Discovering Singapore’s wildlife
Are you ready to dive into the world of Singapore’s wildlife? Get ready to discover some incredible animals that call this bustling city their home. Even though Singapore is known for its tall buildings and busy streets, it’s also a place where nature has carved out special spots for some really interesting creatures. So, without further ado, here are the fascinating animals that you’re going to get to know:
Smooth-Coated Otter
Name and Appearance:
The Smooth-Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is a charming and social aquatic mammal, easily recognized by its sleek fur and streamlined body.
Habitat:
They are often sighted in pairs or in small families along mangroves, mudflats and coastal areas, including popular spots like Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Pasir Ris, Pulau Ubin, Changi, and parks by Mandai Wildlife Group.
Diet and Behavior:
They have a carnivorous diet, feasting on insects, earthworms, crustaceans, reptiles, frogs, water rats, turtles and small birds. They feed mainly on fish and use teamwork to surround schools of fish, allowing them to catch their food more easily.
Long-Tailed Macaque
Name and Appearance:
The Long-Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis), also known as Crab-eating macaque. It has a distinctive long tail, while its arms and legs are shorter in comparison. Its fur is mostly dark-grey, but the tips are light golden-brown in color. Its stomach is light-grey. The tail can vary in color from dark-grey to brown. The hairs on the top of its head are pushed backwards.
Males are considerably larger than females and the body length of the adult Long-Tailed Macaque varies among subspecies. The skin on their feet and ears is black, while the skin on their muzzle is a light grayish-pink color.
Habitat:
These agile monkeys thrive in various habitats, including rainforest nature reserves such as the Bukit Timah and the Central Catchment Nature Reserves, as well as parks such as Bukit Batok Nature Park, Yishun Park, and Admiralty Park. They also inhabit islands such as Sisters Islands and Pulau Ubin. Long-Tailed Macaques are highly adaptable and can live in close proximity to human populations.
Diet and Behavior:
They are omnivores, feasting on a wide range of foods, including fruits, leaves, insects, and, sometimes human food. They display complex social behaviors within their groups. In one study, the monkeys were observed to eat 186 different types of plants. They also eat small animals such as small reptiles, spiders and insects.
It is a highly social and they are active during the day. They form groups of one or more males as well as three to twenty females with their young. As a general rule, the majority of mature individuals in a group are females. Males usually disperse upon reaching maturity to form new groups or join bachelor herds. Long-Tailed Macaques have interesting and almost human-like behavior, which is sometimes a reflection of our own sociality.
Monitor Lizard
Name and Appearance:
In Singapore, there are three species of monitor lizards. The most widespread species of monitor lizard is the Malayan water monitor (Varanus salvator), which can reach lengths of up to 3m. The other two species that inhabit Singapore are the clouded monitor lizard (Varanus nebulosus) and the less common Dumeril’s monitor (Varanus dumerilii), which can both grow to be between 1m and 1.5m in length. Monitor lizards are known for their long necks, strong tails and claws, and well-developed limbs.
Habitat:
Monitor lizards can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, mangrove swamps, and even man-made canals. Some of the places where you can spot these fascinating creatures include the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Pulau Tekong, Singapore Botanic Gardens, and the shores of Singapore.
Diet and Behavior:
Monitor Lizards are carnivores, preying on small animals like insects, crabs, snakes, fish, etc. They are powerful swimmers, have a keen sense of smell, are shy and generally stay away from humans. They are not aggressive and will not attack unless they are disturbed or provoked. If you come across a monitor lizard, it’s important to avoid touching, chasing, or cornering it, as this could provoke an attack. It is fine to observe them from afar.
Oriental Pied Hornbill
Name and Appearance:
The Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) is a species of hornbill that can be found in Singapore. It is a medium-sized hornbill with a white belly and trailing edge to wings. The upperparts and wings are dark, and the bill is pale yellow with a black-tipped casque. The female has a smaller casque than the male, with black on the bill tip. The juvenile has less glossy plumage, a smaller casque, and an all-yellow bill.
Habitat:
These birds can be found in wooded areas, forest edges, gardens, and parks. They are large and conspicuous, and can be found in most open vegetation on the island, often in urban areas bordering green spaces. Some of the places where you can spot these fascinating creatures include Pasir Ris Park, Bishan Ang Mo Kio Park, Pulau Ubin, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Bukit Batok Nature Park, and Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Diet and Behavior:
These birds are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals. Their diet consists of wild fruits such as figs, rambutans, palm fruit, papaya and fruits of liana plants. They also eat animals such as insects, lizards, small birds and fish. They often forage in pairs or small groups, often rather quietly for such large birds.
Sunda flying lemur
Name and Appearance:
The Sunda flying lemur(Galeopterus variegatus) is a mammal and also called the Sunda colugo or Malayan colugo. Despite its name, it is not a lemur and does not have the ability to fly. Instead, it uses a special skin membrane to glide between trees.
Habitat:
In Singapore, the Sunda flying lemur, can be found living in Bukit Batok Nature Park. This is typically the only place where they are found in Singapore. Due to the urban environment of Singapore, it is not a common habitat for this species, and sightings of the Sunda Colugo are very rare. However, there have been reports of the Sunda flying lemur also being seen in gardens and plantations.
Diet and Behavior:
The Sunda flying lemur is a herbivore, which means it only eats plants. Its diet consists of soft plant parts such as flowers, fruits, young leaves, buds, nectar, and sap. It prefers to eat leaves that have less potassium and nitrogen-containing compounds but have more tannin. The Sunda flying lemur also feeds on buds, shoots, coconut flowers, durian flowers, fruits, and sap from certain types of trees.
The Sunda flying lemur is a nocturnal animal, which means it is active at night. It is also strictly arboreal, meaning it lives in trees. The Sunda flying lemur can live alone or in small groups that are not closely connected. They can be territorial when it comes to finding food and sleeping areas. During the day, they sleep high up in the trees, either in dense foliage or in holes in the trees. If they are on the forest floor, they are not very good at moving around.
Common Sun Skink
Name and Appearance:
The Common Sun Skink (Eutropis multifasciata) is a small lizard about 130mm from snout to vent. It has a distinctive appearance that look like small snake, often displaying color is usually a bronzey brown with various patterns, such as black stripes down its back. The sides of its body may be blackish with white dots or have a broad orange swathe, and the underside of its head may be yellow. It has a long body that is somewhat angular and covered in shiny, smooth scales. It has small limbs and a long tail that is cylindrical in shape.
Habitat:
These skinks are commonly found in wooded areas, including gardens, parks, and forested areas.
Diet and Behavior:
It is active during the day and often be found basking in the sun on the forest edge or along footpaths, or slithering among leaf litter. This shy little reptile moves very quickly. It eats insects, spiders and even smaller lizards, generally hunting on the ground.
Reticulated Python
Name and Appearance:
The Reticulated Python (Malayopython reticulatus) is a large and striking snake with some reaching up to 10 m in length. Their color is tan or yellowish-tan with black geometric lines that run along the top and down the sides of its body. These lines widen and surround white spots. In sunlight, its scales are iridescent, giving it a beautiful appearance.
Habitat:
These serpents are found in almost all habitats, typically found in forests, grasslands, and areas near water bodies, like Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, even urban areas.
Diet and Behavior:
Reticulated Pythons are carnivore and powerful constrictors, preying almost anything and they can eat animals as big as sheep, buffalo and pig. They are shy creatures that prefer to avoid humans, but if they feel threatened, they may become aggressive. They are skilled ambush hunters, lying in wait for their prey to come within range before seizing it with their coils and killing it through constriction. If they are disturbed, they will make a hissing sound.
Oriental Garden Lizard
Name and Appearance:
The Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor), also referred to as the Changeable Lizard. This lizard has a robust body with small, bumpy scales and can grow up to 37cm in length. It has a spiny crest on the back of its neck and along its body, and there are two spines above its ear opening. The Changeable Lizard is generally brownish to greenish-yellow in color and has blackish streaks that radiate from its eyes.
Habitat:
It is native to continental Asia up to the northern Peninsular Malaysia. It is believed to have been introduced to Singapore in the 1980s and has since spread almost everywhere, including in parks and urban areas.
Diet and Behavior:
Oriental Garden Lizard primarily feed on insects like crickets and ants, and small vertebrates, including rodents and other lizards including common house geckos and day geckos. They are active during daylight hours and can be found in bushes and trees because of its arboreal nature. Adult males are larger with swollen cheeks. During the breeding season, their heads turn orange with a black blotch over the cheeks. They attract females and compete with rivals by doing push-ups and head bobs.
Red Junglefowl
Name and Appearance:
The Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) is the wild ancestor of domestic chickens. The male Red Junglefowl has a red comb, facial skin, and lappets, a white ear patch, golden-yellow neck feathers, maroon scapulars, and an arched dark green tail. The female Red Junglefowl has drab brown overall plumage, golden-buff neck feathers, and a blunt dark tail.
Habitat:
They can be found in places like Pasir Ris park, Tanjong Pagar, Singapore Botanic Gardens, and on the island of Pulau Ubin.
Diet and Behavior:
The Red Junglefowl is an omnivorous bird, which means it eats both plants and animals. Its diet consists of fallen fruit, seeds, grains, grasses, and insects. It may also eat small vertebrates such as lizards. Typically found in family groups of up to 20 birds. Each group usually has one mature male, along with several females and young birds. Despite the common belief that chickens cannot fly, it is actually capable of flying for short distances. To avoid predators, it roosts in trees.
Sunda Pangolin
Name and Appearance:
The Sunda Pangolin (Manis javanica), is also called the Malayan Pangolin or Javan Pangolin. This unique animal has conspicuous scales covering most of its body, giving it the appearance of a reptile even though they are not.
Habitat:
Mainly found in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Sunda Pangolin can also be seen in forested areas in Bukit Batok and the Western Catchment Area. Additionally, they can be found on the islands of Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong.
Sadly, this interesting animal is currently endangered, with hunting for its meat, skin, and scales as a driver of its massive population decline
Diet and Behavior:
Sunda Pangolins primarily feed on ants and termites, curling up into a protective ball when threatened. This unique defense mechanism, along with their incredible scales, makes them a truly captivating part of the wildlife.
Conclusion
These animals are a testament to Singapore’s wildlife, and their conservation is essential to preserve our natural heritage. Several ongoing initiatives focus on safeguarding these species and their habitats.
Next time you’re exploring the diverse landscapes on Singapore, keep an eye out for these wild animals. Whether you spot a playful otter along the coast, hear the melodious call of the Oriental Pied Hornbill, or catch a glimpse of a Sunda flying lemur in the moonlit sky, remember that you’re witnessing the beauty of Singapore’s wild side. Let’s cherish and protect these incredible creatures for generations to come.
References
- https://wiki.nus.edu.sg
- https://en.wikipedia.org
- https://www.theanimalfacts.com
- https://singaporebirds.com
- http://www.wildsingapore.com
- https://animalia.bio
- https://www.nparks.gov.sg
- https://www.jungledragon.com
- https://www.miamiherald.com
- https://killem.com.sg
- https://club19golf.com
- https://newforestwildlifepark.co.uk
- https://similarbutdifferentanimals.com
- https://www.ourwildneighbours.sg