Rarest Mamals in The World from Indonesia

1.Attenborough’s Long-beaked Echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi)
Order: Monotremata
Family: Tachyglossidae

Distribution
Papua (Indonesian)

Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna is the smallest and probably most threatened of the three long-beaked echidna species. It is known from a single specimen collected by a Dutch botanist during an expedition to the Cyclops Mountains in 1961. Despite more recent attempts to search for the species it has remained elusive and was believed extinct by the research community until EDGE team members visited the mountains in 2007. Although no individuals were sighted, echidna signs were found and interviews with local community members revealed that the distinctive animals were still present in the mountains. Considered a delicacy and featuring strongly in local traditions, the echidnas are considered to be extremely rare even by hunters who regularly go into the forest of the lower peaks.

Size:
Head and body length: 450-1000 mm (long-beaked echidnas)
Weight: 5-10 kg (long-beaked echidnas)
The most distinguishing feature of long-beaked echidnas is their long snouts, which curve downwards and account for two-thirds of the length of the head. They have no teeth; instead their tongues are covered in spikes (teeth-like projections), which are very effective in hooking prey and drawing it into the mouth.

2.Eastern Long-beaked Echidna (Zaglossus bartoni)
Order: Monotremata
Family: Tachyglossidae

Distribution
Endemic to the island of New Guinea (Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).

Long-beaked echidnas belong to an ancient clade of egg-laying mammals that includes the platypus of Australia. They are easily distinguished from short-beaked echidnas by their long snouts, which account for two-thirds of the length of the head. The eastern long-beaked echidna has the widest distribution of the three long-beaked echidna species. However, while relatively common in the recent fossil record, this species is in decline in areas accessible to humans. It has lost much of its forest habitat to logging, mining and farming and is regarded as a highly prized game animal by local people, who hunt it with specially trained dogs. It has already been driven to extinction in parts of its range. Urgent conservation action is now needed to ensure that remaining populations survive.

Size:
Head and body length: 600-1000 mm
Weight: 5-10 kg
The most distinguishing feature of long-beaked echidnas is their long snouts, which curve downwards and account for two-thirds of the length of the head. They have no teeth; instead their tongues are covered in spikes (teeth-like projections), which are very effective in hooking prey and drawing it into the mouth. They have compact, muscular bodies, with strong limbs and claws for digging.

3.Javan Rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus)

Size
Weight: 2,000 - 5,060 pounds (900 - 2,300 kg)
Height: 5 - 5.5 feet (1.5 - 1.7 m)
tall at the shoulder
Length: 6-11.5 feet (2.0-.4 m)
Horn
Javan rhinos possess a single horn 10 in (25 cm) long, at least in males; females have a smaller or no horn.
Other Features
Gray, hairless; armor plates (actually skin folds) apparent but less so than in the greater one-horned rhino.

The Javan Rhino is found only in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park in west Java.
Javan rhinos appear to be more adaptable feeders than other rhino species: in the tropical rain forest where the species now survives, it is a pure browser, but it possibly was a mixed feeder (both browse and grass) in other parts of its historic range where the species is generally believed to have occupied more lowland areas, especially along watercourses.
Longevity is unknown, but Javan rhinos probably live to 30-40 years.
Gestation is unknown but is presumed to be approximately 15-16 months, as in other rhinos. Inter-birth intervals are unknown, but mothers probably give birth to one calf every 1-3 years.
Females reach sexual maturity between 5 and 7 years of age; males mature at approximately 10 years of age.
Javan rhinos are solitary in nature and are rarely seen.

4.Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)

Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Rhinocerotidae

Distribution

Mostly in Indonesia (Sumatra) and Peninsular Malaysia. Scattered populations elsewhere in south-east Asia.

This two-horned rhino is the smallest and most threatened of the five living rhinoceros species. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘hairy rhino’ because of the long coarse hair that covers its body. The species leads a solitary life deep in the rainforests of South East Asia, where it has survived virtually unchanged for a million years. Sadly, human activities have brought the species to brink of extinction. Extensive deforestation and poaching for the horn have caused a dramatic decline in rhino numbers, and it is estimated that fewer than 275 individuals survive today in very small and highly fragmented populations.

Size:
Head and body length: 236-318 cm
Shoulder height: 112-145 cm
Weight: 600 - 950 kg

5. Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus)

Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Tapiridae

Distribution
Indonesia (Sumatra), Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand

The Asian, or Malayan, tapir is the largest and most evolutionarily distinct of the four living species of tapir. It is also the only surviving Old World species. It is characterised by its long, fleshy, prehensile nose and distinctive black and white colouration which apparently breaks up the outline of the body in the gloom of the forests in which it lives. Formerly ranging across Southeast Asia, the tapir today exists as a series of isolated populations, the largest of which are in Malaysia. Habitat destruction is largely responsible for historical declines of this species, and continues to be the main threat today. Hunting, a relatively minor threat in the past, is also becoming more of a concern; as other preferred prey species are becoming more depleted hunters are increasingly looking towards tapirs as a food source


Size:
Head and body length: 1.80m-2.5m
Weight: 100-500kg

A shy animal that seeks refuge from human encroachment in forest interiors, the Asian tapir is rarely seen. Like other tapirs, its most distinctive feature is its long, fleshy, prehensile nose that provides it with an excellent sense of smell and the ability to grab leaves and feed them into its mouth. The Asian tapir is the largest of the four tapir species, and unlike its New World relatives, has a distinctive white “saddle” on its back and sides. This contrasts starkly with the tapir’s black body, and apparently helps to break up the animal’s outline in the dim light of the forest. In contrast, infants are born with a reddish-brown coat patterned with white stripes and spots, somewhat like a watermelon. The coat changes to the adult colour and pattern as the infant matures.

6. Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)

Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae

Distribution
Mainland Asia and the islands of Sri Lanka, Borneo and Sumatra.

Size:
Head and body length: 550-640 cm
Tail length: 120-150 cm
Shoulder height: 250-300 cm

Weight: Male: 5,400 kg
Female: 2,720 kg

Elephants are large, stocky animals with a strong, flexible trunk, which is an extension of the nose and upper lip. The Asian elephant is the largest land mammal in Asia. It is smaller than the African elephant, and can be distinguished by its smaller ears, more rounded back, and the presence of two dome-like structures on the top of the head. The two species also differ in the structure of their trunks; Asian elephants have a single finger-like process at the tip of the trunk, whereas the African elephant has two. The tusks, which are modified incisors, are also smaller in Asian elephants, and often lacking altogether in females. Instead, the females possess ‘tushes’, which are much smaller projections that rarely extend beyond the mouth. The thick, wrinkly skin of the Asian elephant is greyish-brown in colour and sparsely covered with stiff hairs. Pink mottling is sometimes seen around the face and base of the trunk, a result of de-pigmentation of the skin. There is a high degree of sexual dimorphism between males and females, with the largest males reaching about twice the size of adult females

7.Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii)
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae

Orangutans are the only great apes to occur outside of Africa, and are the largest arboreal mammals in the world. They are extremely intelligent, and have shown evidence of tool use and culture - traits once believed to be uniquely human. Despite being one of our closest relatives, human activities are having a devastating impact on the Sumatran orangutan and its habitat. This species is the slowest breeding of all mammals, giving birth to a single young every 8 years. With such a low reproductive rate even a small decrease in numbers can lead to extinction. Concerted conservation efforts are needed to prevent this peaceful primate from being first great ape to become extinct in the wild.

Distribution
Fossil evidence indicates that orangutans once ranged throughout south-east Asia as far north as China. Today, they are only found in pockets of forests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. The Sumatran orangutan is restricted to remaining patches of rainforest in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Most remaining populations occur in and around Gunung Leuser National Park near Aceh, a protected area around 10,950 km² in area.

Size:
Head and body length: Up to 1.4 m (male)
Weight: 100 kg (males)
Orangutans are the largest arboreal mammal in the world. They have a coarse, shaggy reddish-brown coat, which covers most of their body with the exception of the hands, soles of their feet and part of the face. The colour varies from bright orange in young animals to maroon or dark brown in some adults. Skin colour also varies, from pink in youngsters to almost black in some adults. Their long, powerful arms can reach up to 2 m in length. Both the thumbs and the large toes are opposable, allowing the apes to grasp branches with both its hands and feet.

8. Sunda Pangolin (Manis javanica)

Pangolins or scaly anteaters are a group of unusual mammals with tough, protective keratin scales. Specialised for feeding on ants and termites, they occupy a niche equivalent to that of the American anteaters. The Sunda pangolin possesses long, powerful claws, for ripping open ant and termite nests, and a long, thin, sticky tongue which can measure up to 40 cm in length, for scooping up its prey. The species is heavily hunted both within China and its other range states, for its meat, which is considered a delicacy, as well as for its skin and scales which are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Distribution
Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; Indonesia; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Myanmar; Singapore; Thailand; Viet Nam.

Size:
Head and body length: males approx 520 mm; females approx 450 mm
Weight: males approx 7.5 kg; females approx 4.2 kg
This species has a streamlined elongate body and tail covered with large (2-5 cm), rounded scales formed from fused hair. Scales range in colour from light yellow-brown to black and cover everywhere except ventral head, neck and trunk , and the inner surface of the limbs and foot pads. These animals roll into a ball in defence to protect these areas. They have a small pointed head and a narrow mouth. The fore-feet and hind feet are equipped with sharp claws.

(source: national geographic, EDGE)