1 PREFACE
WE WILL NEVER FORGET .
our first trip together in 2001 to the interior of Sarawak and the kind Kelabit people of the Bario Highlands. It was a joyful productive exploration of the beautiful forests of Bario. The morale was high, discussions on shared scientific interests were productive and soon showed that we should try doing a project together. Soon after, we applied to Volkswagen Foundation for a four-year project on an inventory of East Malaysian tadpoles. In the consecutive years, we conducted many field trips together and amassed data far beyond tadpoles. The idea of writing a book on tadpoles always lingered in our heads, fascinating and intimidating us at the same time. It was only after Stefan T. Hertwig, Pia Bublies, and Reinhard Schulz-Schaeffer had later strengthened our team that we started the book writing journey. The time was ripe for a summary of what had been achieved.
When thinking about writing a book on the tadpoles of Borneo, we found us confronted with some tricky questions. How can a book be written about a fauna that is incompletely known at the time of writing? How can we dare writing about the tadpoles of Borneo when many tadpoles have either not been discovered or not been described scientifically? Why would we try to assemble a book if current knowledge is so patchy? And why risk the publication of a book that might be outdated by new discoveries and progress in taxonomy and systematics at the time of its release? These are only the biological and scientific questions raised by such a project. Many more questions concern the format: printed book, e-book, app for tablet PC? What would be the most useful and appealing format of such a publication in times of major changes in the markets. Who would use the book and how would it be used? What value in usability could we deliver?
The excellent previous work of colleagues certainly humbled us, for example Wen-hao Chou and Jun-yi Lin's Tadpoles of Taiwan and Marion Anstis' Tadpoles and Frogs of Australia, and Tsi Ming Leong's publications on Peninsular Malaysia tadpoles. At the same time, books such as Frogs of Borneo by Robert F. Inger, Robert B. Stuebing, T. Ulmar Grafe, and T. Maximilian Dehling inspired us with their book on frogs. The work and high standards of all theses authors encouraged us to fill a gap and experiment with our own ways to approach a publication on a localized tadpole fauna.
Author information p. 276
Many years of field work in the beautiful rainforests of Sarawak and Sabah have enriched us with insights that we want to share. Many students, with their keen enthusiasm have convinced us that producing a publications that facilitates access to the exceptional and fascinating amphibian fauna of Borneo is an effort well spent. The faith of our major financial sponsor for this research project, the Volkswagen Foundation, certainly encouraged us to take this challenge. Last but not least, the numbers of visitors to our website on the frogs of Borneo ( www.frogsofborneo.org) surprised us; we had not expected that attention. On this site, a few clicks lead the user to most of the Bornean species. Although incomplete in coverage and information for each species rather minimalistic, it has proven useful for many users. University students and general naturalists downloaded our imagery to build their personal pocket field guides. It convinced us that there is a need for simplicity among users.
www.frogsofborneo.org
Knowledge on amphibians and the tools of the trade are in constant change. That should not keep us from communicating the current status in the field in an accessible form. Our team of authors has proposed some new avenues in this book. For us it has been a joyful learning experience.
- Alexander Haas & Indraneil Das -
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Over the years, numerous colleagues, friends, students, technicians, and field companions assisted in one way or another in our project to document the tadpoles of Borneo either by making the book a reality, working with us in the field, processing specimens in the laboratory, or just discussing Bornean amphibians with us. Needless to say that our endeavor was substantially motivated by previous groundbreaking scientific work on tadpoles by Robert F. Inger, Wen-hao Chou, Marion Anstis, and Tzi Ming Leong. Their wonderful work provided many inspirations for the present book.
First and foremost, we would like to thank the Volkswagen Foundation for enabling us with a grant to initiate our research on Bornean tadpoles, organize a symposium at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak in 2009, and produce this book. Furthermore, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to our scientific institutions for providing us with the possibility to conduct this research, namely the Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak; the Center for Natural History, Universität Hamburg, Leibniz-Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, and the Natural History Museum Bern. The Burgergemeinde Bern and German Academic Exchange Program (DAAD) generously provided funds for field assistants and travel expenses. We also gratefully acknowledge the generous support of our collaborating partners at the Universiti Sabah Malaysia, Charles Vairapppan and Kueh Boon-Hee.
Our research in protected areas of Sarawak and Sabah was only possible with the support and endorsement of the responsible authorities. We are indebted to the Economic Planning Unit, the Prime Minister's Department, Malaysia, and especially Munirah Abd. Manan. Sarawak Forest Department and Sarawak Forestry Corporation, especially (Datuk) Cheong Ek Choon, Engkamat Lading, Oswald Braken Tisen, Haji Azahari bin Omar, Zolkipli bin Mohamad Aton, Arabi Abang Aimran, (Datu) Haji Ali bin Yusop, Bolhan Budeng, Azahari bin Omar, Mohd. Shabudin Sabki, Nur Afiza Binti Umar, Dayang Nuriza binti Abang Abdillah, Mohamad bin Kohdi. We gratefully acknowledge the support of Sabah Biodiversity Center and Council, Abdul Fatah Amir, C.Y. Chung. Sabah Parks with our contact persons Jamili Nais, Maklarin Lakim, Paul Yambun, Nelly Majuakim. Yayasan Foundation and Maliau Management Committee, particularly Waidi Sinun, Rondy Milin, and Grace Pounsin supported our work at Maliau Conservation Area. Finally, we thank all local park managements and staff that we had the privilege to work with.
Many people contributed to our project. We needed support and assistance in the field, specimens had to be processed, tadpoles had to be barcoded, phylogenetically analyzed, and described. Some students produced Bachelor's or Master's Theses on tadpoles and frogs of Sarawak and Sabah as part of our project and moved on to make their own careers. First of all, our gratitude goes to Pui Yong Min who was our reliable, knowledgeable and kind partner and friend in many field trips. We thank him for his sustained support, his inter-cultural assistance, tremendous field work and endless enthusiasm.
Furthermore, we would like to thank our former students, field assistants, and technical staff for their participation in a multitude of different ways and for their good work, in no particular order: Elyas Eric Huil, Laurence Etter, Erina Balmer, Nathalie Reichen, Jana Flury, Hannes Baur, Beatrice Blöchlinger, Chris Sherry, Karin Eva Lilje, Toralf Keilholz, Tobias Einecke, Maximilian Dehling, André Jankowski, Jeet Sukumaran, Daniela Haarmeier, Melitta Wunderskirchner, Cindy Hefenbrock, Wencke Krings, Maria Grimm, Jana Pohlmeyer, Thorben Riehl, Johanna Wolter, Enzo Braskamp, Despina Chaluppa, Stine Griep, Helena Dobbeck, Stephan Senne, Julia Juchheim, Felix Meyer, Sandra James Tinggom, Castro Michael, Lily Sir, Mohd. Iqbal Makmor, Khairul Anuar bin Omar, Yolande Direp ak Michael Direp, Hairi bin Hedeir, Siti Shuhada bt Mustaffa, S. J. Tingsom, C. Michael, Mona Octavia Sulai, Lea Waser, Evelyne Oberhummer, Dario Neokleous, Catherin Barten, Dimitrij Trofimov, Anna Maria Vogt, Monika Hähnel, Angelika Taebel-Hellwig, Reto Hagmann, Masliadi bin Asri, Alvinus Joseph, and Elyas Eric Huil. Finally many thanks go to Jörg Hofmann, good friend and excellent partner in the field.
Ledlenser kindly provided some samples of their LED torches for field testing. Yeo Siew Teck (Cat City Holidays) provided valuable logistics support over the years. Nele Johannsen skillfully developed and contributed a sketched rainforest scenery (p. 46f) that shows where tadpoles live .
The authors hold copyrights for all photos in this book, except for several photos that were kindly provided by other photographers and are marked alongside with the photo. Especially Chien Lee, Hanyrol H. Ahmad, Lars Fehlandt, Pui Yong Min, Nikolay A. Poyarkov, Arne Schulze, and Wencke Krings. Marion Beeck gave some time-saving InDesign tips. We very much appreciate all their contributions!
Our colleagues Robert F. Inger, Ulmar Grafe, Julian Glos, Chan Kin Onn, Umilaela Arifin, Rafe Brown, Manuel Schweizer, Tzi Ming Leong, and Quah Evan have always been open for our questions and supported us when needed. We are grateful for all the discussions, interactions, and sharing of information we had with them and the help we received!
Many thanks to our friends and nature photographers Hanyrol H. Ahmad Sah, and Lars Fehlandt who joined us in field work, provided great images, connected us many times with people, helped us with logistics, and gave us valuable advice during expedition planning. We are grateful to Nadja Schilling for proof reading earlier versions and feedback. AH takes full responsibility for all remaining errors. Finally, AH wants to thank Roisin...
