First records of Mops johorensis (Dobson, 1873), Northern Free-tailed Bat (Chiroptera, Molossidae), from Borneo, with new information on their genetics and echolocation calls
This study presents the first confirmed records of Mops johorensis (Dobson, 1873) (Chiroptera, Molossidae) from Borneo. Specimens were recorded at three sites: Sabah (Sungai Kangkawat, 50 m a.s.l) and Sarawak (Lubok Antu, 30 m a.s.l and Mount Penrissen, 1200 m a.s.l). Echolocation analysis revealed site-based variation in call frequencies. Morphological comparisons showed subtle differences between Bornean and Peninsular populations. Genetic analysis using the mitochondrial COI gene showed minimal divergence between Bornean and Peninsular individuals. Spatial modelling identified hotspots for Molos-sidae in northern Sabah and central Sarawak, with habitat suitability strongly influenced by bat and cave density, climate, and land use.
Authors
- Julius William-Dee
- Muhd Amsyari Morni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2907-933X)
- Noor Haliza Hasan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0319-9417)
- Jayaraj Vijaya Kumaran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4559-8777)
- Emy Ritta Jinggong
- Ummu Safiyyah Daud
- Qhairil Shyamri Rosli
- Norfarhana Mazlan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3945-4571)
- Praveena Rajasegaran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3024-5300)
- Juliana Senawi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5689-5718)
- Lawrence Alan Bansa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9033-8133)
- Azniza Mahyudin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0567-6993)
- Faisal Ali Anwarali Khan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7585-4885)
- Isham Azhar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3624-0041)
- Amirrah Amat
- Siti Nurbaidzuri Reli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8033-4339)
- Wan Nursyafinaz Wan Azman
Institutions
- Texas Tech University (US)
- Universiti of Malaysia Sabah (MY)
- Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (MY)
- Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (MY)
- National University of Malaysia (MY)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Check List
- Published
- 2025-10-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.15560/21.5.1047
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.03
Funders
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
- Universiti Malaysia Sabah
- Universiti Malaysia Sarawak