Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) is a one-stop repository database of National Biodiversity, which provides and facilitates access to information on biodiversity studies and management in Malaysia.

Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) has now completed the Annual Report: Year in Review 2021. This report serves as the MyBIS Annual Work Programmes 2021. It covers the history of MyBIS, current and future plans, modules available on the MyBIS website, the number of records on biodiversity data, the Specimen Collection Center, Citizen Science, MyBIS Bot Telegram, Top 10 Countries visited MyBIS 2020-2021, MyBIS activities, fun facts on MyBIS, MyBIS Publications and Collaborators.

You can download it for free by clicking the link below.

Download the latest issue of Conservation Malaysia HERE.

Articles in this issue:

• Botanical Discoveries of Gunung Sarut, Terengganu
• Unveiling the Beautiful Gesneriads of Sarut Forest, Terengganu
• A Glimpse of the Trees Along the Trail of Gunung Sarut
• Thismia in Hulu Nerus Forest Reserve
• Spying on the private life of the Tortoise Shell Begonia (Begonia kingiana)

We welcome articles on new research information on flora or fauna and discussions related to biodiversity or conservation.

Please send articles to:

The Editor,
Conservation Malaysia Bulletin,
Forest Research Institute Malaysia,
52109 Kepong, Selangor.
(attn.: Dr. Chan Yoke Mui, yokemui@frim.gov.my or Ms. Ong Su Ping, ongsuping@frim.gov.my)

Conservation Malaysia is published twice a year and hardcopies are free upon request.

Please contact The Editor for any queries or comments.

Click HERE for past issues of Conservation Malaysia.

Download the latest issue of Conservation Malaysia HERE.

Articles in this issue:

• Rediscovery of Shorea kuantanensis, a Dipterocarp believed extinct in Malaysia
• Confirmation of an elusive moss from karst limestone in Peninsular Malaysia
• Botanical Exploration of Gua Pelangi, Negeri Sembilan

We welcome articles on new research information on flora or fauna and discussions related to biodiversity or conservation.

Please send articles to:

The Editor,
Conservation Malaysia Bulletin,
Forest Research Institute Malaysia,
52109 Kepong, Selangor.
(attn.: Dr. Lillian Chua, lilian@frim.gov.my)

Conservation Malaysia is published twice a year and hardcopies are free upon request.

Please contact The Editor for any queries or comments.

Click HERE for past issues of Conservation Malaysia.

Download the latest issue of Conservation Malaysia HERE.

Articles in this issue:

• Managing Production Forest of Peninsular Malaysia Through Intensive Forest Management
• Insect visitors of Beluno (Mangifera caesia) flowers in Sabah
• Welcoming a New Butterfly to FRIM: The Malayan Birdwing

We welcome articles on new research information on flora or fauna and discussions related to biodiversity or conservation.

Please send articles to:

The Editor,
Conservation Malaysia Bulletin,
Forest Research Institute Malaysia,
52109 Kepong, Selangor.
(attn.: Dr. Lillian Chua, lilian@frim.gov.my)

Conservation Malaysia is published twice a year and hardcopies are free upon request.

Please contact The Editor for any queries or comments.

Click HERE for past issues of Conservation Malaysia.

World Sea Turtle Day is celebrated on 16th June each year and this is a day to honour and highlight the significance of conserving this unique species. Sea turtles are very spectacular in their very own way. They are not only beautiful reptiles in the marine habitat but also show incredible perseverance and resiliency towards the ecosystem.

These are 5 things you never knew about marine Turtles:

1. Turtles don’t have teeth. Keratin is the main component that builds the sheaths on their upper and lower jaws. It fits onto the skull like a pair of false teeth.

2. Over 50 bones fused together to make the turtle shells and the shell grows larger as turtle size becomes larger.

3. "Lost years" is the term used to describe the first few years of a marine turtle’s life. The duration between the turtle eggs hatch, crawl into the sea, returning to coastal shallow waters to forage and nesting, remains a mystery to humans. However, there is some research in America, where the turtles end up in a current called the North Atlantic subtropical gyre.

4. Marine turtle species vary greatly in size. The smallest turtle, namely Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle, are measured around 70 cm in length and up to 40 kg in weight. Meanwhile, the leatherback can reach up to 180 cm and 500 kg in weight. That’s approximately 12.5 times heavier!

5. Under natural condition, a rough estimation has been made that as few as 1 in 1,000 to 10,000 marine turtle eggs will survive to adulthood.

"Turtles" is an "umbrella term" that includes sea turtles, freshwater turtles (also known as terrapins and softshell turtles) and terrestrial turtles (also known as tortoises). All turtles are reptiles, they are cold-blooded, and females produce eggs and have scales or scutes. They have no teeth but serrated jaws, they lay their eggs on land, whether at the beach or nesting bank, and they breathe using lungs.

Now we will take a look at the characteristics of each turtle.

Sea turtles are larger in size compared to terrapins and tortoises. Their feet look like flippers and they cannot retract their head and flippers into the shell. Besides, sea turtles are unable to lift their body for locomotion. Thus, they can only crawl on the beach. Of the seven species of sea turtles in the world, four species nest in Malaysia. They are Leatherback Turtle, Green Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, and Olive Ridley Turtle. All of them are categorized as threatened in Malaysia. Sea turtles spend most of their lives in the ocean. A Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) lays an average of 160 eggs in each nest and the eggs take approximately 45 - 60 days to hatch.

Freshwater turtles are also known as terrapins. There are hard-shelled and softshell turtles. Freshwater turtles are typically found in rivers, ponds, and lakes. Fifteen species are native to Malaysia.

Unlike sea turtles, terrapins possess webbed feet and they can retract their head and feet into the shell. They are also able to lift their body and walk on nesting sandbanks. The majority of terrapins are herbivorous. The Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis), one of the most critically endangered species, lays an average of 25 eggs and a maximum of 43 eggs. Typically, the incubation period takes approximately 60 - 90 days.

Another group of freshwater turtles are known as softshell turtles. Softshell turtles have a protruded snout that enables them to hunt for fish. Compared to terrapins, softshell turtles are carnivorous and they feed on fish, insects, crabs, and worms.

Tortoises have stumpy and scaly legs. They are generally smaller than sea turtles and freshwater turtles. Their diet commonly consists of vegetables, fruits, and grasses, which make them herbivorous. Unlike sea turtles and freshwater turtles, tortoises live on land. In Malaysia, three species of tortoises can be found. One of them is the Asian Brown Tortoise (Manouria emys), which is an endangered species. This species lays an average of 42 eggs, and the incubation period ranges from 60 to 70 days.

However, it is important to note that most of the species in Malaysia have been assessed as threatened species by the IUCN Red List due to climate change, environmental pollution and illegal poaching and trafficking.

As a conclusion, understanding and predicting what will happen is the first step to save them in future such as increase public awareness and community participation in conservation of turtle through educational programs, plant vegetation along beaches to provide better nesting habitat, stop throwing rubbish or chemicals waste into the rivers and crack down on illegal poachers and their products by enforcing laws and agreements.

Dragonflies and damselflies are the two members of the order Odonata. Being closely related to each other, it is easy to confuse them. Without closer inspection, you could hardly differentiate between the two. They may appear to be similar but there are few key characteristics that separate these two species category. Once you knew which part to focus on, recognizing between the two should be easy.

There are some details that you must pay attention to in order to differentiate between dragonflies and damselflies. Even an inexperienced bug-watcher can use it to identify the two species category. The details are:-

1. the eye position
2. the wing position during perching
3. the size and shape of the forewing and hindwing

Have a look at the Table 1 below for a quick comparison between dragonfly and damselfly and try to test your understanding by identifying the images above.

However, it is important to note that there are also several species of damselflies perching with open wings such as Dysphaea dimidiata or also known as Black Velvetwing. This state is an extraordinary behaviour for a damselfly.