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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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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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This unique-looking bat can be found in many parts of Southeast Asia but they are listed as critically endangered in Singapore.

Horseshoe bats have very small eyes which are partly blocked by their nose leaf, limiting their field of vision.
Because of this, they rely on echolocation to navigate, producing sound through their nostril.

The nose leaf helps to aim the produced sound while shielding its ears.
Their ears can move independently of each other while the bat scans its surroundings, allowing its well-developed cochlea to pick up the echoes.

Their diet consists of insects and other arthropods such as spiders.
These bats tend to roost alone on small trees or vines a few metres above the forest floor.

This beauty came up in a conversation with a friend of mine which reminded me of a fortunate sighting I had a while back, where a group of macaques spooked this bat from its roosting spot while they were playing.

If not for them I most likely couldn’t have found the little one.

Text and Photos are by Law Jia Bao
Photos are copyrighted to Law Jia Bao

Please visit his Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yarrick_law/ for more amazing collections of wildlife in Singapore, especially the Raffles’ banded langurs.

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Largest of all the Ptyas rat snakes in Singapore. Head distinct relatively thick but slender body, which has a somewhat triangular cross section. Eyes large. Front part of the body brown to blackish, sometimes with faint pale banding. Rear half of the body yellowish brown to cream coloured, with distinctive black net pattern on the tail. Side of head and throat whitish, belly blackish. ( NParks )

It’s an adult snake, estimated more than 2 meters.

Location: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, December 2023

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Location: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve – Jan 2023

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Location: Pulau Ubin – October 2022

Photos were taken during a night walk with Singapore WildCat Action Group (SWAG)

Thanks to Gloria Seow, Vilma D’Rozario for the night walk

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Location: Sungei Buloh – August 2022

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Location: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve – June 2022

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The lesser mousedeer (Tragulus kanchil) is the world’s smallest hoofed animal. Listed as critically endangered in Singapore ( The Singapore Red Data Book (2008) Threatened Plants and Animals of Singapore ), this shy creature is restricted to our nature reserves. It’s Singapore Native Animal.

Location: Central Central Catchment Nature Reserve ( 2017-2021 )

All Photos are copyright to Francis Yap

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