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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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/

The post Ladder Gudgeon bitten by a Dog-faced water snake appeared first on Singapore Geographic.

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/

The post Jasper Cat Snake appeared first on Singapore Geographic.

Red-tailed Racer (Gonyosoma oxycephalum), a species of snake in Singapore distinguishable by its bright green body, reddish-brown tail and electric blue tongue.

Fun fact: Do you know that the Red-tailed Racer is a highly arboreal species that spends most of its life living and hunting in trees and seldom descends to the ground? It primarily feeds on birds, bird eggs and bats and is a renowned nest raider.

Disclaimer: While Red-tailed Racers are non-venomous, they can be temperamental and may strike out if you get too close. Please keep your distance and leave them alone should you encounter one.

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/

The post Red-tailed Racer appeared first on Singapore Geographic.

Scientific name: Bungarus fasciatus

Location: Pulau Ubin, January 2024

The Banded Krait makes no attempt to hide its tail. In fact, it was observed to deliberately expose it and make it highly visible, possibly to encourage potential predators to mistake it for its head and go for it.

Banded Krait is considered to be a coastal snake but can also be found in a variety of habitats including peat swarms and forests, often close to water bodies. It is easily identifiable by its triangular body and the alternating black and yellow bands (hence its scientific name — Bungarus means “golden” in Telugu and fasciatus means “banded” in Latin), although the ones we have in Singapore seem to have black and white bands instead.

Fun fact: Despite it being highly venomous, do you know that the Banded Krait generally does not attempt to bite even when threatened? Instead, it chooses to hide its head under its coils, but not to cower in fear. It does so so that predators will mistakenly attack its tail thinking that it is its head, and this allows the krait to either counter-attack or flee.

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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