Pongthep Suwanwaree

Antibiotics Smart Use: a workable model for promoting the rational use of medicines in Thailand

The Antibiotics Smart Use (ASU) programme was introduced in Thailand as a model to promote the rational use of medicines, starting with antibiotics. The programmes first phase consisted of assessing interventions intended to change prescribing practices; the second phase examined the feasibility of programme scale-up. Currently the programme is in its third phase, which centres on sustainability. This paper describes the concept behind ASU, the programmes functional modalities, the development of its conceptual framework and the implementation of its first and second phases. To change antibiotic prescription practices, multifaceted interventions at the individual and organizational levels were implemented; to maintain behaviour change and scale up the programme, interventions at the network and policy levels were used. The National Health Security Office has adopted ASU as a pay-for-performance criterion, a major achievement that has led to the programmes expansion nationwide. Despite limited resources, programme scale-up and sustainability have been facilitated by the promotion of local ownership and mutual recognition, which have generated pride and commitment. ASU is clearly a workable entry point for efforts to rationalize the use of medicines in Thailand. Its long-term sustainability will require continued local commitment and political support, effective auditing and integration of ASU into routine systems with appropriate financial incentives.

Seasonality of group size, feeding, and breeding in wild red-shanked douc langurs (Lao PDR).

In Asian colobines, small one‐male groups (OMG) seem to predominate alongside all‐male groups (AMG), while larger multimale groups (MMG) are rare, but are reported for Hanuman langurs and red‐shanked douc langurs. Recently, however, it has been speculated that the genus Pygathrix could have multilevel societies based on (1) a theoretical extension of the multilevel societies found in Rhinopithecus to all odd‐nosed colobines and (2) first data for black‐shanked douc langurs. This assumes bands composed of small OMG with a skewed adult sex ratio. Band size may vary with seasonal food availability resulting in smaller bands when feeding competition is increased. To investigate the social organization of red‐shanked douc langurs and potential seasonal influences, we observed 2 unhabituated groups at Hin Namno National Protected Area, Lao PDR from March 2007 to August 2008 for 803 hr. We recorded births and performed group counts and scan sampling of feeding behavior. Most births (79% of N = 15) occurred from June–September, indicating a 4‐month peak conception season from November to February. Group size averaged 24.5 individuals (range 17–45) with 2.45 adult males (range 1–4). Although the smaller group remained at a stable size (about 18 individuals), the larger group reduced from about 45 to 25 individuals during the 7‐months long lean season, when less than 50% of the feeding time was spent on fruits. This suggests feeding competition as a potential cause of seasonal variation in group size. With 1.9 females per male the skew in adult sex ratio was much lower compared with Rhinopithecus, indicating MMG rather than multilevel societies. However, data on the spacing and interaction patterns between recognized individuals need to be collected and analyzed before the social organization can be determined. Detailed ecological data are furthermore required to investigate the basis for the seasonal changes in group size found. Am. J. Primatol. 73:1134–1144, 2011.

Sexual dimorphism of tropical green pit viper Trimeresurus ( Cryptelytrops ) macrops in Northeast Thailand

Total body size for arboreal vipers is normally biased toward small males and larger females. We evaluated sexual dimorphism in adult and sub-adult Trimeresurus macrops , a small, arboreal green pit viper commonly found in Southeast Asia, but severely understudied. We evaluated morphological characters of 139 adult T. macrops obtained by active and opportunistic searches at Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve in northeast Thailand, from May 2012 to October 2014. We compared 7 external characters including residual index (R i ) and scaled mass index (SMI) between male and female T. macrops . Body length measurements and mass differed between males and females. Females had greater snout-vent length, body mass and head length and width, while males had greater tail lengths. A postocular stripe was always present on males, but never on females. Male head size was negatively correlated with SMI, which may reveal intersexual competition in T. macrops . Sexually dimorphic characters in T. macrops may have evolved through intraspecific resource partitioning.

Singing Patterns of White-Cheeked Gibbons (Nomascus sp.) in the Annamite Mountains of Laos

Studying the structure and patterns of vocalizations in primates is important to understand their evolution, responses to changing environments, and social behavior, and to design efficient vocalization-based survey techniques. Gibbons (Hylobatidae) are small arboreal apes known for their stereotyped songs. Data on their vocalization patterns remain limited, especially for crested gibbons (Nomascus spp.). We recorded songs of white-cheeked gibbons (Nomascus sp.) heard from listening posts at a site in Nakai–Nam Theun National Protected Area, central-eastern Laos, during a cold dry and a warm dry season, from November 2013 to May 2014, along with weather data. Males typically initiated the duet songs at a mean time of 06:14 h. Duet song bouts lasted a mean of 16 min. Song bout length was relatively constant throughout the study but decreased with the occurrence of wind. On a given day, the first male song started at a mean of 12 min before sunrise and all songs ceased at a mean of 13 min after sunrise. The start time of the first song relative to sunrise did not differ significantly between the two seasons but we found a significant negative relationship between the start time of the first song and both time of sunrise and temperature. The mean number of song bouts heard was significantly larger during the cold dry season than the warm dry season, and we found a significant negative relationship between the number of song bouts heard and temperature. Song rates also increased during days with no rain relative to rainy days. Our findings provide a preliminary understanding of song patterns in Nomascus spp. and can aid the planning and interpretation of surveys that rely on documenting their calls.

Using dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models to identify home range size and movement patterns in king cobras

Home range estimators are a critical component for understanding animal spatial ecology. The choice of home range estimator in spatial ecology studies can significantly influence management and conservation actions, as different methods lead to vastly different interpretations of movement patterns, habitat selection, as well as home range requirements. Reptile studies in particular have struggled to reach a consensus on the appropriate home range estimators to use, and species with cryptic behavior make home range assessment difficult. We applied dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models (dBBMMs) to radio-telemetry data from Ophiophagus hannah, a wide-ranging snake species. We used two focal individuals at different life stages (one juvenile male and one adult male) and sought to identify whether the method would accurately represent both their home range and movement patterns. To assess the suitability of dBBMMs, we compared this novel method with traditional home range estimation methods: minimum convex polygons (MCP) and Kernel density estimators (KDE). Both KDE and MCP incorporated higher levels of Type I and Type II errors, which would lead to biases in our understanding of this species space-use and habitat selection. Although these methods identified some general spatial-temporal patterns, dBBMMs were more efficient at detecting movement corridors and accurately representing long-term shelters sites, showing an improvement over methods traditionally favored in reptile studies. The additional flexibility of the dBBMM approach in providing insight into movement patterns can help further improve conservation and management actions. Additionally, our results suggest that dBBMMs may be more widely applicable in studies that rely on VHF telemetry and not limited to studies employing GPS tags.

Arboreal Mating Behaviors of the Big-eyed Green Pit Viper ( Trimeresurus macrops ) in Northeast Thailand (Reptilia: Viperidae)

Abstract: Little is known about mating behaviors in arboreal snakes. We report three observations of mating in wild big-eyed pit vipers (Trimeresurus macrops) in northeast Thailand from 2013 to 2015. Mating occurred at the end of the rainy season, between 20 September and 28 October. One copulation occurred on the ground and two were arboreal (<1.5 m high). Females pulled males up trees during arboreal mating. Observations lasted from 2.2 to 12.9 h, but two of the three observations were initiated after copulation had started and were thus incomplete. Females were larger than males in all copulations. On one occasion a second male attempted to disrupt a mating pair using aggressive body movements and tail wrestling. All mating occurred in human disturbed forests, and two of them were observed in close proximity to human habitations.

Spatial ecology of a small arboreal ambush predator, Trimeresurus macrops Kramer, 1977, in Northeast Thailand

The Big-Eyed Green Pit Viper ( Trimeresurus macrops ; Kramer, 1977) is a venomous snake species endemic to Southeast Asia. Although we have some knowledge of the systematics and toxicology of T. macrops , little is known about the spatial ecology of this species. From May 2013 to February 2014, we used radio-telemetry to determine home-range sizes of 13 adult female T. macrops inhabiting the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve in Northeast Thailand. We found that individual home ranges for T. macrops averaged 0.175 ha, with activity areas ranging from 0.112-0.303 ha and core areas ranging from 0.023-0.052 ha. There was little overlap between conspecific tracked females, especially for the most used areas of their home ranges. We find that T. macrops ambushes more in higher humidity and expresses very little diurnal activity. They use the groundstory for ambushing, then retreat over small distances to higher refuge during the day. Future studies should focus on prey abundance, habitat selection, and survival rates.

Intra-population Color Dimorphism of Ahaetulla prasina (Serpentes: Colubridae) in Northeastern Thailand

Abstract: Although Ahaetulla prasina is typically a cryptic green color, they have also been observed in brown, grey and orange-yellow morphs. We recorded observations of the A. prasina color morphs found in a population within the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve (SBR), northeastern Thailand, between 2013 and 2017. We did not detect any green or brown morphs, showing that this population is dimorphic between grey (54%) and orange-yellow (46%) adults. We did not discern any geographic separation of the color morphs within this population, and sex did not determine color. We found four juveniles, all with brownish-grey bodies and yellow on their anterior dorsals. We observed one sub-adult, which was solid grey except for yellow on the top of the head. Our results suggest that this population may be genetically isolated due to the rapid development surrounding the SBR. Furthermore, color does not likely have a strong influence on adult fitness within this population. Our juvenile and sub-adult observations may indicate ontogenetic color shifts in this population of A. prasina. We recommend additional investigations into the relationship between color and A. prasina ecology. We further reason that the SBR A. prasina may be a good model population for snake genetic research in developing areas.

The Study of Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Plant Genetic Protection Area of RSPG, Nampung Dam EGAT, Thailand

This work aims to study soil physical and chemical properties in two forest types including dry dipterocarp forest (DDF) and mixed deciduous forest (MDF) located in Plant Genetic Protection Area under the Royal Initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Nampung dam EGAT, Sakon Nakhon province, Thailand. The samples were collected 3 times in December 2011, February and May 2012. The results showed that the average values of soil properties in MDF including, soil moisture, electical conductivity, organic matter, total nitrogen, avialable phosphorus and exchangeable potassium were higher than those in DDF. Only soil pH in MDF was less than that in DDF. It can be concluded that MDF have more fertility status of soil than DDF.