Home

Mammals

Birds

Reptiles

Amphibians

Fishes

Arthropods

Other Animals

Submit sighting

Dec 2009 sightings

 Flat-tailed Gecko at Circuit Road

26 Dec 2009
Lau SY

Flat-tailed Gecko (left) at home.

 Lizards and Planthopper at Mandai

26 Dec 2009
Lau SY

An unid Gecko (left) and a Changeable Lizard (right) at Mandai Orchid Garden.

Looks like a moth, but it's actually a Planthopper.

Malayan Night Heron and Earthworms at Botanic Gardens

25 Dec 2009
Tan GC

Observation: the Malayan Night Heron hunts earthworms by walking slowly. It may be able to sense the vibrations of the worm as it tunnels through the earth? Once it thinks it sees something, it would look intently at the ground for the slightest movement. Once it sees just the tip of earthworm above the ground, it would seize the earthworm by whatever little part of the body it can grab and expertly pull the wriggly fella staright out of the earth. The earthworm may be left wriggling frantically on the ground for a few seconds before it is swallowed whole, wriggling through the bird's esophagus!

It is amazing how many earthworms it can catch in a short span of time. And we humans don't even see the worm at all. Maybe the worms poke their body a little above the ground just to breathe? or to excrete? or to bring up dirt as it excavates?

24 Dec 2009
Tan KH

Earthworm fed on by juvenile Malayan Night Heron. According to this paper, there are 19 species of earthworm in Singapore.

Banded File Snakes and Damselflies

13 Dec 2009
Eddy Lee

A forest damselfly, Prodasineura collaris.

Libellago hyalina, females.

Left: Libellago hyalina, male. Right: Libellago aurantiaca, male.

The Banded File Snake is an aquatic species. Its entire body is covered with uniform, granular scales which makes it rough to touch. This species give birth to live young and it's non-venomous.
These snakes (about 1m in length)are caught in the sea water inlet band screen filter system, senoko power plant. They are subsequently released back into the sea.

Spider and Insects at Upper Peirce

5 Dec 2009
Eddy Lee

Brown Grass Spider.

Saturn Butterfly and Robberfly.

Oriental Spreadwing (Podolestes orientalis) and a forest damselfly (Prodasineura notostigma).

Libellago hyalina, male.