Predicted distribution of the collared mongoose Herpestes semitorquatus (Mammalia: Carnivora: Herpestidae) on Borneo

Collared mongoose Herpestes semitorquatus is known to inhabit Borneo, Sumatra and possibly the Philippines. It occurs widely in Borneo, possibly with the exception of South Kalimantan. It is very likely to occur in Brunei, although no explicit records have been traced. The pelage is typically brown or reddish-brown, with a few strongly reddish-orange individuals recorded in Sabah. It has never been studied in the field, so information on its ecology is limited. We used MaxEnt niche distribution modelling to predict the current distribution of collared mongoose in Borneo. We collected a total of 117 occurrence records from all regions, except Brunei and South Kalimantan. To reduce possible negative effects of uneven search-effort, 27 records were used in the Balanced Model and 77 in the Spatial Filtering Model to map habitat suitability. Our habitat suitability index model predicted that a large proportion of Borneo, mostly the lowland and upland forests in the interior encompassing large blocks of both national and transboundary protected area networks, is suitable for collared mongoose. Increased survey effort is warranted in areas predicted to be suitable but lack data, such as northern Central Kalimantan, central East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and south-central Sarawak. To understand the effects of logging on collared mongoose, further investigations are required.