An annotated checklist of mammal species from the Cardamom Mountain landscape in Southwestern Cambodia: Integrating historical records and recent camera trap survey

An annotated checklist of mammal species was compiled for the Cardamom Mountain Landscape (CML) in southwestern Cambodia by synthesizing historical literature and grey reports (1999–2025) with recent camera-trap data from Central Cardamom National Park (CCNP). In total, we found 96 mammal species across 10 orders, 29 families, and 70 genera. Of these, 25 species (26.0%) are globally threatened on the IUCN Red List, including two Critically Endangered species, the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) and banteng (Bos javanicus), and nine Endangered species. Camera trapping in the CCNP across 23,038 trap-nights yielded 16,164 independent detections, confirming 38 terrestrial mammal species, including the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), dhole (Cuon alpinus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), and sun bear (Helarctos malayanus). Species richness was highest in well-surveyed areas like CCNP (62 species) and Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary (59 species). Consistent with broader Indo-Burma distribution patterns, most mammal groups were mainly associated with intact evergreen, semi-evergreen, and hill forests. Conversely, bats (Chiroptera) and small non-volant mammals (Eulipotyphla, Rodentia) remain under-represented in protected areas that lack live-trapping or acoustic inventories. The historical loss of apex predators underlines ongoing pressure from poaching, snaring, and habitat fragmentation along reserve borders. This inventory provides an updated empirical baseline to support spatial zoning, biodiversity monitoring, and targeted conservation across the Indo-Burma Hotspot.