014), Smith and Xie (2013 p141) and Tsytsulina et al (2016, IUCN Red List). It seems possible that the range of TG might extend eastwards from the Santamu Basin (as marked). The basemap data is from OpenStreetMap at https://en-gb.topographic-map.com/maps/lp6g/China/; cartography is licensed as CC BY-SA (this copyright page)
References
Batsaikhan N, Samiya R, Shar S, Lkhagvasuren D, King SRB (2014). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Mongolia (Second Edition). Zoological Society of London.
Nanova O (2014). Geographical variation in the cranial measurements of the midday jird Meriones meridianus (Rodentia: Muridae) and its taxonomic implications. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 52(1):75–85. doi:10.1111/jzs.12032.
Nanova OG, Lebedev VS, Matrosova VA, Adiya A, Undrakhbayar E, Surov AV, Shenbrot GI (2020). Phylogeography, phylogeny, and taxonomical revision of the Midday jird (Meriones meridianus) species complex from Dzungaria.
Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 2020:00:1–24. https ://doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12372.
Smith AT, Yan Xie (eds) (2013). Mammals of China. Princeton University Press.
Tsytsulina K, Formozov N, Sheftel B (2016). Meriones tamariscinus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T13169A115110536. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T13169A22432783.en, Downloaded 2019 Oct 1.
Paul Carter, 20 Mar 2021
Record Location: SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape, Wilderness, Fairy Knowe Backpackers.
Record Date: 16 Jan 2021 at 8.45 PM
Report by Paul Carter
Trip with Kevin Bryan, Ian Thompson, Sjef Ollers and Anja Palmans
Version 1: 30 Nov 2019
Pdf version of this report here; updates to this report will be done in the website post only.
pcarter66 @ outlook.com
Table of Contents
1. SUMMARY
2. LOGISTICS AND REFERENCES
3. ITINERARY
4. LIST OF MAMMALS SEEN
5. LIST OF MAMMALS RECORDED AND SITES
6. PHOTOS
7. SITE NOTES
This four-week road-trip covered 5,300 km across Central and Western Mongolia (excluding the southern Gobi). Key sites visited were Hustai NP, Boon Tsagaan Nuur, Sharga, Gobi B SPA, Jargalant Uul, Tavan Bogd NP, Khurgas Nuur area and the Khangai Mountains. The focus was on mammals and we identified 44 species, with another two heard (Lynx and Wolf). Some of the bats seen and recorded have yet to be identified. Rodents were surprisingly scarce on some nights and we only had two mustelids. Small-mammal highlights included Steppe Zokor, Zaisan Mole Vole, Grey Marmot, Five-toed Pygmy Jerboa and Thick-tailed Pygmy Jerboa.
Route Map (numbers 4 to 29 show overnight dates and sites; names in red show places camped at whilst at names in purple we used hotels or gers; route in red is the out-leg; that in purple the return leg):
From 2002 to 2007 my work in Mongolia, as an exploration geologist, included various helicopter-based trips (using Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopters). One of these trips involved 4 days around western Mongolia and I had always wanted to return to the region and its spectacular scenery, especially the Tavan Bogd area. Due to the remote travel it was best done with at least two vehicles and Ian Thompson, Kevin Bryan, Sjef Ollers and Anja Palmans were keen; none of them had yet visited Mongolia.
I organised three land-cruisers through Erka (my work driver for over 3 years); I had last used him in 2016. He drove one vehicle whilst his son Kuchee and Erka’s friend Mugi drove the other two. They were all safe drivers and excellent bush mechanics and spent many hours servicing the cars, often late into the night. Erka’s niece Bella came along as our translator.
A limited selection of mammal photos is shown in section 6 of this report. A more extensive selection of trip and mammal photos is also available (80 pages, 70 MB). Continue reading
This post is in reply to a request for setup and user tips for using a XQ30V unit.
BRIGHTNESS and CONTRAST
Press the front “controller” knob lightly to cycle between the Brightness and Contrast settings. Rotate the controller to desired level for each. I keep my unit on low brightness (less harsh on the eye) and high contrast. It is easy to bump this knob and change the settings so keep an eye on them during use.
MAIN MENU OPTIONS
To access the main menu press the controller knob for about 2 seconds. Rotate the controller to move to the menu item you want. Press the controller to enter the menu item. Rotate the controller to your choice then press the controller to fix your choice. Rotate the controller to move to the next item or press the controller to close the menu list. I use the following settings for general use:
1 – Colour Mode: my preference is #2 (grey-scale with red for hot).
2 – Operating Mode: Forest (the other 2 settings are City and Identification).
3 – Calibration: A (Automatic) – I find that the occasional automatic calibrations do not interfere with use. Your choices for settings (2) and (3) will show on the left side of the status bar during usage.
4 – Video Output: OFF
5 – Clock
6 – Defective Pixel Repair: 2 choices are CROSS for defective pixel repair or RETURN for default defective pixel pattern. I have not used these.
7 – Menu icon brightness: 4 seems fine.
8 – Measurement Units:
NECK STRAP MODIFICATION
To have instant access to each of my 4 main pieces of gear (camera, binoculars, spotlight and thermal scope) I have found that it is essential to have a neck strap on the thermal scope (as opposed to having it in a belt pouch and/or using the wrist strap). The unit is not designed with neck strap mounts and I have tried the 2 options described below. When using the neck strap I find it easiest to hang the scope on top of my bins; the scope eyepiece will be on the right side and controls on top. At night I spend more time with the scope than my bins which is why I prefer it on top and once I have scoped something it is easy to let go of the scope and switch to my bins. To save battery power I turn off the display as I lower the scope and turn it back on as I raise the scope.
OPTION A: The easiest way to set up a simple neck strap is to screw the unit’s wrist strap into the tripod mount on the LEFT side of the unit (the side with the Weaver Rail); then thread a lightweight strap through the wrist strap’s small loop. WARNING. The neck strap can unscrew if not regularly tightened; I have had that happen once and the unit dropped to the ground (fortunately not damaged).
OPTION B: After losing the wrist strap I ended up with a more secure system, as in the image below. Setup: Place a zip-tie midway around the unit with the zip-tie lying along one of the weaver rail grooves (to keep it from slipping). Run the neck strap under the zip tie before tightening the tie or through a ring set on the zip tie (white zip-tie in the image below). I then have a second zip-tie as added safety. I prefer Option B as it is more secure (assuming the ties are tight enough); but if using Option A you could also add a zip-tie.
OTHER POINTS
I sometimes find the battery cartridge “malfunctions” in that I have to remove and replace batteries in order for the unit to start. Try this if you are not getting power in the unit.
The unit when packed can easily be turned on if the power button is bumped, and the batteries drained; so I keep the battery pack out of the unit until using it.
Trip Report (mammals) – southwest Western Australia – Nov 2017
Paul Carter
On a mammal-watching trip from 5th to 22nd Nov 2017, with Chi Phan (anti-camping, non-mammalwatching Ms), I saw 23 mammals and +15 reptile species. Numbat, Red-tailed and Brush-tailed Phascogales were the highlights, and I was happy to see Quokka without having to do the Rottnest option.
Updated 2019 replacing Dobson’s Horsehoe Bat with Thai Horseshoe Bat (R. thailandensis; split from R yunanensis)
Baan Maka Nature Lodge – October 2017
Some friends, Games Punjapa and Ian Dugdale, have recently taken over the Baan Maka Nature Lodge at the northern end of Peninsula Thailand. It is close to the entrance of Kaeng Krachan NP and well known for its access to nearby bird hides which also attract a few small mammal species. The property has excellent grounds at the foot of a small limestone hill and borders a small lake and is a convenient base for Kaeng Krachan and the rooms are in the process of being refurbished. The Baan Maka bird list currently has 190 species on it.
On 16 Oct I drove up from Phuket (a 10 hour drive) and Dave Sargeant drove down from Chiang Mai. Kaeng Krachan is closed for the wetter months of Aug-Oct so our plan was to concentrate on mammals and herps in the vicinity of the lodge; beer being the back-up plan should the weather turn inclement, which it did the second of our three nights there. Besides walking the lodge’s grounds we drove and walked nearby roads and explored trails in nearby forest. Mammal and snake lists and pics are shown below.
Mammals seen
The following species were all seen in the restaurant area except where noted:
1 – Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat (Cynopterus sphinx).
2 – Lesser False Vampire Bat (Megaderma spasma). One night-roosting under room 8; I also saw 15 in a road culvert near Baan Maka.
3 – Thai Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus thailandensis). In the original version of this post it was identified as Dobson’ Horseshoe Bat (Francis, 2008) but Francis (2019) notes that Dobson’s is now restricted to China.
4 – Malayan Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolphus malayanus).
5 – Intermediate Roundleaf Bat (Hipposideros larvatus).
6 – Northern Treeshrew (Tupaia belangeri). Occasional visitors to the fruit feeding station.
7 – Grey-bellied Squirrel (Callosciurus caniceps). Common in the gardens.
8 – Indochinese Ground Squirrel (Menetes berdmorei). Rarely seen at the lodge but regularly seen at the bird hides.
9 – Western Striped Squirrel (Tamiops macclellandii).
Ian had also recently recorded Bengal Slow Loris (Nycicebus bengalensis) in the gardens as well as Pacific Rat (Rattus exulans) and Tanezumi Rat (Rattus tanezumi). Lesser Mousedeer (Tragulus kanchil) is also seen at the bird hides.
Paul Carter, 20 Aug 2016
Revised 8 Nov 2016 to include reference to a 1965 paper with images of a captured animal.
Revised 3 Sep 2024, adding better resolution images, edits and iNaturalist references.
Summary
On 26 May 2016, whilst spotlighting alone along Power Station Road in Kinabalu Park (Borneo, Malaysia) I photographed a Whiskered Flying Squirrel (Petinomys genibarbis) very close to the 4 Km post and at an elevation of approximately 1840 m. This appears to be a notable elevation record; and possibly the first photographs in the wild.
High elevation record of Marbled Cat in Kinabalu Park (Sabah, Borneo)
Paul Carter, 20 Aug 2016
Revised Feb 2017 with a link to Andrew Boyce’s camera-trap record.
A version of this post was published (April 2017) in CAT News Nr 65 Winter 2017.
Summary: Dunedin Farm offers excellent potential to see the rare, endemic Riverine Rabbit. After a visit to the nearby Karoo National Park, my father (Clide Carter) and I booked a night at the Riverine Rabbit Retreat on Dunedin Farm (Western Cape, South Africa). We had low expectations of seeing the Riverine Rabbit but after some pointers from Johan Moolman (the farm owner) we had great views of one before sunset; and saw another two with Johan the next morning. We extended our stay for another two nights once we realized the potential for other smaller mammals and reptiles. Our trip total of 17 mammals included Aardwolf, Bat-eared Fox, Cape Sengi and Hewitt’s Red Rock Hare. This trip report morphed into a site guide as there is nothing else published and I believe it is most likely the best place to look for Riverine Rabbit.
Riverine Rabbit
Dunedin Farm and Riverine Rabbit Retreat
Dunedin Farm is a working farm owned by Johan and Marietha Moolman. They and their two sons are very keen on the local wildlife and were extremely helpful in giving us a detailed rundown on all the species and locations that they knew of. Manus (13) is especially keen and a local authority on the resident birds which include some Karoo specialties. Continue reading
Trip Report – Northwest Sri Lanka – 2015 Dec 5
This brief report details the mammal and reptile species seen on the northwest part of a Sri Lanka trip done with Chi Phan, and travelling by rental car with a driver.
NW Sri Lanka Itinerary:
29 Nov – arrived Colombo; stayed with friends.
30 Nov – visited Victoria Park’s Indian Flying-fox colony.
1 Dec AM – visited Pilikuttuwa Raja Maha Viharaya Caves and Temple.
1 Dec PM – drove to Big Game Camp Wilpattu for 3 nights stay.
2 Dec AM – Wilpattu NP full day trip.
2 Dec – night walk at Big Game Camp Wilpattu.
3 Dec AM – visited Anuradhapura (ancient city and temples).
3 Dec PM – night walk at Big Game Camp Wilpattu.
4 Dec PM – drove to Kalpitiya; stayed at Dolphin Beach Resort.
5 Dec AM – dolphin-watching speedboat trip from Dolphin Beach Resort.
5 Dec PM – afternoon drive to Gangewadiye area on edge of Wilpattu NP.
6 Dec AM – drove Kalpitiya – Sigiriya (not described in this report).
We stayed with friends in Colombo and visited Victoria Park to photograph the roosting flying foxes.
Pilikuttuwa Caves and Temple (1 Dec)
From Colombo we drove 30 Km NE of Colombo on the Kandy road to Pilikuttuwa Raja Maha Viharaya Caves and Temple. The GPS cords for the caves (taken from a journal paper) put us in the middle of a flat grassy area (due to different coordinate systems). We then did the loop walk through secondary forest on a small hill; including getting lost after missing a turn on the hill top and trying to work our way out of the thickets before returning to the hill top and seeing where we missed some stairs going down.
Bats in the caves:
Big Game Camp Wilpattu (1-4 Dec)
Tue 1 Dec: From Pilikuttuwa Caves we drove north on the coastal road for 4 hours and via Puttalam and inland to Big Game Camp Wilpattu (BGC) at Pahala Maaragahawewa village on the southeast side of Wilpattu NP. BGC comprised tented rooms set in thickets connected by walkways to the dining area on the edge of a small grassy wetland and woodland. It was a nice setting but the tents were dark and the toilet-shower area at the back of the tent was cramped. The meals, manager and staff were very good. More importantly there were some paths in thickets on their ground with good wildlife and the tented dining area overlooked a small wetland. Overall it is well worth staying here.
Dinner was fixed at 7.30 pm then at 9 pm I joined the night-walk with 2 other guests on the property, led by 2 of the resort’s guides. This was excellent as we had Grey Slender Loris and a few snakes.I walked the paths alone the next two nights.
Mammal List: Big Game Camp Wilpattu only: (1-3 Dec 2015)
Reptile List: Big Game Camp Wilpattu only: (1-3 Dec 2015)
Birds included a Slaty-legged Crake in the thickets near the tents.
Wilpattu NP (2 and 4 Dec)
Wed 2 Dec: At 6 am we left from BGC on a full-day jeep drive in Wilpattu NP using a pre-arranged driver who charged Rup 8500 / full day and 4500 / half-day. He was good and recommended but BGC did drives at the same price but including lunch and with their naturalist which was probably a better option; and the guests doing that rental get a guided night-walk on the property (which they kindly let me join). I am not sure whether the BCG jeep trip would be shared with other guests or exclusive. An interesting sighting in the park was watching a Ruddy Mongoose pull a Painted-lipped Lizard from under bark on a tree and then swallow it whole.
Fri 4 Dec: At 5.45 am Chi and I left on a half-day jeep drive still hoping for Sloth Bear and we had a brief partial view of one late morning.
Sat 5 Dec: From Dolphin Beach at 1 pm we drove to the Gangewadiye village (population about 50-100) on the coast and just outside the southwest corner of Wilpattu NP. Some locals said there were no elephant around as it was too wet but at sunset on the way back we stopped at a wetland and saw about 14 elephant walk out along the far side of the wetland before disappearing again.
Mammal List: Wilpattu NP only
Reptile List: Wilpattu NP only
Anuradhapura (3 Dec)
After breakfast we drove across to Anuradhapura for a non-wildlife, morning visit to Anuradhapura, an ancient city with temple complexes. Entry was 3500 rup each.
Semnopithecus priam – Tufted Grey Langur
Calotes versicolor – Oriental Garden Lizard
Fri 4 Dec: From Big Game Camp we drove 1.5 hours to Kalpitiya via Puttalam; staying at Dolphin Beach Resort (Makara group) for two nights; located on the beach with ‘luxury’ tent-topped, spacious rooms (canvass tents with brick and concrete walls) where we met our friends from Colombo, Rob and Wanpen.
The next morning Rob, Chi and I went on a dolphin/whale-watching trip. We left at around 7.30 am on the resort’s speed boat (4-6 pax) and went offshore from 5 to 10 km. We had hundreds of spinner dolphins, but no whales.
Driving back to Dolphin Lodge after dusk on 5 Dec we had an Indian Star Tortoise on the road-edge.
On a mammal-watching trip to Sichuan in October 2015 we saw 29 mammal species including Red Panda, Chinese Mountain Cat, Pallas’s Cat and Chinese Zokor. Places visited included Tangjiahe, Ruoergai, Wolong and Balangshan Pass. The group included Dominique Brugiere, Holly Faithfull and Sid Francis (trip leader). The Sichuan trip report (pdf) here.
This Sichuan trip followed our Tibetan Plateau trip with Jon Hall; his report for that trip is on mammalwatching.com.