Singapore Zoo

09Sep08

Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea) devouring a piece of fish. This is one of the two otter species that can be found in Singapore, the other being the Smooth Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata). A good place to look for them would be the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Caught mid-fruit: a Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus), which can be found here. Possessing a wingspan of 1.5 metres or more, this species is the largest of all the flying foxes. The fruit bats (Macrochiroptera: literally, ‘big hand-wing’) can be distinguished from their smaller insect-eating Microchiroptera cousins by the formers’ relatively large size, large eyes and small noses. The main reason for these differences is that fruit bats don’t need to echolocate to find their food. Their sense of hearing is however sharp enough for mothers to recognise their offsprings’ unique calls, preventing mix-ups in large colonies.

The utilitarian might question the purpose of bat conservation. The answer, for the skeptical Singaporean, is simple: without bats to pollinate durian trees, we would have none of this nation’s favourite fruit…

The imposing giant snakehead (Channa micropeltes), or toman as it is known in Malay, can grow up to a metre in length. Not native to Singapore, it is cultured locally for its meat. The flesh of the slightly smaller common snakehead is said to have healing properties – perhaps good news for those who must clutch at the straws of alternative medicine, having found they cannot afford more conventional healthcare.

Idea leuconoe, known also as the tree nymph and rice paper butterfly, is aptly named for the ethereal quality of its graceful flight, ‘like hell bank-notes drifting through the air’ the most evocative description I have heard.

Interestingly, the Taiwanese subspecies bred at the zoo differs subtly in appearance from that which may be found in our own mangroves.

But I think I fell in love with the mousedeer. With his funny little bow-legs and plump barrel body, it’s no wonder that sang kancil features so heavily as one of the chief animal protagonists of Malaysian folklore, even accorded a central role in a state’s founding myth. Pictured above is the russet-coated greater mousedeer (Tragulus napu). The four species of mousedeer are classified in their own family. Not true deer, they lack horns and antlers, instead possessing more recognisably pig-like features.

More diminutive, but no less charismatic: the lesser mousedeer (Tragulus kancil). This species occurs here, although it appears to be confined to the Central Nature Reserves. Adding to the difficulty of sighting this creature is its shy and retiring nature. Given the mousedeer’s popularity, one can see where the advertisers are coming from, but it’s funny how little the kancil resembles its automobile namesake.

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