Month / July 2011

by mondaymorgue

Common Wolf Snake

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Common Wolf Snake (Lycodon capucinus)
Choa Chu Kang, 27th June 2011

This Common Wolf Snake was found alongside the KTM railway tracks that run through Choa Chu Kang.

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by mondaymorgue

Malayan Water Monitor

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Malayan Water Monitor (Varanus salvator)
Woodlands, June 27th 2011

The remains of a Malayan Water Monitor were found on the KTM railway tracks that run through Woodlands. It is very likely that it had been killed by a train.

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Consisting of the tail and part of the hips, I identified it due to the darker, slaty-black colour. The tail, which was laterally flattened, was another diagnostic feature which suggested that it was a Malayan Water Monitor. I was not able to find the rest of the carcass.

Compare this to the Clouded Monitor (Varanus bengalensis nebulosus) carcass I had found along the tracks in Bukit Timah.

by mondaymorgue

Frog

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Frog
Kranji, 27th June 2011

This medium-sized frog was found on the KTM railway tracks that run through Kranji.

Based on the size and the patterns on the skin that remains on the legs, I suspect that it might be a subadult American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus).

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Another possible alternative is that this was a large Crab-eating Frog (Fejervarya cancrivora).

by mondaymorgue

Monday Morgue on Project 79

Monday Morgue is mentioned as an entry on Project 79!

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Project 79 is a student initiated project by Chua Shi Min, Ye Xiao Xia and Zhuo Dandan, students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, School of Humanities, Chinese Media and Communication. Their project aims to collect stories relating to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and the KTM railway lines in general. Out of all the materials collected, 79 top stories will be published on a website as an e-book for free viewing. Also, the figure “79” represents the 79 years of services provided by the station.

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I got to know the 3 girls behind this project at the Tanjong Pagar KTM & GreenCorridor Open Mic @ The Pigeonhole on 24th June, where they had a short presentation about Project 79, and approached several of the other speakers to share their stories. Apparently, my little piece on the dead animals I’d found along the tracks had made a great impact on them, and so I was asked to contribute as well.

The entire site is written in Chinese, and my entry itself is still incomplete, but you can read the introductory paragraph here. I’m the 75th story featured, and it is entitled The “Death” Railway.

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For the benefit of those not well-versed in Chinese, here’s a loose translation of what’s been written so far:

I think this is the most original story about the railway that I have ever seen.

Death makes people fearful and recoil in horror, but instead, he dares to get close and explore further. Even as the closure of the train station was imminent, we did not want to emphasise the idea of things stopping and coming to an end. However, Ivan’s relationship with the railway began with the concept of death itself…

(To be continued, stay tuned for the release of the complete edition)

I’m keen to wait and see what else the Project 79 team has to say about Monday Morgue, and in the meantime, am reading some of the other entries (while stretching my limited grasp of the Chinese language).

Do visit the Project 79 website to take a look at what people have to share about their connections and relationships with the railway and Green Corridor. You can also follow updates from the team by ‘Liking’ their Facebook page.

by mondaymorgue

Equatorial Spitting Cobra

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Equatorial Spitting Cobra (Naja sumatrana)
Woodlands, 27th June 2011

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The front half of an Equatorial Spitting Cobra was found along the railway tracks that run through Woodlands, near the Causeway. It had most probably been killed by a passing train, since it seemed to have been neatly sliced in two. I was not able to find the other half.

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by mondaymorgue

Red-eared Slider

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Woodlands, 27th June 2011

These fragments of the shell of a Red-eared Slider (along with a few other scattered bones) were found on the KTM railway tracks that pass through Woodlands, just before the immigration checkpoint. Clearly, even such armour cannot withstand the impact of a train.

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by mondaymorgue

Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus)
Buona Vista, 27th June 2011

This Javan Myna, found on the KTM railway line that runs through Buona Vista, had been decapitated. I suspect it was most probably killed by a passing train.

by mondaymorgue

Oriental Whip Snake

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Oriental Whip Snake (Ahaetulla prasina)
Woodlands, 27th June 2011

This amputated tail of a snake on the KTM railway line that runs through Woodlands most probably belongs to an Oriental Whip Snake, and was probably the result of an unfortunate accident with a passing train. I searched the surrounding area, but could not find the rest of the snake.

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