Mammalogy in the Gaoligong Mountains

Mammology is the study of mammals, a class of vertebrates that have unique characteristics such as hair and the production of milk, and the study of their diversity and distribution on Earth. Employing traditional mammal collection techniques and remote camera-trapping we are documenting the occurrence and mapping distributions of Gaoligong Shan (GLGS) mammals.

Many of the large mammals such as elephants, rhinoceros, tigers, and some primates have already disappeared from the GLGS, or are too rare to find. However, our collections of smaller mammals such as those in the orders, Chiroptera (Bats), Rodentia (Rodents), and Insectivora (Moles and Shrews) can tell us about subtle changes in the environment that are critical to the conservation of the GLGS.

Discoveries

• Expected number of mammal species: 176
• Total specimens collected (2002-2006): 1,300
• Total species collected: 38

Who is involved?

In addition to the many students, forestry service officials, drivers, and volunteers who helped the team with the surveys, the main mammalogy team includes:

• Matthew Durnin, senior mammalogist and MacArthur Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, California Academy of Sciences (CAS)
• Jiang Xuelong, senior mammalogist and curator at the Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ)
• Moe Flannery, mammalogist on the 2002 and 2004 expeditions and collections manager in the department of Ornithology and Mammology at CAS

Where we collected

Map the mammals surveyed in each county by clicking on the links below:

2002: Nujiang Prefecture, Lushui and Fugong counties
2003: Baoshan Prefecture, Tengchong, Longyang, and Longling counties
2004: Nujiang Prefecture, Lushui county
2005: Nujiang Prefecture, Lushui and Fugong counties