Malaysia
Mammals
known only
from Malaysia include the Sabah Grizzled
Langur (iNaturalist),
the Selangor Silvery Langur (iNaturalist),
the Bornean Ferret Badger (ARKive
WM), the Bornean Smooth-tailed Treeshrew (Mammals
of Borneo),
the Upland Squirrel (Ecology
Asia), the Selangor Pygmy
Flying Squirrel (Google
Books), the Greater
Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse (flickr),
Margaret's Ranee Mouse (ARKive
WM), the Kinabalu Rat (iNaturalist),
the Malayan Water Shrew (GBIF)
(Raffles
Museum pdf), Doria's False Serotine (ARKive
WM),
the Coppery Sprite (ASM
WM),
Cox's Leaf-nosed Bat (iNaturalist),
and two endemic genera: the Sculptor Squirrel
(Mammals
of Borneo) and the Bornean Tree Rat Pithecheirops (BHL). The Malayan Tiger (Cat SG WM)
is an endemic subspecies.
Birds unique to Malaysia include the Mountain
Peacock-pheasant (ARKive
WM),
the Malay Peacock-pheasant (eBird),
the Malay Partridge (eBird),
the Sabah Partridge (flickr),
the Dulit Partridge (fig. 7 at Borneo
Bird Images),
the Black-headed Pitta
(eBird),
the Friendly Grasshopper Warbler (eBird),
the Malay Whistling Thrush (eBird),
Everett's Thrush (eBird),
and the Malay Bullfinch (OBC
WM).
The Malaysian Crested Argus Rheinardia
nigrescens (ResearchGate)
has recently been elevated to a full species (BioOne).
The Bornean Swiftlet Collocalia
dodgei (Borneo
Bird Images) is sometimes considered distinct from the Cave
Swiftlet Collocalia
linchi.
Endemic reptiles include the Tioman Blind Lizard (BHL),
the Jelawang Bent-toed Gecko (Species
New to Science), the Kinabalu Flying Gecko (iNaturalist),
the Cameron Highlands Forest Skink (iNaturalist),
the Kinabalu Giant Blind Snake (iNaturalist),
the Tioman Reed Snake (ARKive
WM),
Schaefer’s Spine-jawed Snake (ResearchGate),
the Mirkwood Forest Slug Snake (ResearchGate),
and the Cameron Highlands Pitviper (Ecology
Asia). Endemic genera include the Kinabalu Brown Pitviper (iNaturalist),
the Mountain Dwarf Snake (flickr),
Hanitsch's Reed Snake (iNaturalist),
the Selangor Mud Snake (ResearchGate),
the Pahang Water Snake Kualatahan
(BHL)
(fig. 8 at ResearchGate),
the Kinabalu Crested Dragon (iNaturalist),
the Kinabalu Forest Lizard (iNaturalist),
and Robinson's Anglehead Lizard
(iNaturalist).
Amphibians found nowhere else include the Mesilau Toad (IUCN),
the Api Dwarf Toad (Frogs
of Borneo), Kobayashi's Horned Frog (Frogs
of Borneo), the Rough-sided Dwarf Litter Frog (Frogs
of Borneo), the Kinabalu Large-Eyed Litter Frog (Frogs
of Borneo), the Kajang Slender Litter Frog (BHL),
the Lowland Grainy Frog (ARKive
WM),
the Minute Narrow-mouthed Frog (AmphibiaWeb),
the Malaysian Treehole Frog (Ecology
Asia),
the Tanah Rata Wart Frog (ARKive
WM),
the Western Torrent Frog (Frogs
of Borneo), the Kerangas Bush Frog (Frogs
of Borneo), the very small Matang Narrow-mouthed Frog (Frogs
of Borneo),
and a caecilian Ichthyophis
pauli (Species
New to Science).
The Sabah Earless Toad (Frogs
of Borneo)
and Tung's Narrow-mouthed Frog (GBIF)
represent endemic genera.
Freshwater fish known solely from Malaysia include numerous bettas such
as Betta persephone
(ARKive
WM),
Betta pulchra
(Seriously
Fish), and
Betta ibanorum (Seriously
Fish).
Endemic catfish include Encheloclarias
curtisoma
(PlanetCatfish),
Hemibagrus semotus
(PlanetCatfish), Pangasius kinabatanganensis (GBIF),
Akysis microps
(FLMNH),
and Micronema platypogon
(PlanetCatfish).
Other endemic fish include a licorice gourami Parosphromenus
harveyi (Seriously
Fish), a goby Pseudogobiopsis
festivus (flickr),
the minnows Nematabramis
borneensis (Seriously
Fish) and Osteochilus
chini (FishBase),
Paedocypris micromegethes (FishBase), the Terengganu Rasbora (iNaturalist), and the Striped Redeye Puffer (Species
New to Science). Endemic genera include the Bearded Gudgeon Pogoneleotris (BHL), the Estuary Croaker Sonorolux (FishBase), and several loaches: Engkaria (PLAZI), Theriodes (fig. 54e at BHL),
Katibasia (p. 65 of Raffles Museum pdf), and Speonectes
(ResearchGate).
Butterflies restricted to Malaysia include Tanaecia
amisa (jamiun.com),
Zeuxidia mesilauensis
(iNaturalist),
Ragadia
annulata
(iNaturalist),
Lethe perimede
(flickr),
Heliophorus kiana
(iNaturalist),
Ptychandra
talboti (iNaturalist),
Graphium procles
(iNaturalist),
Allotinus otsukai (iNaturalist), and Atrophaneura
matsudai (p. 7 of ResearchGate
pdf). Endemic moths include Antheraea
ulrichbroschi (iNaturalist)
and Trabala
rotundapex (Moths
of Borneo).
Spectacular insects restricted to Malaysia include the world's longest insect, Chan's Megastick (iNaturalist) (Mongabay), and the world's largest leaf insect Phyllium giganteum (iNaturalist). Other endemic insects include a damselfly Elattoneura mauros (Odonata of Pen. Malaysia), a dragonfly Leptogomphus tioman (GBIF), a grasshopper Willemsella bicolor (ResearchGate), a katydid Eulophophyllum kirki (GBIF), the Jungle Nymph (iNaturalist), a lacewing Semachrysa jade (Mongabay), a cicada Nabalua gogalai (pms-lj.si WM pdf), a lanternfly Pyrops whiteheadi (iNaturalist), a herdsmen ant Dolichoderus maschwitzi (AntWiki) (iNaturalist), the flower beetles Pseudochalcothea spathulifera (iNaturalist) and Theodosia chewi (flickr), a synchronous flashing firefly Pteroptyx balingiana (fig. B at ResearchGate), the longhorn beetles Apriona brunneomarginata (iNaturalist) and Thompsoniana vodozi (iNaturalist), and the stag beetles Cyclommatus chewi (flickr) and Odontolabis leuthneri (iNaturalist).
Other endemic invertebrates include the tarantulas Phlogiellus pelidnus (ResearchGate) and Coremiocnemis hoggi (Tarantupedia), a jumping spider Sparbambus gombakensis (ResearchGate), a trapdoor spider Liphistius kanthan (IUCN), a scorpion Spelaeolychas hosei (iNaturalist), a harvestman Sandokan malayanus (iNaturalist), a centipede Sterropristes metallicus (figs. A-B at ResearchGate), a millipede Orthomorpha fluminoris (ResearchGate), a woodlouse Adinda malaccensis (iNaturalist), a freshwater crab Johora gapensis (ARKive WM), the Sarawak Land Crab Lepidothelphusa cognetti (ARKive WM), a freshwater shrimp Alpheus cyanoteles (aquariumphoto.dk WM), a land planarian Bipalium choristosperma (iNaturalist), an earthworm Pheretima saba (GBIF), the freshwater mussels Hyriopsis bialata (p. 10 of National Red List WM pdf) and Khairuloconcha lunbawangorum (Sci-News WM), and several land snails: Opisthostoma vermiculum (IISE WM), Japonia alticola (mybis), Dyakia chlorosoma (iNaturalist), Hypselostoma elephas (Malay Pen. Terr. Molluscs), Plectostoma umbilicatum (fig. B at ResearchGate), Hemiplecta malaouyi (iNaturalist), and Everettia jucundior (Bornean Land Snails).
A parasitic mite Hystrichonyssus
turneri (p. 212 of Univ.
Nebraska
pdf) currently known only from Malaysia, but collected from
non-endemic species, is the sole member of the family
Hystrichonyssidae. Another parasitic mite Audyana thompsoni (BHL)
is apparently known only from specimens collected in peninsular
Malaysia and is the sole member of the family Audyanidae (BHL).
Orchids unique to Malaysia include Dimorphorchis
rossii
(IOPSE WM),
Dendrobium
serena-alexianum (IOPSE WM),
Paphiopedilum
rothschildianum (IUCN),
Bulbophyllum cameronense
(IOPSE WM),
and Thrixspermum
erythrolomum (p. 5 of WWF
pdf).
Other endemic plants include Rafflesia
tuan-mudae
(Parasitic
Plant Connection WM), the Joey on a Stick (ARKive
WM),
Alpinia murdochi
(IUCN),
Monophyllaea sarangica
(iNaturalist),
the Parasol Palm (PACSOA),
a conifer Dacrydium
gibbsiae (RBGE),
Rhododendron benomense
(RBGE
pdf), a pitcher plant Nepenthes
rajah (iNaturalist),
Hopea auriculata
(FPM
WM),
the Kinabalu Kauri (ARKive
WM),
Amorphophallus
julaihii (IAS
WM),
Begonia lowiana
(iNaturalist),
Dipterocarpus
rotundifolius (mybis),
and Orchidantha
longiflora (flickr).
Endemic vascular plant genera include Dilochiopsis (mybis), Spongiola (IOPSE WM), Spelaeanthus (Genera of Gesneriaceae), Senyumia (Genera of Gesneriaceae), Kostermansia (nparks.gov.sg), Aleisanthia (iNaturalist), Gentingia (Phylogeny of Angiosperms), Perakanthus (Christian Puff), Schottariella (aroid pictures WM), Bakoa (ResearchGate), Tawaia (ResearchGate), Pichinia (ResearchGate), Bayabusua (Flora Malesiana), Borneosicyos (Flora Malesiana), Acrymia (Flora Malesiana), Hexapora (BHL), Schuurmansiella (flickr), Lampas (Google Books), Kochummenia (Internet Archive), and Borneodendron (Rogier van Vugt).
Endemic fungi include Spongiforma
squarepantsii (IUCN WM)
and Chlorogaster
dipterocarpi (IUCN WM).
Endemic lichens include Astrothelium
tanianum (figs. D-E at ResearchGate)
and Leiorreuma
convariata (Tropical
Lichens). Endemic non-vascular plants include the liverworts Thiersianthus silamensis
(ECNU
WM pdf) and Diplophyllum
kinabaluense (ResearchGate)
and the mosses Bryobrothera
tambuyukonensis (ResearchGate)
and Benitotania elimbata
(ResearchGate).
Malaysia is included in the Sundaland biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM).
Important terrestrial ecoregions include
the Kinabalu Montane Alpine Meadows (EoE)
and the Peninsular Malaysian Montane Rain Forests (EoE).
Important freshwater ecoregions for endemic species include
the Malay Peninsula Eastern Slope (FEOW
WM)
and the Northeastern Borneo (FEOW
WM).