Discovery @ Chek Jawa on 23 Dec 2007

Thirty ninth Discovery posting:

(Entry @ 28 Dec 2007: Correction for the ID for seventh 'discovery', thanks to Ria for pointing out the mistake)

My back was still a bit aching after yesterday's (22 Dec) clearing net session at Belayar Creek, Labrador. However, it would not stop me from being able to go to Chek Jawa Inter-tidal area for the first time!

But first we were to gather at the Ubin Volunteers Hub and at there, Ron spotted a caterpillar, first 'discovery' (picture below). However, after a little picture search here and there, i am still unable to ID this, could someone help me? Thanks!
Very soon, we headed out to Chek Jawa and we made a short walk around the mangroves on the boardwalk before heading down the stairs to the inter-tidal area.

Here's a photo from the inter-tidal area of the boardwalk and you can see 20m tall Jejawi tower in the background (picture below).Side note:
In this posting, i'm not going to list everything i saw but i'll show some rare finds and try to introduce everyone to the echinoderms i saw, i'll also try to explain what are Echindoerms.

So, what are Enchindoerms?
Discovery Note:
1. The echinoderms are a group of animals that includes sea stars, sand dollars, urchins, feather stars, brittle stars and sea cucumbers.
2. They are simple animals, lacking a brain and complex sensing organs.
3. They have a water-vascular system (humans have a blood-vascular system) which pumps water through the madreporite.
4. The madreporite is an opening used to filter water into the water vascular system of echinoderms.
5. And they have tube feet which they use to attach to objects, for protection, as well as to obtain food.
6. They have radial symmetry and most can regenerate lost limbs.

The first echinoderm of the day is a sand dollar (picture below). Second 'discovery'.
Discovery Note:
1. Sand dollars belong to the same class as sea urchins, class Echinoidea.
2. Living sand dollars are coated in fine, harmless spines that made them very velvety.
3. The spines are movable and are used to dig into the sand or move around.
4. The dense layer of spines also helps to keep off sand and silt so there is a flow of oxygenated water across the body.

Third 'discovery' is a brittle star which is another example of an echinoderm (picture below).
Underside of the brittle star (picture below)
Discovery Note:
1. Brittle Stars belong to the class Ophiuroidea.
2. Related to and like the sea stars, they have five arms and a central disc.
3. As the name suggests, the arms of the brittle stars are rather liable to break. This is actually an escape mechanism. They can regenerate their arms, but slowly.
4. Brittle stars use their arms for locomotion. They do not, like sea stars, depend on tube feet.
5. Brittle stars move fairly rapidly by wriggling their arms which are highly flexible and enable the animals to make either snake-like or rowing movements.

Fourth 'discovery' is a rare sight which i've have been lucky enough to see it at Changi beach recently. A bubble shell or headshield slug, a Hydatina amplustre (picture below).
Discovery Note:
1. The front of the head shield is developed into a pair of tentacles on each side.
2. It has a shell with alternating pink and white spiral bands, separated by narrow black lines.
3. Worms are part of its diet.

Fifth 'discovery' is a 'naked' hermit crab (picture below). However it was dead when i found it. =( It had probably died due to an attack from a predator when it's inside its home (an empty shell) or when 'naked' thus making it an easy target. Lesson of the day:
Don't pick sea shells from the sea shores , thus hermit crabs will have homes to live in.

Class Asteroidea of the echinoderms refers to the sea stars. And sixth 'discovery' is a sand star (picture below)Discovery Note:
1. The tube feet of sand stars end in points instead of suckers.
2. These pointed tube feet push down powerfully allowing Sand star to ‘race’ rapidly over the sand and burrow quite quickly.

Seventh 'discovery' is a sea star that i've seen with my own eyes for the first time, a cake sea star (picture below)!

Entry @ 28 Dec: ID for this sea star should be Gymnanthenea laevis.Discovery Note (Updated):
1. Large block-like superomarginal plates define the border of this sea star.
2. Notable features of the upper surface are prominent spine-like tubercles on the central radial plates and sometimes it can be found on some of adjacent plates too.

Another class of echinoderms, the Holothuroidea refers to the sea cucumbers. And eighth 'discovery' is one sea cucumber, this is probably Colochirus quadrangularis (picture below). Discovery Note:
1. This is a small sea cucumber. Often less tan 10cm in length.
2. It has bushy tentacles that are used to strain plankton and suspended organic particulates from the water.

That about warps everything up. And we were quite lucky today as it only started to rain cats and dogs after we got on the van back to the jetty on Ubin.

Would like to thank Luan Keng for making this trip possible + the kuey and everyone else for coming along today! =)

Reference:
David J. W. Lane & Dider Vandenspiegel. A Guide to Sea Stars and other Echinoderms. Singapore Science Center, 2003.

Discovery @ KNT & SBWR on 15 Dec 2007

Thirty eighth Discovery posting:

(Entry @ 17 Dec 2007: Correction of ID for both butterflies in this posting. Thanks to Commander for pointing out the mistake => Got the ID for second 'discovery' too, thanks, Ron!)

Just yesterday morning (15 Dec), together with a few members of Semakau and Naked Hermit Crab Guides, we went for a walk along Kranji Nature Trail (KNT) and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR).

As usual, our speed was a bit slow due to the fact that we were looking out for things along the way and photographing them whenever we spot anything. Anyway, the first 'discovery' of the day are two Dark Brand Bush Brown butterflies if i'm not wrong. (picture below)

Entry @ 17 Dec: The ID for first 'discovery' should be Nigger.
Discovery Note (Updated):
1. This is a common grassland butterfly from the same family as the Dark Brand Bush Brown.
2. The caterpillar of this butterfly is believed to feed on grasses, particularly, Lallang.

And not far away afterwards, i spotted an insect landing on a plant nearby. This is second 'discovery' but i am wondering what this insect is. Anyone can help me with the ID (picture below)?

Entry @ 17 Dec: This insect is the assassin bug.
Discovery Note:
1. Many assassin bugs have been known to bite humans when not handled carefully.
2. For some species the bite is known to be very painful, sometimes causing allergic reactions, and bites can become infected, as with any wound.

And nearby (again), someone spotted this beautiful spider. The ID of this spider might be the Mangrove Big-Jawed spider from the family of Tetragnathidae. Third 'discovery' (picture below).
Discovery Note:
1. When disturbed, it will run away from the web and lie motionless on a leaf or branch nearby.
2. Males are easily identified by their large and prominent jaws, thus their common name.

As we walked into the trail, we spotted a number of St. Andrew Cross Spiders, here's one of them (picture below) and this is fourth 'discovery'.
Discovery Note:
1. These spiders get their name for the way they hold their eight legs in pairs to form an X shape.
2. This X is called the St. Andrew's cross because it is believed that the saint was martyred on a cross of this shape.
3. Besides their standard orb-web, these spiders also build addition white opaque zig zag lines on their webs.

Click here to read more about the St. Andrew Cross Spider.

Fifth 'discovery' should be a grasshopper (picture below).
Discovery Note:
1. Those species that make easily heard noises usually do so by rubbing the hind femurs against the forewings or abdomen, or by snapping the wings in flight.

Sixth 'discovery' is a Cabbage White butterfly (picture below). Oh ya, sorry everyone, i kept saying this is White Cabbage =P. Anyway, i was following this butterfly for about 50 meters plus before i got this picture which you see.

Entry @ 17 Dec: ID for sixth 'discovery' should be Psyche.
Discovery Note (Updated):
1. The Psyche is a small and delicate butterlfy.
2. It is relatively common in Singapore.
3. Although it has a weak flight, it can go on flying for long periods of time without making a rest stop, no wonder it took me so long to get one photo of this.

When we reached the mangrove boardwalk of the SBWR, this Malayan Water Monitor Lizard was happily basking in the sun before our voices made it move to another quiet spot (picture below). Sorry.. oh, by the way, seventh 'discovery'.
Discovery Note:
1. Among the largest lizards in the world, Malayan Water Monitors can survive in habitats that wouldn't be able to support other large carnivores.
2. One is because they are cold blooded and thus doesn’t need to use energy to maintain their body temperature.
3. In addition, they eat anything that they can swallow. From tiny insects, to crabs, molluscs, snakes, eggs (of birds and crocodiles) and even other monitor lizards. They even eat rubbish, human faeces, and even dead bodies.
4. The Water Monitor's main hunting technique is to run after prey that it has spotted, rather than stalking and ambushing.
5. Water Monitor Lizards are highly mobile. They can swim, run faster than most of us can run and even climb trees.
6. Like snakes, they have a forked tongue that they stick in and out regularly to "smell" their prey and other tasty titbits.

Click here to read more about the Malayan Water Monitor Lizard.

And along the sides of the boardwalk were some very beautiful flowers from the torch ginger (picture below). Eighth 'discovery'.Discovery Posting:
1. This is also called the Sceptre of the emperor, maybe due to the beautiful flower?
2. The showy pink flowers of a tall perennial look almost too pretty to eat but their flavour is an essential ingredient in some dishes.
3. But its flowers are only used for food before it blooms. Think rojak.

As we walked on the boardwalk, we spotted an Atlas moth resting on a leave just next to the boardwalk (picture below). Wow! This is my first time seeing a real Atlas moth. Ninth 'discovery'!Discovery Posting:
1. The Atlas Moth has the largest wing surface area of all moths.
2. It is so named because its wing patterns resemble maps.
3. The Atlas Moth's wings have triangular transparent "windows" whose purpose which no one knows yet.
4. The wing tips are hooked and some say resemble a snake's head complete with eye, to scare off predators.
5. Atlas Moths are found only in Southeast Asia and they are common in Singapore, especially from November-January.

Click here to read more about the Atlas moth.

The last feature, tenth 'discovery' is a spider which i don't know which species it belongs to. But according to the others, the white thing is its eggs. Interesting! There are many other things which we saw, like jumping spiders which jumped from one camera to another and Siyang's back, many other spiders, misc insects and of course Homo sapiens. =)
Read these on,
Manta's blog, Tidechaser's blog, Urban Forest and on Colourful Clouds.

Finally, it was really a wonderful outing due to the company and weather. So thanks to everyone and the weather. =)

Discovery @ Hort Park on 12 Dec 2007

Thirty seventh Discovery Posting:

Hort Park, a park opened to the public on 7 Dec 2007. was my destination for the afternoon.

HortPark is a one-stop gardening hub that brings together gardening-related, recreational, educational, research and retail activities under one big canopy in a park setting (NParks, 2007).
For more information, click here.

As i walked into the park, i noticed these flowers (pictures below) which i never seen before. First 'discovery' of the day. The name, Portulaca grandiflora, was tagged to one of them, so that's its name. And the common name for this is the moss rose or rose moss.
Discovery Note:
1. The roselike flowers are about an inch across and come in bright colors like rose pink, red, yellow, white, and orange.
2. The plant is used in the treatment of hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver with ascites, swelling and pain in the pharynx.
3. The fresh juice of the leaves and stems is applied externally as a lotion to snake and insect bites, burns, scalds and eczema.

Second 'discovery' looked like a sea holly, but a sign board nearby indicate that this is the Laurentia longiflora or otherwise known as the Star of Bethlehem.
Discovery Note (Information for Hippobroma longiflora, a synonym for Laurentia longiflora):
1. When pulling this, it is important to wear gloves: the sap is an irritant which can be absorbed through the skin, and a small amount of sap in the eyes can cause blindness.

Walking around the park, i spotted this interesting looking cube (picture below).
From a signboard nearby the cube:
Flowers found around the cube (picture below).Third 'discovery' is a plant which i have been seeing around Singapore but i never got to know its name. But a signboard nearby this plant finally answered my question. This is the Fairy Lily (picture below). Discovery Note:
1. This is also known as the white rain lily.
2. Scientific name: Zephyranthes candida

Located in the park is a section where they showcase ideas on how to recycle bottles and other materials as containers for plants. I'm showing some of the ones which i found interesting and nice (pictures below). Walking around, i also noticed this (picture below).The bins are a great start for what other parks clould do. But the venting machine? I do hope they're (vending machines) there due to the GardenTech event and will be removed soon.

Cause it does really 'stand' out in the park.

Anyway, there's a section called, Fantasy park, which features characters from the Wizard of Oz.

Here's Dorothy and her dog (picture below). The Scarecrow (picture below):Tinman (picture below).The lion who loves flowers if my memory serves me correct (picture below).Fourth 'discovery' is a very common flowering plant which we see almost all around Singapore. The bougainvillea (pictures below)!Discovery Note:
1. They are thorny, woody, vines growing anywhere from 1-12 meters tall, scrambling over other plants with their hooked thorns.
2. The thorns are tipped with a black, waxy substance that is easily left in the flesh of an unsuspecting victim.
3. The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white (picture above), but each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with the bright colours associated with the plant, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow.
4. You will most likely to find them to be at the sides of our bridges.

What really made me want to go visit Hort Park was the green houses which they housed flowering plants from the Mediterranean regions in the springtime and flowering plants from cloud forests. And these green houses are actually experiment green houses to find out the most energy, water and economic efficient way to maintain these plants. As eventually, you will find these plants in greenhouses located in the upcoming Gardens by the Bay.

Read more about these by click on the picture below (you might need to magnify a picture a bit for reading) Flowers from Green house No. 2 (picture below).Flowers from Green house No. 5 (picture below)There was just one thing which made my trip there a little disappointing. I was unable to enter the Green house as the doors were locked... arghz.

Anyway, if you are wondering what methods are they using to make the green house efficient, click on the picture below for a detailed explanation.Lastly, there was a lifestyle corner where they showcase ideas on how to do interior landscaping using shade-loving and indoor plants. What a place to relax myself while waiting for the drizzle outside to stop outside (picture below). =)

Discovery @ Ubin Butterfly Garden on 1 Dec 2007

Thirty sixth Discovery posting:

(Entry @ 05 Dec 2007: ID of fourth 'discovery' should be Dark Glassy Tiger. Thanks to Commander, the writer of Butterflies of Singapore for the correct ID!)

Was at Ubin on 1 Dec (Sat) with some Semakau Guides and a few of next generation nature guides from TP trained by Ron for their training session.

To read more about that training session, read Samson's entry here.

Anyway, after the lunch treat from Ron. Thanks Ron! We decided to go to the butterfly garden on Ubin to check out some butterflies.

On the way, we stopped by for a toilet break and just outside the male toilet building, we saw some Hoya flowers, first 'discovery' (picture below).
Discovery Note:
1. Hoyas are evergreen climbing vines or shrubs that can grow from 1 to 10 meters (or more with suitable support from trees).
2. Their flowers are sweetly scented and produce abundant nectar.
3. The ones we saw smelled a bit like Jasmine.

After some short stops looking at other flora, we got to the butterfly garden.

My first photo shot0 of a butterfly in the garden, second 'discovery', was a Plain Tiger (picture below).
Side Note:
All the information about the butterflies are from Hexaglider's website.

Discovery Note:
1. The Plain Tiger is rather local in Singapore, where it generally stays around the area where you can find its caterpillar host plants, Asclepias curassavica or Calotropis gigantea, both of which are not commonly cultivated in Singapore.
2. This butterfly is distasteful to birds due to the food they eat when they are caterpillars.

And on the leave of a Calotropis gigantea nearby was a Plain Tiger's caterpillar (picture below)
Third 'discovery' is a Striped Albatross (picture below).
Discovery Note:
1. The Striped Albatross got its name from the appearance of the male butterfly of its species, which is white with prominent black veins on the underside.
2. The female is dark dusted with yellow wing bases.
3. Its food plant is the Wild Cat’s Whisker (Cleome ciliate).
4. It is a common butterfly which can be found in the urban areas of Singapore.

Fourth 'discovery' should be a Blue Glassy Tiger (pictures below)

Entry @ 5 Dec 2007: ID of butterfly should be Dark Glassy Tiger instead.
Discovery Note (Updated!):
1. The Dark Glassy Tiger, like its close relative, the Blue Glassy Tiger is a common butterfly in Singapore.
2. It feeds on the "Milkweed" species like Gymnema and Asclepias.
3. As the butterfly is distasteful to predators, it usually adopts a slow graceful and unhurried flight.

Two 'tigers' in a day! The Common Tiger (picture below), fifth 'discovery'.
Discovery Note:
1. The Common Tiger shares the same colouration as the Plain Tiger.
2. The butterfly is not commonly encountered in Singapore, but is often seen in the urban and sub-urban areas where it may find its host plant, the creeper-weed Raphistemma pulchellum, growing in a patch of undeveloped land.
3. The Common Tiger is attracted to the dried plants of Heliotropium indicum.

Last photo entry, a cat spotted near the pier of Ubin, sixth 'discovery'. Discovery Note:
1. Cats’ night vision is superior to humans although their vision in daylight is inferior.
2. Cats can hear much higher-pitched sounds than us, and hear one octave higher than the hearing range of a dog.
3. Cats’ whiskers are there to aid them with navigation and sensation.
4. More about cats? Click here.

Finally, thanks to Ron for organising this trip and lunch of course! And everyone else who was there on Sat. =)