Monitoring resident and relocated sunda colugos (Galeopterus variegatus) at the Singapore zoo.

Abstract

The Sunda colugo (Galeopterus variegatus) is a largely understudied arboreal and nocturnal mammal native to South-East Asia, including Singapore. A healthy population exists within the compounds of the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari which are adjacent to the Central Catchment Nature Reserves. The aim of this project is to study the range establishment, activity budget, habitat selection and feeding ecology of colugos found within the Singapore Zoo. This included two resident colugos (one male and one female) as well as two relocated colugos (one male and one female) from rescue efforts of colugos displaced from their natural range due to human disturbances. The four colugos were fitted with customized radio telemetry collars and monitored from 13 February 2012 to 30 March 2012. We found that the home range of colugos ranged between 0.63 ha and 3.55 ha and they travelled a nightly distance of 24.37 m and 79.71m. We found that the colugos fed on nine different species of trees within the zoo, seven of which were new records. There were no statistical differences in the ranging and behaviour of resident and relocated colugos, but a higher level of activity was found for male colugos compared to females. These results suggest that colugos can be successfully relocated from their natural range to new habitats and they are able to re-establish themselves quickly with minimal interference to their natural behaviour.