Animal & Plant Life in Singapore
Urbanization in Singapore has so greatly impacted the plant and animal life that little remains of the wild beauty that once graced this land. Less then 30 miles of primary and secondary forest remains in the country. Diversity of plant and animal life remains, however, despite man's nearly overwhelming impact. The beauty of nature lives in the rain forest and mangrove swamps that team with both flora and fauna.
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Mangrove Swamps
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The term "mangrove" is used in reference to both mangrove trees and the entire plant community surrounding the trees. Mangroves grow only in intertidal areas and neighboring areas. They are one of the few plants that survive being bathed in seawater twice daily. Mangrove trees rid themselves of most of the saltwater at their roots. They tolerate higher salt levels than most plants, and they store excess saline in old leaves, which they then shed. Common plants found in mangrove swamps are mangrove cedars, sea putat and mangrove ferns. Rare forms of mangroves include black, looking glass, milky and spurred mangroves.
Orchids
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Several species of orchids are native to Singapore, but they are becoming endangered and extinct at alarming rates. In 1998 there were 221 recognized species of orchids in Singapore. Of those, 170 have been since then. Only four species are considered common, the other 47 species are considered endangered, vulnerable or rare, or they have an undetermined status. Orchid conservation programs have been instituted to monitor the species and help conserve what remains.
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Bats and Squirrels
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Eight species of bats are native to Singapore: the cave nectar bat, the lesser false vampire bat, the glossy horseshoe bat, the large-footed myotis, the pouched tomb bat, the yellow house bat, the common fruit bat and the whiskered myotis. The bats, which are nocturnal, exist on a diet of fruit or insects and invertebrates. There are three species of squirrel native to Singapore: the slender squirrel, the plantain squirrel and the variable squirrel. The squirrels are diurnally active and live on a diet that includes fruits, leaves, seeds, insects and arthropods.
Scaly Anteaters and Macaques
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Sunda pangolins, or scaly anteaters, are native to the shores of Singapore. The nocturnal animal ranges in size from 2.5 to 3 feet long when fully grown, and it's body is covered with horny scales that overlap. Toothless, it feeds on ants and termites. To protect it's young a mother will tuck it in against her abdomen and roll into a ball.
The long-tailed macaque is native to Singapore. The macaques are diurnal and omnivorous. As of 2010, no predators remain to prey upon the macaques, so the population flourishes.
Amphibians
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There are 19 species of frogs living Singapore and only two toads. The frogs range in size from less than 1 inch to 7 inches in length. Four-ridged toads are approximately 2.5 inches long; Asian toads are 4 inches in length. Both species are nocturnal and feed predominantly on insects and crustaceans. The American Bull Frog is not native to this country but has been imported and bred for consumption and religious purposes. This species is considered invasive and will eat anything it is big enough to swallow, including fish, lizards and other frogs.
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References
- Photo Credit mangrove reflection image by palms from Fotolia.com
