Heroic uncle catches snake with his bare hands at Jurong

Please help me find my Lovebird, Baby: I miss her terribly

Wasps at Work

While leaving the workplace, I saw this bizarre structure.



A wasp nest was dangling from the edges of one of the signs at the carpark. And what a strange-looking nest it was!

Always bring your camera along...

Despite the great distance I have to travel to my workplace every day, one thing I appreciate is that there is a fair bit of wildlife that can be found; if you have been following my tweets, you would notice that I frequently mention random sightings of various wildlife in the area around my workplace; it most definitely helps that we are next to a military training ground with restricted access to civilians, and that there's a large amount of secondary forest and scrub in the immediate vicinity. True, most of my sightings are of creatures commonly seen in parks and gardens, but I still enjoy these encounters.

In recent months, I've tried to cultivate the habit of bringing my camera with me everywhere I go; one never knows when a perfect photographic opportunity might present itself. True, there's always the camera function in my iPhone, but unfortunately, the image quality can never match that of my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT2.

Unfortunately, I rarely get the chance to capture images of the wildlife I manage to see around the workplace. In many instances, I am either busily occupied with work, or rushing to reach the office on time, and don't have the time to stop and fire off a few shots. Even with time on my side, a point and shoot camera like mine simply isn't suitable for photographing birds from a distance. Even though the plantain squirrels (Callosciurus notatus) are quite tame and spend a lot of time foraging along the road, I just haven't had many opportunities to take out my camera and get close enough before the rodent scurries off.

Today, while packing for work, I was wondering if I should bring my camera along, but for some reason, decided to leave it at home.

Of course, as luck would have it, I was to regret that decision.

I was right outside my workplace, when I noticed something on the small road.



It was a green crested lizard (Bronchocela cristatella), and my best sighting so far; I've seen these lizards from time to time, but they were almost always too far away to be properly photographed.

Of course, I immediately regretted not bringing my camera along, and had to make do with my iPhone.



The lizard was a very cooperative subject, which only made me feel even lousier for not having a proper camera in my hands. For once, I had such a perfect opportunity to get high-quality shots of this species!

Up until the 1980s, this species was very commonly found in various habitats all over Singapore, from forests to parks, gardens and agricultural land. However, with the arrival of the nonnative changeable lizard (Calotes versicolor) from the north, the native green crested lizard appears to have been displaced from most habitats due to competition from its relative. Today, the changeable lizard is the far more common of the two species in open areas, such as in parks, gardens, and scrub, and the green-crested lizard's last stronghold appears to be in the forests, which the changeable lizard avoids.

It's the closest I've ever gotten to a green crested lizard, and the only one that stayed in one spot long enough for me to take a few proper shots.


It almost looks as if it's smiling for the camera here.


Like their relatives the chameleons, many species of agamid lizard are able to change their colour to some degree to suit their mood or their surroundings. However, this green crested lizard wasn't doing a very good job of blending in with the tarmac.

Because it was on a road, I decided to chase it back into the vegetation for its own safety. It promptly skittered to the side of the road, leapt across a drain, and clambered into the bushes.

It was a nice little encounter with a reptile that we don't see very often these days. And I'm now making sure that I bring my camera to work every day.

Dealing with urban wildlife: A response to Frederick Ow

Wild boar (Sus scrofa), NTU campus;
(Photo by adam_zhang)

It's been a while since I last wrote in to the Straits Time Forum regarding wildlife conservation issues, so I was quite pleased to see that my reply to a letter was published.

The original letter that triggered my response is copied here in full:

Protect NTU students from roaming wildlife (Mirror)

TUESDAY'S article ('Drivers, beware that wild boar on NTU roads') mentioned sightings of wildlife such as snakes and pangolins at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

NTU said signs were put up to warn drivers to be wary of animals crossing the street. However, I am more concerned about the safety of students who are staying in hostels located close to the forested areas. It can be dangerous if snakes or wild boars wander into the residential areas and attack them.

Frederick Ow

Despite its length, there was a lot I had to say about Frederick Ow's thoughts regarding this matter. While his concerns about the safety of people on campus are valid, he comes across as being somewhat paranoid and fearful of wildlife, when in fact the risks can be reasonably managed with appropriate behaviour on the part of the people.

My letter was edited for brevity, so here's the original that I submitted to the Straits Times:

Wildlife in NTU: let's not be paranoid about the risks

I refer to the letter by Mr. Frederick Ow last Thursday ("Protect NTU students from roaming wildlife").

Mr. Ow raised concerns about the risk of NTU students coming to harm as a result of encounters with wildlife from the nearby forest. While his fears are not unfounded, I feel that his opinions come across as somewhat excessive and borderline paranoid.

It is true that wild boar and venomous snakes may wander onto campus grounds and pose a threat to people. However, in most cases, encounters between people and wildlife are brief and usually result in the animal fleeing from humans. Even in the case of venomous snakes, it appears that a hasty retreat on the part of the snake is the norm rather than the exception.

A fence surrounding the entire NTU campus would not only be prohibitively expensive, but would not serve its purpose for very long; wild boars, with their bulk and rooting habits, would soon be able to create gaps in the mesh, and snakes are able to scale most fences anyway. The only surefire way to prevent animals from making the crossing would be to electrify the fence, a measure which would definitely be seen by most as an unnecessary use of energy. In the meantime, other creatures such as pangolins and leopard cats (both of which are critically endangered species in Singapore) would find their access to habitats across the road suddenly cut off, isolating them in patches of forest which might be unable to sustain all their needs.

Besides, where it comes to the many snake species that can be commonly found living close to human activity, only two species are potentially dangerous: the black spitting cobra and reticulated python. These snakes are not restricted to forest habitats, and in fact are quite commonly seen in urban areas, due to the abundance of their rodent prey. A fence will probably do very little to affect the numbers of snakes which are already living on campus, unseen by most people due to their cryptic habits.

Instead of building fences to protect wildlife from people (and vice versa), it would be far better to create an environment where tolerance and coexistence are emphasized. Instead of pandering to fear, a more desirable strategy would be to raise awareness on campus, such as having signboards or posters to inform people about the presence of these creatures, and dispelling some misconceptions by distributing leaflets to staff and students, telling them what to do and what not to do should one encounter a wild animal. It would also be important to highlight the phone numbers of various wildlife authorities in Singapore, such as the Wildlife Rescue hotline of the Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES), which has staff on standby 24 hours a day to assist members of the public in rescuing wildlife from urban areas. There may be times when lethal action is justified, but culling should only be used as a last resort if all other avenues have been exhausted.

To further minimize human-wildlife conflict, other key measures could include ensuring proper disposal of food waste, which will not only attract omnivorous scavengers such as wild boar and monkeys, but also rats, which in turn might lead to more snakes on campus. At the same time, it is essential to curb the unbridled enthusiasm of people who are so excited by wildlife sightings that they put themselves in harm's way. There would need to be a strong policy on preventing people from feeding the wildlife, which encourages wild animals to leave the forest and deliberately seek people out, with potentially dire consequences. Policies to enforce against approaching animals or harassing them should also be implemented, since such behavior not only causes unnecessary distress to the animals, but can lead to attacks on people. For example, people may be drawn by the sight of a family group of wild boar with piglets, and in their excitement and ignorance, get too close, but the adults will not hesitate to charge should they perceive that the young are being threatened.

A friend once said that one thing he missed about London was being able to look out the window of his dorm and see a fox passing by. Residents in and around other cities have to deal with a wide range of wildlife, some of which are much larger, even genuinely life-threatening. From deer, coyotes and bears in North America, to baboons in South Africa, to crocodiles in northern Australia, numerous species are proving themselves all too capable of living in our midst, and people find themselves having to discover ways to manage interactions and conflict between man and beast. Yet the general theme is that it will be impossible to completely prevent people from crossing paths with wildlife, and sharing the same places. Instead, a healthy dose of respect, awareness of the risks, and taking the necessary precautions are emphasized.

There will always be encounters between humans and wildlife, as long as we have not decided to systematically raze all our wild places and pave them over. Yes, it is essential to look out for the welfare of both humans and wildlife, and people still have to be stopped from getting too close to wild animals. The danger of serious injury due to an encounter can never be completely eliminated, but I believe that it is all about taking a pragmatic and realistic approach to the possible risks. I believe the optimal solution would be to accept the presence of these creatures, maintain a respectful distance, and take necessary measures to reduce conflict. Instead of fearing them, let's appreciate the occasional fleeting glimpses and reminders that we are not the only species to call Singapore home.

Singapore lies within a hotspot of biodiversity, and such encounters serve to highlight how much fragile natural heritage still survives here. The United Nations have designated the years 2011-2020 as the Decade of Biodiversity, and the Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity has been developed to help cities worldwide gauge their conservation of plant and animal species. It would be tragic if the city that suggested and helped develop this index in the first place opts to cut people off from its own natural treasures with fences and traps in the name of protecting human safety.

Ivan Kwan

Maybe I'm being idealistic or overly optimistic, but I believe that there are ways to manage human-wildlife conflict without having to cull animals all the time or putting people's lives at risk. It's a lot to do with managing behaviour on the part of both wildlife and humans.

I cited examples of urban wildlife in other countries to illustrate how the problems we face in Singapore often seem minor in comparison. For example, there is a lot of controversy regarding long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Singapore invading neighbourhoods and harassing residents. But with the proper infrastructure and changes to human behaviour, the nuisance and disturbance can be reduced greatly. If people don't feed the monkeys, the likelihood of them entering residential areas in search of food will be greatly reduced. Installing monkey-proof bins and window grilles to prevent monkeys from entering homes also helps mitigate some of the damage caused by these highly intelligent and curious primates. And yes, monkeys can seriously injure people, but one has to admit that monkeys are not as immediately life-threatening as say, a bear or big cat.

After all, we don't live in cities where cougars or leopards occasionally stalk and kill people, coyotes snatch house pets, or idiot neighbours feed black bears. We don't get thousands of traffic accidents involving deer and vehicles occurring every year. We don't have a situation in which you might wake up one morning to find a grizzly bear killing a moose in your driveway, or have an alligator in your swimming pool. In comparison, troops of wandering monkeys and the occasional snake in the house don't seem like such big problems after all.


Coyote, Vancouver;
(Photo by frosty_white_raven)


American black bear feeding on trash, Aspen;
(Photo by stationsquarecondo)

Even if one were to argue that snakes pose a real threat to human safety, comparisons can be made with other cities that deal with venomous snakes; for example, residents living in Australian cities and suburbs are familiar with many species of potentially deadly snakes. Yet by and large, there's a pragmatic acceptance of these snakes, and people take the necessary precautions to avoid confrontations.

Human-wildlife conflict is as much about changing human perceptions and behaviour, as it is about managing the wildlife and preventing animals from creating a nuisance. It is unrealistic to expect wild animals to keep to the forests and not come into contact with inhabited areas. This is especially the case with Singapore, where our network of park connectors, green belts, and other patches of vegetation provide corridors for wildlife.

There will be times when man and animal clash, and times when animals come too close for comfort and pose a genuine threat to public safety. Culling will be necessary in some cases, and so is wounding or killing a wild animal in self-defense. But I strongly feel that it is possible to coexist to some degree, and that humans and wildlife need not always be in conflict. It requires changes in behaviour and mindsets, and an understanding that it is impossible to completely eradicate the risks without wiping out entire species from our island.


Long-tailed macaque at window, Bukit Timah;
(Photo by IngeHG)

I am not advocating complacency and complete acceptance of wildlife; wildlife still needs to be excluded from busy public spaces, and steps must be taken to ensure that animals don't become so tame as to rely on humans for handouts, or take up permanent residence in our neighbourhoods and turn into public nuisances. It will not be easy, and a lot of compromises will have to be made. Funds will need to be spent on providing the necessary infrastructure and manpower to maintain human-wildlife conflict at a manageable level. But I believe that such efforts are necessary if we are to have viable populations of many of our threatened species.

Instead of going with the easy knee-jerk solution, which does not help in creating a more ecologically aware populace, I would rather that the time and effort be spent in getting people to accept and appreciate whatever biodiversity we have.

Monday Morgue: 17th January 2011

Exuvia of dragonfly nymph (Anisoptera)
Lake at SAFTI Military Institute, 22nd November 2010

The dragonflies (Odonata) of Singapore: current status records and collections of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
Dragonflies and damselflies of Singapore
Nature Photography - Singapore Odonata
Dazzling Dragonflies of Singapore!
Dragonflies and Damselflies of Sungei Buloh
Odonata of Peninsular Malaysia

Monday Morgue: 13th December 2010

Common Asian toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus)
Jurong, 22nd November 2010

Ecology Asia
Wildlife Singapore
AmphibiaWeb
Amphibians and Reptiles of Malaysia

Raffles Museum Treasures: Stinging hydroid

Stinging hydroid (Gymnangium hians)
Collected from Jurong
Native to Singapore

Wild Fact Sheets


(Photo by Ria)

Raffles Museum Treasures: Chestnut-bellied malkoha

Chestnut-bellied malkoha (Phaenicophaeus sumatranus)
Collected from Jurong, August 1920
Native to Singapore

Brood care of the chestnut-bellied malkoha, Phaenicophaeus sumatranus sumatranus Raffles, 1822
NParks FaunaWeb
Oriental Bird Images
BirdLife
IUCN Red List
ARKive
Mangoverde World Bird Guide


(Photo by chrisli023)

Beautiful art pieces painted on walkways next to Jurong Point

STOMPer John was pleasantly surprised to see beautiful pieces of artwork in Jurong West next to Jurong Point while walking.

John told STOMP:

"I saw about four to five pieces of artwork on the walkway while walking towards the MRT.

"The artworks were just next to Jurong Point 2. They are nice pieces of art in Jurong West and I hope to see more of these."

Related news: Embossed & colourful drain covers to spread message of clean waterways (10th May 2010) (Mirror)
PUB's sticking to it: Drains are not bins (11th May 2010) (Mirror)
PUB drains out message (11th May 2010) (Mirror)

These drain covers have been decorated as part of a campaign by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) to help raise awareness of the fact that drains eventually lead to the reservoirs we depend on for tap water, and discourage littering. I would say that this is one possible way to really get people to realise the larger implications of littering, and see how such ecologically ignorant actions can have subsequent impacts on our own water supply.

While PUB's main focus is on ensuring that the cleanliness of our water supply is not compromised, such a campaign also helps to improve the aesthetic value of our waterways. It is not uncommon for one's view of the river or reservoir to be marred by the sight of floating litter. Ultimately, helping to minimise litter in our waterways can have positive impacts on the health of aquatic organisms, some of which are highly sensitive to any form of pollution.

This 'river' in Jurong West is home to thousands of little fish

STOMPer John was amazed at the swarms of little fish that live in this large drain in Jurong West. He wonders if anything can be done to turn the drain into a real river.

In an email today (Jun 1) the STOMPer wrote:

"Hi, I would like to share a few pictures I took this afternoon.

"When I walked past the 'longkang' (drain) , I saw hundreds of thousands of these fishes.

"They are not 'Luohan' (Flowerhorn fish) as they appeared silver in colour when they flipped themselves to find food.

"They are all kind of sizes. I really hope our 'longkangs' can be like Bishan, which really turned into a river.

"Please, SAVE THE FISHES first! They are amazing to watch."

Our urban drains and canals can be very challenging environments for aquatic life. These habitats typically have little to no aquatic vegetation, and the concrete channels mean that there are few hiding places. There may be frequent fluctuations in temperature, oxygen level and pH, while in hot weather, the flow of water may be reduced to a trickle or dry up altogether. Pollution may be a significant problem in certain areas, especially close to industrial and residential districts.

What I have noticed is that for many of these urban waterways, the dominant fish species are not native to Singapore. These include various species of livebearers (F. Poecilidae) and cichlids (F. Cichlidae), and the East Asian river goby (Rhinogobius giurinus). In larger canals and rivers, it may also be possible to find some species of carp (F. Cyprinidae) and armoured catfishes (Pterygoplichthys spp.). However, there are some native species of fish which might be found living in urban canals and drains, such as climbing perch (Anabas testudineus), whitespot panchax (Aplocheilus panchax), Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus), common walking catfish (Clarias batrachus), and common snakehead (Channa striata). Closer to the sea, where there is tidal influence, these species may be joined by others which are adapted to estuarine and inshore habitats.

I have found it interesting to note that a large proportion of our freshwater fish species are not native, and that even introduced species differ in terms of the habitats in which they are more likely to be found. For example, many introduced species are restricted to reservoirs, lakes and ponds, which have very different environmental conditions compared to urban canals. Some hardy species, such as guppy and Mozambique tilapia may be abundant and dominant species in both habitats, whereas species like giant snakehead (Channa micropeltes) and tiger barb (Puntius tetrazona) are more likely to be found in reservoirs, ponds and rural streams.

It may be argued that introduced species pose a threat to natives in our reservoirs and forest streams, whereas for urban drains and canals, it's not clear if these non-native fishes are outcompeting native species in these habitats, or if they are filling empty ecological niches in habitats inhospitable to most of our native freshwater fishes. These non-native species are an important food source for piscivorous birds such as herons (F. Ardeidae), terns (F. Sternidae), kingfishers (Alcedines) and raptors (Accipitriformes), and may be a crucial factor in supporting populations of these birds in areas which may otherwise be lacking in prey.

Surprise! You have received a fallen tree at your doorstep

STOMPer Rty was shocked when he heard a loud crash outside his flat in Jurong West. It turned out that a tree below his block had fallen in the rain.

He said in his email (May 18):

"This happened at Block 659 in Jurong West.

"The time was around 7.20pm.

"I was staying at that block and suddenly, I heard a loud crash.

"The neighbours were all alerted, even those in the opposite block.

"The tree hit the 2nd and 3rd storeys before landing on the ground floor of my block.

"I pity the people living in the unit on the ground floor, there are many broken branches lying outside their house now.

"The town council has already been informed."

Nuisance birds scavenge, defecate everywhere at Taman Jurong Food Centre

Large numbers of Mynah birds flock to Taman Jurong Food Centre, leaving a huge mess everywhere, says STOMPer Gourmet. He hopes the NEA will look into the problem to stop another possible bird flu outbreak.

In an email today (May 15) the STOMPer wrote:

"These pictures were taken at the Taman Jurong Food Centre at Yung Sheng Road.

"I was eating my lunch at the L3 food centre when I spotted some birds resting on the railings beside the tables. The moment the diners have eaten their meals and left the birds would swoop down like vultures to help themselves to the remnants. They messed up the table and benches.

"What is more worrying is that these birds would leave behind their droppings on the tables, benches and railings. If these birds are infected with bird flu would humans be affected? I hope NEA would cull these flying pests and allow diners to eat in peace."

It's very easy to call for culling of these Javan mynas (Acridotheres javanicus), but as long as nothing is done to control access to leftovers and food waste, it will only be treating the symptoms instead of providing a long-term solution to the problem.

Sick and dying trees at Jurong Park Connector must be saved

Many of the trees that line the pathway at Jurong Park Connector have been stricken with disease and are in danger of dying out, says STOMPer Rambler, who is worried about the state of the park.

These trees are important to park users as they provide shade for those walking or jogging along, he says.

In an email, Rambler says:

"Last week I went for a ramble at the Jurong Park Connector, which begins at the Jurong Town Hall Rd and ending at Yuan Ching Rd.

"To my surprise, I noticed that the trees look unhealthy and stunted.

"I went nearer to take a closer look and found that the leaves had yellow and black "bubbles" on the surface.

"The leaves must have been infected by some disease which I hope the arborists in NParks could enlighten me about.

"NParks officials could do something to save these trees as they provide shade for joggers and ramblers who love the fresh air at Jurong Lake."

Related post: Please save the dying trees at Jurong Park Connector (9th March 2009)

These appear to be galls formed by some sort of insect. Whether or not these are serious enough to pose any threat to the survival of the trees, I cannot say.

Mysterious leaf insect camouflages itself on plant

This mysterious leaf insect is able to camouflage itself with a Dillenia leaf found on Jurong Road, says STOMPer Arborist, who wonders what the insect's scientific name is.

Arborist was in awe when he spotted the insect rocking back on forth, disguising itself as a leaf blowing in the wind.

In an email, the sender says:

"I was walking along Jurong Road when I spotted this green leaf insect resting on a Dillenia leaf.

"The colour of the insect and that of the leaf was so similar that it was perfectly camouflaged.

"The mimicry was so good that even a predator would be fooled. The insect had a pair of long antennae, a green body and legs coloured green, brown and yellow at the end.

"The eyes were small and circular.

"When the insect was moving, it rocked back and forth , resembling a real leaf blown by the wind.

"When it jumped onto the road it turned dark green in colour.

"Could some entomologist tell me the name of this mysterious insect?"

It's some sort of orthopteran; to be more specific, it's quite likely to be a species of katydid or bush-cricket (F. Tettigoniidae), although I can't narrow it down much further than that.

James encountered this species (or at least something very similar to it) in a visit to Dairy Farm Road last November.




Marcus also found something similar at the Tree Top Walk last September.





Many species of katydid are extremely well-camouflaged, bearing a very close resemblance to leaves. Most of the time, I notice the presence of these insects only when they move.



(Photos by James)

Here are 2 different species of katydid James and I found in a patch of secondary vegetation in Tampines. Can you find them?

'Leaf insect' is a misnomer, as it refers specifically to insects belonging to the family Phylliidae, which are found in tropical forests from Southeast Asia to Australia. Various species of the genus Phyllium may be encountered in the region.


(Photo by crazysw)


(Photo by myrm)


(Photo by mantidboy)

The camouflage is exceptional.

Leaf insects are not commonly encountered in Singapore, although it seems that there are records from time to time.



Such as this individual spotted by Ria in Pasir Ris in 2003.




Marcus found this nymph of Phyllium siccifolium at Sungei Buloh in September 2007.

There is also a leaf insect photographed in Sime Forest in 2003 by Paul Huang.

Leaf insects belong to the Phasmida (also known as the Phasmatodea), which are known generally as stick insects. Like the leaf insects, stick insects are masters of camouflage.


Venus Drive;


Pulau Ubin;

Here is a selection of stick insects photographed by various people in Singapore:


Pulau Ubin;
(Photo by Marcus)


Lower Peirce;
(Photo by James)


Bukit Timah;
(Photo by Shawn14595)


Lower Peirce;
(Photo by Jacqueline)

Grasshoppers and stick insects are somewhat closely related to one another; for one thing, both groups undergo incomplete metamorphosis, and members of both groups possess chewing mandibles. All stick insects are vegetarians, feeding on leaves, much like many orthopterans (there are some omnivorous or even predatory species of cricket and grasshopper).

There is another closely related group of insects famous for being masters of camouflage, but with a much more predatory slant - the mantids (Mantodea).


Tropidomantis tenera
(Photo by James)