Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

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fickle-minder
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Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by fickle-minder »

2014 has been a roller-coaster for me, filled with epic highs and dry lows. It'll take some time for this post to build up. Photos will be posted first, with anecdotes coming in shortly after. Some of these are reposts. I wanted to be more elaborate cos' the previous thread was too rushed

This is a combined post. Ronan's gonna be joining in once he's ready. Anyone who has herped Singapore in 2014 is more than welcome to join in.


One of the two lifer aquatics that night. We found two individuals, the one in the first shot depicts the brighter one.

Acrochordus granulatus, (Banded File Snake)

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And just when i went closer to get my Head-profile shot of the other individual, this springtail photobombed my shot!

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The second lifer that night, this time, a Homalopsid.

Gerarda prevostiana, (Gerard's Water Snake)

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Accompanied by two of the most common snakes in Singapore. I reckon I've easily seen at least a hundred of both.


Chrysopelea paradisi, (Paradise Tree Snake) (Flower Phase)

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and here's the Green Phase

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And don't lie. You gotta love these.

Ahaetulla prasina, (Oriental Whip Snake)

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This year was great for Ptyas fusca.


Ptyas fusca, (White-bellied Rat Snake)

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The Dwarf Reed Snakes, on the other hand, had a hard time during the first half of the year, It was during this period where Singapore experienced a pretty bad dry spell. Many of them ended up as roadkills, or maybe they were so dry to the point that they fry to death. :(

Pseudorabdion longiceps, (Dwarf Reed Snake)

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Well, i couldn't say otherwise for the Calamaria... A good amount of individuals shared the same fate as P. longiceps. Thankfully, after July, the rains came in to end the destruction.

Behold. The two species of oversized worm destroyers.

Calamaria schlegeli, (Pink-headed Reed Snake)

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Calamaria lumbricoidea, (Variable Reed Snake)

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Chaitanya
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by Chaitanya »

nice finds.
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LouB747
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by LouB747 »

Nice finds. I have yet to find a Paradise Tree Snake. Maybe on my next visit Jan 8th. Such beautiful looking snakes!
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fickle-minder
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by fickle-minder »

Thank you guys! There are a few places where you can easily observe Chrysopelea paradisi. They like hanging out on the support beams of shelters as they provide ideal places to rub their sheds off. Also, they're packed with geckos.
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fickle-minder
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by fickle-minder »

2014 was a good year for Retics as well. Some of which have turned up in some of the most unlikely of places. But then again, it isn't all that surprising. This individual was found close to a shopping mall.


Malayopython reticulatus, (Reticulated Python)

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Twin-barred Tree Snakes where as scarce as always. Only managed to turn up 2 individuals this year. Perhaps I was just searching in all the wrong places.

Chrysopelea pelias, (Twin-barred Tree Snake)

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And Gonyosoma! These snakes never fail to impress me. A very solid looking animal that allows you to get beautiful shots of time and again.

Gonyosoma oxycephalum, (Red-tailed Racer)

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RonanK
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Joined: March 29th, 2014, 8:45 pm
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by RonanK »

Ahh 2014, what a year!
As Jerome said, we were planning on this to be a combined post, so here is my part.
I've not been in Singapore for all of 2014, but the last six months have been awesome. I herp a lot with Jerome, so most of the stuff that I've seen, he's also seen. That being said, we did find some awesome stuff.

Starting with one of my lifers, which this year provided many of.
Tropidolaemus wagleri (Wagler's Temple Viper)

A big adult female

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A little (suspected) male

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And a female in the middle of the ontogenic change

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Another lifer, the other viperid in Singapore
Cryptelytrops/Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus (Mangrove or Shore Pit Viper)

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And to round out this post (for now), just a boring fossorial snake that we come across sometimes
*ahem*

BLUE MALAYSIAN CORAL SNAKE!!
(Calliophis bivirgatus flaviceps)

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I hope Jerome won't be annoyed that I posted these......

That's all from me for now, the next post will be from earlier in the year when I was still in Hong Kong.
In the mean time, here's a teaser of something that I feel made the year for me

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herpseeker1978
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by herpseeker1978 »

Love the tree snakes and the coral snakes!

Thanks for posting!
Josh
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LouB747
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by LouB747 »

Yeah, heard about paradise and the shelters. Will give it a go.

As far as the small male Waglers, while the female and male resemble each other, I'm told the male has spots and the female bars. So that would be a male. I haven't seen a male yet though. Maybe this next trip.

Great pics of that blue coral!
RonanK
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by RonanK »

Before I move on (well, back) to Hong Kong herps; here are some more very interesting snakes from Singapore.

This first one I honestly didn't know existed until I found it
Gongylosoma baliodeirum (Boie's Smooth Snake/Orange-bellied Ringneck Snake)

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I'm jumping on the racer bandwagon now
Juvenile Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Red-tailed Racer)

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More Juvies
Juvenile Ptyas fusca (White-bellied Ratsnake)

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And now the more commoner stuff
Dendrelaphis caudolineatus (Striped Bronzeback)

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Finally (for now), what I consider to be very much in the top 3 most visually stunning snakes in Singapore
Dendrelaphis kopsteini (Kopstein's/Red-necked Bronzeback)

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Watch this space for more things coming in the next few days!
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LouB747
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by LouB747 »

Yeah. Kopsteins are beauties. Top 3....Blue Coral,Kopsteins,Waglers(female)?
RonanK
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by RonanK »

LouB747 wrote:Yeah. Kopsteins are beauties. Top 3....Blue Coral,Kopsteins,Waglers(female)?
I think the last one (personally) is a toss up between the wagleri and a Striped Kukri (Oligodon octolineatus)
dendrelaphis
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by dendrelaphis »

absolutely stunning pictures!
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mfb
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by mfb »

Really wonderful! I think the highlight for me would be the file snake, just because it is so unusual.
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fickle-minder
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by fickle-minder »

Glad that everyone here's loving the post. :)

My favourite Singapore snakes would be Chrysopelea pelias, Calliophis bivirgatus flaviceps, and Gonyosoma oxycephalum.

My top three on my to-see-list this year would be Dendrelaphis haasi, Ptyas carinata, and Boiga cynodon. I figured to keep Ophiophagus hannah out of the list since it seems almost impossible to herp one in Singapore.

Here's more stuff.

Never to be confused with Ahaetulla prasina.

Ahaetulla mycterizans, (Malayan Whip Snake)

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And of course, I've been deficient of these for this year. Sadly, 2014 came to a close with 0 adults. Perhaps I was just looking in all the wrong places.

Naja sumatrana, (Equatorial Spitting Cobra) (Juvenile)

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This individual was so spontaneous, it hooded up at the sight of me!

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And... well... how could anyone possibly have enough of these? It probably sits up there as one of Singapore's most photogenic snakes. With colours that stunning, it's practically impossible to get bad shots of. Plus they are pretty placid if left undisturbed.

This was a different individual from the one Ronan posted They have been known to be more active early in morning. However, the past two individuals I've come across we're observed at around mid-noon and seemed to be foraging.

Calliophis bivirgatus flaviceps, (Malaysian Blue Coral Snake)

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snakemastermyke
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by snakemastermyke »

Fantastic Post! Thanks for sharing!
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Ruxs
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by Ruxs »

Looks like a very successful year. Great stuff, boys.
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fickle-minder
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by fickle-minder »

Thanks guys! Think I've already gathered enough stuff to form a post covering the first half of 2015. we'll see how it goes by the end of June.
kennethc
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Re: Herping Singapore 2014. Looking back.

Post by kennethc »

Very nice collection of sightings! Its 2015 and you are the only singaporean posting pics of herps here. I wonder where the rest have gone. Hope to see more of your pictures and sightings! :-)
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