Nama

Nama ilmiah: Nycticebus menagensis (Lydekker, 1893)
Nama Inggris: Phillipine Slow Loris
Nama lokal: Kalamasan (Banjar)

Status Konservasi

• Dilindungi berdasarkan keputusan Menteri Pertanian, 14 Februari 1973, No. 66/Kpts/Um/2/1973. Undang-undang No. 5 Tahun 1990.
• Redlist IUCN, Vulnerable
• CITES, Apendix I

Nycticebus menagensis is listed as Vulnerable as there has been more than 30% reduction suspected in the species population over three generations (approximately 21-24 years) in the past, and continuing suspected decline at the same rate based on ongoing extensive harvest of individuals for the pet trade and extensive habitat loss of more than 15% from burning and conversion of forests to oil palm plantations over the last decade, and more than 30% over the next 25 years.

Catatan Taksonomi

Nycticebus menagensis sebelumnya masuk ke dalam subspesies N. coucang, namun kemudian dinaikkan menjadi spesies tersendiri. Berdasarkan publikasi penelitian terbaru, ditemukan 2 spesies kukang baru di tanah kalimantan yaitu Kukang Borneo (N. borneanus) dan Kukang Kayan (N. kayan).

This taxon was formerly considered a subspecies of Nycticebus coucang, but was elevated to species level by Roos (2003) and Chen et al. (2006). See also Nekaris and Jaffe (2007). The smallest of the Indonesian slow lorises (350 g-600 g), it is not only distinguished genetically from the others, but also by its pale golden to red fur, virtual lack of markings on its head, and consistent absence of a second upper incisor (Groves 1971, 1998; Ravosa 1998; Chen et al. 2006; Nekaris and Jaffe 2007). Nycticebus menagensis is very pale with a light contrasting facemask and round or diffuse-edged upper circumocular patch. Lower circumocular patch is variable and sometimes extends below the zygomatic arch, it has a narrow interocular stripe, crown patch is mostly diffused, the ears are usually naked, and the preauricular hair band is variable but mainly wide (Munds et al. 2013).

Ciri Identifikasi

Kukang terkecil di Indonesia, dengan panjang tubuh dari kepala hingga pangkal ekor sekitar 27-30 cm dan berat berkisar antara 265-600 gram.

Sebaran

Jenis ini ditemukan di Brunei, Indonesia (Kalimantan), Malaysia (Sabah dan Sarawak) dan Filipina (Tawi Tawi, Bongao, Sangasanga, dan mungkin sebagian kecil pulau di Kepulauan Sulu). Berdasarkan survey terhadap masyarakat, diperkirakan mengalami kepunahan secara lokal di beberapa pulau di Tawi Tawi (Filipina), meskipun begitu spesies ini masih bisa ditemukan di pulau yang lebih kecil.

Nycticebus menagensis seems to be distributed throughout Borneo, and can be sympatric with both N. kayan and N. borneanus. It occurs, though, largely in the north and east coastal Borneo (Brunei, Sabah, Sarawak and East Kalimantan) and the southern Philippine Islands (Tawi Tawi, Bongao, Sangasanga, and perhaps some other small islands in the Sulu Archipelago) (Fooden 1991, Timm and Birney 1992). Ethnographic survey records suggest local extinction in some islands in the Tawi Tawi group (Philippines), though the species is still likely to be found on smaller islands (Garcia pers. comm. 2006).

Based on data collected from researchers in the field and old specimens from museum collections, Meijaard et al. (2005) suggested that this species is common throughout Borneo. However, loris “presence” is usually not determined first-hand (Chivers and Burton 1988, Indrawan and Rangkuti 2001), and it also cannot be presumed that lorises still occur in areas from where they were once collected. The species actually seems to be very uncommon throughout its range. It has a very limited distribution in the Philippines (Dagosto and Gebo 1995, Heaney et al. 1998). In Kalimantan, a 3-month survey in a protected peat swamp forest (Sabangau National Park) revealed very low densities of slow lorises, 0.21 – 0.38 animals/km (Nekaris et al. 2008). When comparing this to other studies of Nycticebus, it seems clear that this species, when it does occur, is rare. Indeed, in 46,000 trapping nights in Kinabalu National Park, Wells et al. (2004) trapped this species only three times, and noted that in nocturnal walks over five years, it was rarely seen. The species was found to occur at an encounter rate of 0.12 individuals/km at Danau Girang Field Center in Sabah, Malaysia (Munds 2014). Photographs of the species emanate from Danum Valley, Sabah; Lameg, Sabah; Sepilok Forest Reserve Sabah; Tabin, Sabah; Sungai Wain, Kalimantan; and Sebakar Sarawak.

Habitat & Ekologi

Hutan primer dan sekunder dataran rendah, hutan bambu, hutan bakau. Kadang kadang mereka juga ditemukan di daerah perkebunan, terutama perkebunan cokelat. Kukang lebih sering ditemukan di tepi habitat hutan, hal ini kemungkinan karena pada daerah tepi memiliki dukungan kelimpahan sumber pakan.

The species occurs in primary and secondary lowland forest, gardens, and plantations (Payne et al. 1985, Timm and Birney 1992), at elevations between 35-100 m. The species has also been observed in peat swamp forests (Blackham 2005).

According to interviews with local people in the Philippines, the species tends to be sighted in citrus trees (Calamansi) (Garcia pers. comm., 2006) and may be tolerant of a variety of habitats. It is nocturnal, and almost entirely arboreal. In Sabangau National Park, of four sightings of lorises, 50% contained two or more individuals, feeding together in the same tree (Callophylum hosei and Szygium cf. nigricans).

Unpublished data from Miard from Sabah and Sarawak indicate that the social organisation of the species comprises a one male with multi females with offspring. The home range of the species is around 9 ha. Females give birth to one offspring per year in the wild and care for the offspring for up to two years before the offspring disperses. The diet of the Philippines slow loris consists primarily of sap, insects and small vertebrates. They have been observed eating fruits but only on rare occasions. In Sabah, Stark (unpublished data) found that the Philippine slow loris regularly slept in dense trees characterised by lianas and climbers, choosing many sleeping trees, reusing them only a few times.

Pakan

Hampir separuh jenis makanannya adalah buah-buahan berserat. Selain itu, kukang juga makan serangga, dan binatang kecil lainnya, seperti moluska dan melata seperti kadal. Kadang-kadang memakan telur burung, dan biji-bijian dari suku leguminosae (biji polong), termasuk buah atau biji cokelat.
Kukang juga memakan nektar bunga, getah pohon dan hewan arthropoda dalam porsi kecil.

Sosial & Perilaku

Kehidupan sosial kukang sangat sedikit sekali diketahui. Kukang sering ditemukan hidup menyendiri (soliter) di alam, atau terkadang terlihat berpasangan terutama pada saat musim kawin.

Pergerakan kukang sangat lambat, bergerak dengan menggunakan keempat anggota tubuhnya (quodropedal). Kadang-kadang mereka menggantung saat akan pindah ke dahan di depannya. Pada saat bergerak malam hari, Kukang jantan memberikan atau menandai dengan air kencingnya pada pohon yang dilalui untuk daerah teritorialnya.

Kukang sering mengeluarkan suara desisan (mendesis) bila merasa terganggu, baik pada jantan maupun betina. Suara desisan pada kukang yang masih bayi sedikit perlahan, terdengar saat akan menyusui. Suara panggilan juga kadang-kadang keluar saat terjadi sesuatu. Pada saat estrous tiba, betina mengeluarkan lengkingan yang cukup keras. Bayi kukang sering mendesis perlahan seperti akan menyusui dan sebagainya.

Mereka aktif pada malam hari (nokturnal) dan hidup di pohon (arboreal). Pada siang hari tidur di percabangan pohon, atau kadang-kadang di rumpun bambu, dan tidak membuat sarang.

Ancaman

Ancaman kehilangan habitat adalah faktor utama dari satwa satwa primata yang ada di pulau Kalimantan. Komunitas pemelihara hewan mulai menjadikan kukang sebagai objek hewan peliharaan sehingga mendorong perburuan dan perdagangan kukang secara lokal.
Selain itu, pengaruh mitos lokal turut mempengaruhi perburuan kukang sebagai media pelet untuk dijadikan minyak pelet ataupun media klenik lainnya yang dipercaya memberikan khasiat secara gaib.

Burning of habitat and conversion, especially to palm oil plantations, almost certainly represents a threat to this species. Although it is relatively adaptable to anthropogenic habitats, and so it might less affected by forest loss than some other primate species, forest loss has been so severe in the region that it is likely to have had some negative impacts. The species is collected locally for use as pets; subsequent uncontrolled release of pets in some areas is also a threat. Captured wild animals are also used as tourist attraction in some hotels or tourist camps in Borneo (Miard unpublished). Forest fires of 2015 on Borneo have been the worst since 2004, and acres of forest has been burned, leading to a significant decrease in the habitat of this species. Lack of law enforcement further threatens slow loris species across their range (Starr et al. 2010, Nijman et al., 2014).

Tren Populasi

Menurun