Fine scale habitat and movement patterns of javan slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus) in Cipaganti, West Java, Indonesia

Today biodiversity is rapidly decreasing and an increasing number of threatened species live in modified and human dominated landscapes. Therefore it is essential to learn more about how species cope with the changes of their habitat. The focus of this study lies on a primate species, the critically endangered Javan slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus), endemic to the densely populated island of Java, Indonesia. In cooperation with the Little fire face project in West Java, I used a step selection function (SSF) framework, to understand how landscape structure affects the movement of Javan slow lorises within a fragmented mountain-agroforest landscape of Cipaganti, West Java. To investigate the movement and fine scale habitat selection of slow lorises I used one hour locations of 6 radio-collared slow lorises. The habitat and vegetation of observed and random steps was investigated in multiple variables such as presence of food trees and signs of human disturbance. For the analysis I paired observed steps (1h relocations) with 3 random habitat locations and used a conditional logistic regression to parameterize the SSF, which represents the probability of a focal slow loris to select a given step as a function of the habitat and vegetation factors surveyed. In average the slow lorises travelled about 450 m each night and most frequently they used a step length of about 0 – 50 m. My result reveals that slow lorises fine scale habitat selection is positively influenced by the presence of trees and tree trunk cover (indirect increasing the canopy cover and connectivity). They are also to a high extent positively affected by the presence of a feeding tree species, Calliandra calothyrsus. Surprisingly slow lorises selected steps associated with a higher number of fields (fields may indicate an increased biodiversity within the location). The results also indicate that slow lorises are limited in their movement by the presence of fields or rivers, which indicates that slow lorises are negatively influenced in their movement by a declining ability to move and forage within Cipaganti. I found no significant differences between sexes in their distance travelled. The recommendation for future conservation of slow lorises in Cipaganti is to prevent further habitat loss and fragmentation through activities that protect or maintain the present suitable slow loris habitat. Further research is needed to increase the knowledge of these primates’ abilities to live in this modified landscape.