Carnivorans of the Philippines: current knowledge and research gaps
Résumé
Abstract There are 7 carnivoran species in the Philippines, and despite their ecological and conservation importance, there has never been a review of the current knowledge and research efforts on these species in the country before. Here, we present the results of a comprehensive literature review and provide a summary of current knowledge on each carnivoran species in the Philippines. We searched 2 online databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science) and found 68 journal articles and reports published between January 1990 and October 2023. Research on Philippine carnivorans increased steadily over the past 34 years, with 54% of all studies being published in the past 10 years. Research in Palawan and nearby islands accounted for 66% of all studies, likely because carnivoran species richness of Palawan is higher than in the rest of the Philippines. The “Spatial Ecology and Habitat Use” category consisted of the highest number of publications, but more than half of these papers are simply occurrence records from larger biodiversity studies. Research on human–wildlife interactions and conservation practices point to hunting and habitat degradation as the leading threats to carnivorans in the Philippines. However, population and community ecology—as well as other basic ecological requirements of many species—are virtually unknown. Compared to similar reviews on other taxa in the Philippines and on carnivorans in other countries, our review reveals that carnivorans seem to be greatly understudied in the Philippines, thus highlighting a need for more research on these species, some of which are threatened. Owing to recent changes in the taxonomic status of the Sunda Leopard Cat and Philippine Palm Civet, and recognition that the Philippine mongoose is a population of the Collared Mongoose, the IUCN Red List status of these species should be re-assessed.