Month / August 2015

by mondaymorgue

Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)
Sungei Buloh, 9th June 2015

This Leopard Cat carcass was first found by Halilah Ahmad (1st photo), and was subsequently donated to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. This subadult male was found to have no visible external or internal injuries, except for a small wound on his right hind ankle.

Leopard Cats have been occasionally detected on camera traps set up within the core area of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, and this find in the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Extension, although tragic, is evidence that Leopard Cats likely occur in this area of the Nature Reserve as well.

by mondaymorgue

Apologies for the lack of updates over the weekend, but I was busy with (and also recuperating after) Day 1 of Wow Wild West! Many of the visitors learnt about the mammals of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, and while they didn’t really get to see that many mammals on the guided walk (besides a fleeting glimpse of a squirrel and some roosting fruit bats), they did find out more about some of the species found in the reserve, as well as the signs that we can use as clues to their presence. Kudos to all my colleagues for their hard work in making this a success, and thanks to s0undasleep for showing her support by attending the activities as well. Stay tuned for information about the next 3 installments!

Here are some photos of mammals that can be found in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Note that not all of these carcasses were found within Sungei Buloh, just that they belong to species known to be present in the area.

Top Left: Lesser Dog-faced Fruit Bat (Cynopterus brachyotis) @ Simei (Photo by Riane Brittany Francisco)
Top Right: Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) @ Kranji Way (Photo by Bari Mohamed)
Bottom Left: Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus) @ Neo Tiew Crescent
Bottom Right: Wild Boar (Sus scrofa vittatus) @ Lower Peirce

by mondaymorgue

Ocean Sunfish found at the shores of Sibuyan, Romblon
An estimated seven-foot, 200-kilogram Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola), the heaviest known bony fish in the world was found at the shores of Sibuyan, Romblon on Saturday. With an average adult weight between 247-kg and 1,000-kg, it resembles a fish head with a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally.

Female Ocean Sunfish can produce over 300 million eggs each breeding season, making them the most fecund extant vertebrate. They prefer the open ocean but occasionally venture into kelp beds and deep coral reefs in order to be cleaned of parasites by fishes such as Wrasses (F. Labridae) and Emperor Angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator).

Surviving on a diet consisting mainly of jellyfish, Ocean Sunfish have not been evaluated by the IUCN, US Federal List, or CITES.

Kruhay Philippines Biodiversity!

Photos: Zary Mae Maiayas

Source: Flord Nicson J. Calawag Facebook

This individual appears to be a Sharptail Sunfish (Masturus lanceolatus), not an Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola).

by mondaymorgue

Making plans for this weekend? Not sure where to bring your family? Take them out to the Wow Wild West! A celebration of the wildlife of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, taking place over four Saturdays from 29th August to 19th September, we’ve got plenty of activities for our visitors. Each weekend has a different theme, focusing on a different group of animals – the first one happening tomorrow will be about the mammals of Sungei Buloh, from adorable otters to inquisitive squirrels, from elusive wild boar to curious macaques, and a variety of other wild and furry critters.

Experience nature with our guided walks in the nature reserve, led by yours truly. Find out more about some of our fascinating fauna with a series of talks. Learn about some of the methods used to study wildlife, and get hands-on experience through the wildlife workshops. Go wild at our very special photobooth, come up with your own captions for some photos of wildlife, or have your photo taken by motion-triggered camera traps while pretending to be a wild animal in the forest! Make bookmarks and badges, have your face and hands painted, and more!

Join us tomorrow at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre, 60 Kranji Way, S(739453), from 9am to 3pm. If you can’t make it tomorrow, hope you can still come down for any of the other 3 weekends, and what’s more, you still have a chance to sign up for the walks and workshops taking place on those dates. See you at Wow Wild West!

by mondaymorgue

Study of a Large-tailed Nightjar carcass
By Thong Chow Ngian, 28th August 2015;

“On 23rd Aug 15, a young friend named Caleb, stopped me and pointed towards the base of a palm tree as we were walking along Jalan Loyang Besar, towards Pasir Ris Carpark A. The pointed wing of a Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus) with a prominent white patch caught his attention. After calling the hotline of a local nature group that collects bird carcasses, I was advised to bury the bird as all their staff were very busy that Sunday afternoon and could not collect the bird specimen. This organisation did ask for the location of the dead bird for their records.

"I decided to bring it home, photographed it; bury it and then do some research of this species. I was once fascinated by the complex and varied camouflage design of this bird, especially the scapular feathers, that I painted it with acrylic paint on canvas in 2009 to study its pattern.

"Here are some interesting facts I discovered in my brief research.

Read More

Source: Bird Ecology Study Group

by mondaymorgue

The Spotted Dolphin was found exhausted in the mangrove forest bordering Phuket Town.
Photos: Kritsada Mueanhawong

Thailand: Locals discover Dolphin stranded in mangroves

By Kritsada Mueanhawong, 27th August 2015;

Endangered species specialists are fighting to save the life of a Spotted Dolphin (Stenella attenuata) discovered stranded in the mangrove forests bordering Phuket Town yesterday.

“When we arrived, villagers were helping the Dolphin by holding the exhausted animal in the water, as it was unable to swim,” said Patcharaporn Kaewmong, a veterinarian at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC).

The locals found the marine mammal in Klong Koh Pee, just behind the Phuket City Municipality incinerator.

“The Dolphin had wounds on one of her pectoral fins and also her mouth. She has been administered oxygen and put on antibiotics,” said Dr Patcharaporn. “We will also be checking her blood work to see if there are any infections.”

Source: Phuket Gazette

by mondaymorgue

Philippines: Wounded Green Sea Turtle rescued off Zamboanga Sibugay
By RJ Rosalado, 25th August 2015;

A 200-kilogram Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) was rescued by fishermen off the coast of Naga town in Zamboanga Sibugay Province early Monday morning.

The Green Sea Turtle sustained a gun shot wound on its head, and was stranded near the coast of an island in Naga.

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard rescued the wounded Green Sea Turtle after being tipped off by fishermen.

Due to the gravity of the injury, the rescued Green Sea Turtle was brought to Zamoboanga City for medical attention.

Ben Acana, environment and natural resources officer of Zamboanga City, said they have already coordinated with the city veterinarian’s office for assistance in saving the Turtle’s life.

The injured Green Sea Turtle is 43.5 inches in length and 38.5 inches in width, and weighed approximately 200 kilograms. It is believed to be 40 years old.

After treatment, the Green Sea Turtle will be released back to the sea.

Source: ABS-CBN News