Location: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve – February 2022

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Scientific name: Callosciurus finlaysonii

It’s not native, introduced species from Thailand.

Bidadari Park – 28 December 2024

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Ahaetulla mycterizans, the Malayan green whipsnake or Malayan vine snake, is a slender arboreal snake found in Western Peninsular Malaysia, Java and Sumatra of Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and possibly Laos up to elevation of 350 m. Wikipedia

Location: Central Catchment – April 2024

Great literature to differentiate Bigeye and Oriental Whip Snake, Thanks Ivan Kwan for this link.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232681330_First_record_of_Ahaetulla_mycterizans_Linnaeus_1758_Reptilia_Squamata_Colubridae_from_Sumatra_Indonesia_with_an_expanded_definition

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Location: Upper Thomson – March 2024

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Scientific name: Rusa unicolor

A species which was wiped out in Singapore in the 1950s but thanks to a few escapees from public and private local zoos, is making a comeback here.

Sambar deer live in forested areas and are nocturnal. They move around the forests at night and come out to forest edges to graze under the cover of darkness. They are, however, extremely shy and will bolt for cover when they sense our presence. That is why despite their large sizes, these deer are hardly ever seen.

Text and photo by Daryl Tan Photos are copyrighted to Daryl Tan

For more local wildlife photographs and fun facts, do check out his Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/clickingthecritters/

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Scientific name: Naja sumatrana

The body is thick, and the tail short. The head is distinct from the neck, and the snout is rounded.

This is a highly venomous species which should be treated with caution. Typically this snake prefers to avoid confrontation and is not considered ‘aggressive. Large adults will stand erect, expand their hood and hiss loudly if feeling threatened. If the perceived attacker does not back off from this threat display the snake will then attempt to spray venom into the eyes of its tormentor. Unless such venom is washed away immediately, permanent damage to the tissues surrounding the eye can occur. Envenomation through a bite from this species may result in death.- Ecology Asia

It’s Native to Singapore

Location: Sungei Buloh and Dairy Farm, Upper Seletar Reservoir

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What was supposed to just be an exciting encounter between a Dog-faced water snake, Cerberus schneiderii, and its prey turned out to be a monumental discovery when fish experts such as Jiayuan Lin and even Dr Tan Heok Hui from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum identified the fish as a Ladder gudgeon, Bostrychus scalaris.

According to them, this species of fish is presumed to be nationally extinct and the only evidence of its occurrence in Singapore was based on a watercolour painting by F. L. de Castelnau in a notebook compiled in Singapore between 1858 and 1862. In fact, the photographs you see here are reportedly the first photographic evidence of its existence in Singapore! But even then, as a herper, I only realised just how significant the sighting was when they compared it to the rediscovery of the Selangor mud snake, Raclitia indica, in Singapore in 2020.

This sighting also proves just how rich the biodiversity in Singapore is and just how much there is for us to discover and rediscover. If a fish not seen since the 1800s can suddenly appear in the jaws of a snake, who knows what new species might pop up tomorrow? As Jiayuan says, “if there’s one, there’s more!” We can only wait with bated breath the next exciting discovery the next lucky soul will make on our shores!

For more information, do check out this biodiversity record:
https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/NIS-2024-0003.pdf

Text and photo by Daryl Tan Photos are copyrighted to Daryl Tan

For more local wildlife photographs and fun facts, do check out his Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/clickingthecritters/

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Head distinct from slender body, eye large. Scales along middle of back distinctly enlarged. Bronze brown above, the neck region bright orange-red. A black streak on the side of the head and fore part of the neck. Underside yellowish green on the front half, and dull green to brown on the rear. NParks

Location: Lornie PCN – Jan 2024

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Jasper Cat Snake (Boiga jaspidea) to any herper in Singapore and it is likely that if he/she has not seen one yet, it is a species that sits very high on their target list. However, as it is rarely seen and is restricted in its distribution, there have only been a small handful of reported sightings in the past decade, with the most recent one recorded in May 2021. Because of its rarity, many classify it under the “unicorn” level, a mythical level reserved for the rarest and most elusive of snake species in Singapore.

There is also very limited literature on this snake species as this elusive snake is uncommon throughout its range. What little is known is that it is arboreal and nocturnal, making it even more difficult to spot and observe. It is rear-fanged and mildly venomous and reportedly feeds on geckos and other small snakes in the wild.

What really makes this snake stand out is how it looks. It has a highly patterned reddish-brown body with scattered black and pink blotches and accentuated by red, orange and yellow highlights, giving it a molten lava-like appearance. Ventrally, it is white except for the front portion of the belly which is bright yellow, and low on its flanks are scattered, irregular white patches. It has a slender body and a large head with possibly the largest eyes of the Boiga genus.

Fun fact: Do you know that despite its rarity, the Jasper Cat Snake is still only the second rarest cat snake species in Singapore? The true crown belongs to the White-spotted Cat Snake (Boiga drapizeii).

[Disclaimer: Credits for this sighting go to Lim Ting, Pearlyn and Peter Chua.]

Text and Photos by Daryl Tan
All photos are copyrighted to Daryl Tan
For more local wildlife photographs and fun facts, do check out his Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/clickingthecritters/

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