For real? If you see a white moth, the spirit of a loved one is visiting you

Raffles Museum Treasures: Binturong

Binturong (Arctictis binturong)
Native to Singapore: Locally Extinct

While the binturong is thought to be locally extinct here in Singapore, an individual was captured in Bukit Panjang in May 2004. There has been no information on whether this particular binturong was a former captive, or if it might indicate that binturong still linger on in our forest reserves.

Synopsis of Philippine Mammals
IUCN Red List
ARKive
Animal Diversity Web


(Photo by Chi Liu)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Dhole

Dhole or Asiatic Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus)

Dhole Home Page
Canid Species Accounts
Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs - 2004 Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan
CITES
WWF
IUCN Red List
ARKive
Animal Diversity Web
Cumulative Index for the Mammalian Species


(Photo by yathin)

$2,000 reward for finding beloved pet parrot, no questions asked

STOMPer Sin Pei Lee has yet to find her beloved pet parrot, Hong Hong. She is offering $2,000 as a reward to anyone who finds Hong Hong.

The owners previously offered $1,000 in an earlier article.

The STOMPer said:

“My pet parrot, Hong Hong, flew out of our flat at Blk 262A Compassvale Street at about 9pm of June 3. Hong Hong is a Congo African Grey parrot, tame and talkative.

"The reward is $2000 if found and retrieved. No questions asked. Please contact [redacted].

"Thursday night marked the 3rd week since Hong Hong was lost and as I sat alone in my living room, I finally cried out for the first time.

"I cried because as I recite Hong Hong favorite line; "Nie hou ma?"(How are you? in Mandarin), I realised I no longer know how Hong Hong is and whether or not Hong Hong is being well treated. Hong Hong, nie hou ma?

"I kept staring at Hong Hong's cage & playstand while my crying continues. Both the cage & playstand is filled with toys for Hong Hong to chew & play with.

"Hong Hong, are you having any toys now?

"In the past 3 weeks, my husband and I has done loads of things to find Hong Hong. We kept ticking on one after another action that can be done to find Hong Hong...

"We contacted the SPCA, AVA, Jurong Birdpark, posted on websites & forums, posting flyers to mailboxes, getting contractor to post more flyers to HDB door-to-door, visiting birdshops, walking & calling Hong Hong at HDB floor by floor and checking out online day after day.

"Yet Hong Hong is still missing.

"We have also encountered many helpful & compassionate people and would like to thank them as below:

"1) Ivan of Jurong Birdpark, Ridzuan of AVA & staff of SPCA (contacted me via phone so I forgot the name)

"2) Our fellow neighbour at Block 290A Sengkang who informed us of Hong Hong flying in then out of his house (again, we didn't get his name)

"3) Mr. John of ATW, our flyer contractor who prioritize our flyer distribution to within the 1st week.

"4) Staff at STOMP for posting out my story. (including this, the 3rd time)

"5) Mr Chew of Colchester Grove who contacted us on an african grey parrot flying into his garden on June 17 (it's not Hong Hong and we were unable to help since the parrot also flew off when my husband reach there)

"6) Mr. KY Wong of Shin Min Daily News who noticed the STOMP story & followed up with a newspaper article on June 21

"7) Supportive fellow members of various forums, bird shops owner and many others.

"We no longer have any further actions that can be done aside from posting online.

"Please help us to find Hong Hong back."

I guess this owner must really adore her African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus); this is the 3rd time she has posted about her missing parrot, with the previous reports dating to 20th June and 7th June.

Raffles Museum Treasures: Hog badger

Hog badger (Arctonyx collaris)

Monday Morgue: 28th June 2010

Lesser Asian yellow house bat (Scotophilus kuhlii)
Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, 17th May 2010

Wildlife Singapore
Ecology Asia
Synopsis of Philippine Mammals
IUCN Red List

Raffles Museum Treasures: Leatherback turtle

Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
Collected from Siglap, December 1883
Vagrant

Although this species is known to nest on the beaches of Terengganu on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, this individual is the only leatherback turtle ever recorded in Singapore territorial waters.

Phuket leatherback sea turtle eggs fail to hatch (Mirror)
One dead, dozens treated after consuming turtle meat in West Sumatra (Mirror)
Leatherback turtles return to Phuket (Mirror)
'Greater Phuket' Wins Back a Giant Leatherback (Mirror)
'Greater Phuket' Giant Shows How It's Done (Mirror)
Vast protected area proposed for leatherbacks of California West Coast
Christmas with the leatherbacks
For giant turtles, beach offers a precarious start to life (Mirror)
Scientists identify world's largest leatherback turtle population
Effort to Protect Rare Turtles in Indonesia Shows Need to Address Human Problems as Well (Mirror)
Great Turtle Race Mixes Competition, Conservation
Prehistoric Turtle Threatened by Modern Menace (Mirror)
Nine leatherback turtle found on Terengganu shores last year (Mirror)
Change of habits could help save leatherbacks (Mirror)
Gigantothermy: Size Matters
National Geographic Features
The Great Turtle Race
Reptile Database
IUCN Red List
IUCN Species of the Day
WWF
ARKive
Animal Diversity Web
National Geographic Animal Facts
SeaLifeBase
MarineBio.org
NOAA Fisheries
The Leatherback Trust
Oceanic Resource Foundation
Sea Turtle Conservation Travel


(Photo by ~Steph~)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Common Asian toad

Common Asian toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus)
Native to Singapore

Wildlife Singapore
NParks FaunaWeb
Ecology Asia
Amphibians & Reptiles of Peninsular Malaysia
Frogs of Borneo
AmphibiaWeb
Amphibian Species of the World
The Online Field Guide
IUCN Red List


(Photo by James)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Tokay gecko

Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko)
Native to Singapore: Critically Endangered

Wildlife Singapore: Where are our Tokay Geckos?
Ecology Asia
Reptile Database
GeckoWeb
Biodiversity in Belize
tokay-gecko.com
TokayGecko.org
The Online Field Guide
Animal Diversity Web


(Photo by seblidove)

Another fallen tree halts traffic crushing a taxi along with

Yet another vehicle falls prey to a fallen tree due to bad weather says STOMPer km memphis.

In an email, the STOMPer said:

"It seems like Singapore couldn't take more than a few hours of storm.

"This fallen tree at Tanglin Halt is more than 40 years old and has always been solid. But today, the storm caused the trees come falling down, crashing a taxi, and the opposite bus stop.

"Hence the road was closed for an hour just for the debris to be cleared."

Raffles Museum Treasures: Gaur

Gaur (Bos gaurus)
Bull from Jerantut, Pahang
Presented to the Musuem in 1927

Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group
Wild Cattle Conservation
Ultimate Ungulate
IUCN Red List
ARKive
Animal Diversity Web
CITES


(Photo by nadi0)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Marine flatworm

Marine flatworm (Pseudobiceros sp.)
Collected from Pulau Seringat reef flat, July 1997
Native to Singapore

Wild Fact Sheets: Starry flatworm
Wild Fact Sheets: White-orange black flatworm
Wild Fact Sheets: Brown-striped flatworm
Wild Fact Sheets: Damawan flatworm
Wild Fact Sheets: Persian carpet flatworm
Marine Flatworms of the World!
Nine new species of Pseudobiceros (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida) from the Indo-Pacific


Pseudobiceros uniarborensis
(Photo by Debby)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Green broadbill

Green broadbill (Calyptomena viridis)
Collected from Pulau Ubin, July 1921
Native to Singapore: Locally Extinct

Oriental Bird Images
xeno-canto Asia
BirdLife
IUCN Red List
ARKive
Mangoverde World Bird Guide


(Photo by Flipped Out)

Monday Morgue: 21st June 2010

Tropical swallowtail moth (Lyssa zampa)
Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, 17th May 2010

Lyssa zampa, the tropical swallowtail moth, returns
Have you seen Lyssa zampa recently?
It's the season for Lyssa zampa, the large, nocturnal, white-striped moth
The Moths of Borneo
Moths Great and Small
An Identification Guide of Japanese Moths Compiled by Everyone
Digital Moths of Japan
Digital Moths of Asia

$1,000 reward if you can find our beloved parrot Hong Hong

STOMPer Alex is offering a reward of $1,000 to anyone who can find his beloved parrot Hong Kong, that has gone missing since June 3.

Said the STOMPer:

"My pet parrot, Hong Hong, flew out of our flat at Blk 262A Compassvale Street at about 9pm of June 3.

"Hong Hong is a Congo African Grey parrot, tame and talkative.

"The reward is $1000 if found and retrieved.

"Please contact [redacted].

"My husband and I started our search with us sticking posters at surrounding neighbourhood lift lobbies. This was stopped due to need for approval from authorities and we continued our search by putting flyers into mailboxes (over 1000 copies). We have also posted ads on various websites and forums.

"On June 7, we were contacted and informed that Hong Hong had flown into a house at Blk 290A (either on 3rd or 4th June) but then flew off again.

"With this new info, we contracted a flyer company to print and distribute 10,000 flyer via HDB door-to-door. The flyer went out between 10th to 12th June but till date we still have no news of Hong Hong.

"We sincerely believe Hong Hong has flown into another HDB house because it is tired, thirsty and hungry.

"However, Hong Hong may have flown just slightly beyond the flyer's coverage or somebody may have overlooked on how dearly beloved Hong Hong is to me and my husband.

"We seek all fellow neighbours to help us find and retrieve Hong Hong. Any genuine news will also be rewarded, no questions asked."

Looks like the owner of this parrot hasn't given up yet, since it appears that this same parrot was reported lost on 7th June.

There are older reports of lost African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) here and here.

Raffles Museum Treasures: Leopard cat

Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)
Collected from Mandai Road, June 2001
Native to Singapore: Critically Endangered

Wildlife Singapore
Singapore Red Data Book 2008
NParks FaunaWeb
IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group - Cat Species Information
Cat Survival Trust
IUCN Red List
ARKive
Animal Diversity Web


(Photo by Kushal Shah)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Centipede

Centipede (Scolopendra sp.)
Collected from Singapore, September 1998
Native to Singapore

Chilobase
Scolopendra.be
www.myriapoda.org
BugGuide.Net
CSIRO Insects and their Allies
Animal Diversity Web
The Earth Life Web


(Photo by Bryan aka Numnumball~**)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Olive-backed sunbird

Olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)
Collected from Tanjong Katong, January 1921
Native to Singapore

Mangrove and wetland wildlife at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve
The olive-backed sunbird, Cinnyris jugularis Linnaeus, 1766 and its pectoral tufts
Oriental Bird Images
xeno-canto Asia
BirdLife
IUCN Red List
Mangoverde World Bird Guide


(Photo by NatureInYourBackyard)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Blue-spotted fantail ray

Blue-spotted fantail ray (Taeniura lymma)
Collected from Raffles Lighthouse, November 1995
Native to Singapore

Wild Fact Sheets
A Guide to Common Marine Fishes of Singapore
IUCN Red List
ARKive
Animal Diversity Web
MarineBio.org
Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department Biological Profiles
Elasmodiver
Aquarium Domain
Wet Web Media


(Photo by Ron)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Zebra coral

Zebra coral (Oulastrea crispata)
Native to Singapore

Wild Fact Sheets


(Photo by Jeff)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Spider conch

Spider conch (Lambis lambis)
Native to Singapore: Vulnerable

Wild Fact Sheets
A Guide to Seashore Life in Singapore
NParks FaunaWeb
SeaLifeBase


(Photo by Christel)

Town Council: Rodent control treatment will be extended to Blocks 406 and 407

West Coast Town Council will ensure that rodent control treatment will be carried out at Blocks 406 and 407 to curb the rodent problem in the area.

In an earlier article, STOMPer seabass had commented he is disappointed that his repeated requests for action on the many rat holes in this area have been ignored. He also said that the rodent problem is starting to worsen.

A spokesperson told STOMP:

"We're aware of the feedback on rodent sightings at Block 405, Clementi Avenue 1, and have been carrying out rodent control treatment.

"We've also extended the rodent control treatment to Blocks 406 and 407.

"The resident emailed the MP about the issue on 6 June 2010 and our MP has brought it to our attention.

"During his scheduled house-to-house visit in the vicinity on 9 June 2010, he also visited the site with our Town Council staff and asked that the surveillance and treatment be stepped up in view of the construction sites nearby.

"We would like to appeal to our residents to dispose of their litter properly to minimise the availability of food source for rats.

"We thank the STOMPer for the feedback."

Related post: Are my calls for action going down these rat holes? (11th June 2010)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Whip spider

Whip spider or tailless whip scorpion (Stygophrynus sp.)
Collected from Bukit Timah, January 1992
Native to Singapore

Amblypygid
Tailless Whip Scorpion (Stygophrynus species)
A first epigean species of Stygophrynus Kraepelin (Amblypygi: Charontidae) from Java and adjacent islands, Indonesia with notes on S. dammermani Roewer, 1928
Stygophrynus (Charontidae) in Indonesia
The Wild Classroom
Wikipedia
BugGuide.Net
Amblypygi.com


(Photo by *Damselfly*)

Monday Morgue: 14th June 2010

Smasher shrimp (Gonodactylellus viridis)
Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, 9th May 2008

MantisShrimps.co.uk
Roy's List of Stomatopods for the Aquarium
Wild Fact Sheets
A Guide to Seashore Life in Singapore
crustacea.net

Rubbish rubbish everywhere on St John's Island shores

The amount of litter found on the shores of St John's Island is an embarrassment to Singapore, according to STOMPer Farah, who visited the beach for a nice day out only to find rubbish everywhere.

Said the STOMPer:

"It is unbelievable and embarrassing, the junk and rubbish found on the shores of St John's Island!

"I was looking forward to a nice day out with my family members and our overseas visitors. However, I was dismayed to see all sorts of rubbish on the beach, ranging from Croc sandals to a broomstick washed up on shore!

"Thumbs down to our tourism efforts and our reputation as a green and clean garden city."

Raffles Museum Treasures: Dugong

Dugong (Dugong dugon)
Skull retrieved from carcass stranded on beach at East Coast Park, July 2001
Native to Singapore: Critically Endangered

Dugong carcass washed ashore on southern Tekong
Diving with Gracie the Dugong announced
Wild Fact Sheets
NParks FaunaWeb
Dugong Status Report and Action Plans for Countries and Territories
IUCN Red List
ARKive
Animal Diversity Web

National Geographic Animal Facts
SeaLifeBase
MarineBio.org
Cumulative Index for the Mammalian Species


(Photo by udo van dongen)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Asian Brown Tortoise

Asian brown tortoise (Manouria emys emys)
Collected by R. Hanitsch along the Selangor-Pahang Border, 1907

IUCN Red List
Animal Diversity Web
ARKive
Reptile Database
The Management and Breeding of the Asian Forest Tortoise (Manouria emys) in Captivity
Breeding and Nesting of Manouria emys emys
Asian Brown Tortoise, Manouria emys
Differentiating the two Subspecies of the Burmese Mountain Tortoise (Manouria emys emys and Manouria emys phayrei)


(Photo by Pelf Nyok)