Part Four
18.
Clouded Monitor
Varanus nebulosus
Clouded monitors are one of the three monitor lizard species in Singapore.
These diurnal lizards rest in tree cavities but are usually encountered digging through the forest leaf litter in search of insects and worms to feed on.
19.
Paradise Tree Snake
Chrysopelea paradisi
Paradise tree snakes are slender, vibrant, and strictly arboreal. They are the only vertebrates that are able to go
airborne without limbs. These snakes do so by simply flattening their bodies as they launch into the air.
20.
Coppersmith Barbet
Megalaima haemacephala
Its name derives from the monotonous calls the bird makes in a series of ‘tonk’ notes, which sounds like a coppersmith hitting copper sheets.
The increased number of parklands in Singapore has helped the species thrive.
21.
Red-breasted Parakeet
Psittacula alexandri
Red-breasted parakeets are declining in population due to habitat loss and trapping for the pet trade industry.
These non-native birds are easily identifiable by their pinkish-red breasts.
22.
Sambar Deer
Rusa unicolor
Sambar deers are critically endangered in Singapore. A full-grown adult male can reach a height of 2m and weigh about
260kg. Females are about two-thirds of the males. They can live up to 20 years in the wild and very elusive.
23.
Oriental Pied Hornbill
Anthracoceros albirostris
An overall black and white bird with light blue skin around its eyes and cheeks. The oriental pied hornbill was recorded
to have been locally extinct for nearly a century until a population recolonised Pulau Ubin in the early 1990s.