Lately there has been a new tenant in the pond. It had introduced itself to Grass that it is a Red Ear Slider.
Red Ear Slider was a turtle pet for a young girl for the last 5 years. As the girl got older, her study load and other commitments increased. Slowly the girl found it increasingly harder to take care of Red Ear Slider (which in the first place has been a tedious husbandry task). After serious considerations, she decided to release the Red Ear Slider at the pond in her nearby park.
The first day Red Ear Slider joined the pond, it frantically slided off the rocks and went into hiding. Everything seemed foreign to it. And its master will not be around anymore to protect it from dangers. While hiding in its shell, Red Ear Slider suppressed the strong urge of crying and indulging in self-pity.
After a few days, Red Ear Slider acclimatise to the environment easily due to its innate ability. In fact due to its strong instincts of survival, Red Ear Slider came across as an aggressive tenant. Its arrival disrupted the natural food chain in the pond as it preyed on the local species. Afterall, it was never meant to belong in the pond.
In the end, Red Ear Slider was given a nickname, "Alien Invader" and was shunned off by the remaining local species. It had no choice but to lead a solitary life for its remaining days (which is long given the average lifespan is about 20 to 25 years).
Grass later shared with me that if one were to put the blame for Red Ear Slider's fate, it would be the girl's fault. First for not being able to commit for the pet's lifetime. And second, for carelessly disposing it to a nearby pond instead of contacting the relevant authorities to learn the best way to set the turtle free without harming other species.
That day, I learnt how serious the consequences could be when you set your pets free into the wild carelessly.
Author's comment:
It's been a long time since I wrote my first short story about plastic bag. After that I did not have much creative juice in me. Until my docent mate shared with me the tale of the red ear slider. If not for her, I probably will not pay so much attention when RMBR guide was explaining why there is an Alien Invader section.
While writing this story, I did a little research and found out that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon was also sending a message to the public to tell them please do not throw your pet turtles in the sewage carelessly else they might mutate. I wonder how many knew the hidden meaning?
It is sad that because of man's fault, these pet turtles suffered such misunderstanding of being aggressive and invasive. Thus I wanted to write a story to show the other side of the sad tale. And I named it Alien Invader, giving due credits to my friend, RMBR and the rest of the society who had been involved in the research.
And I want to reiterate that if you want to owe a pet, remember to take care of it for its lifetime. And should you really become unable to do so, remember to contact the relevant authorities and not set it free carelessly into the wild.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
RMBR
A long awaited visit to the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. Finally. Though I was upset I could not see the zoological reference collection as I forgot to sign up. But I guess seeing through the eyes of Tisugal is good enough thanks to her detailed post.
Raffles Museum is named after Singapore's founder Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. It houses a collection of dead and preserved biological specimens that are classified and catalogued just like books.
There were 2 guides this morning though I did not stick myself to either one as I was flitting around observing how they conduct the tour and bring forward the conservation message.
Interesting things I took note:
1) Snake
Probably because I recently read Tisugal post on it too so I listened more intently.
It was cute when she said snake don't bite for a reason. We are not their type of food. Besides after biting us, it will transferred all its poison to us, and leave itself vulnerable to another snake that comes along. Hmm somehow I wonder why vulnerable.. Unless it might be a potential source of food for the oncoming snake? Probably.
2) Horseshoe crab
I actually like the way the small horseshoe crabs are displayed. Must check out FF display and see how it can be improved further. It is said to be related to spider. That statement triggered my interest to do a little research on horseshoe crab:
The horseshoe crab belongs to the large group of invertebrates (animals without backbones) called Arthropods. This group also includes lobsters, crabs, insects, spiders, and scorpions. The horseshoe crab is not a crab at all, but is more closely related to sea spiders (not the land spiders).Sea spiders are not real spiders, or even arachnids.
Source:
History and Biology
Horseshoe-Crabs.com
And the amazing fact about these creatures is after over 500 millions years have passed, little evolution has happened to them. Thus it is very precious to the biomedical science research and utmost care must be given to these creatures especially since they are currently very threatened by the human.
3) Conservation message
Most repeated is the fact that these animals are facing extinct due to various external (human) threats. E.g. The sunbear whose bile was removed. Hmm I forgot about this when the guide asked me especially since the zoo did mention. Sigh memory bad, me bad too.
4) The preservation efforts.
This is a leather turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and is the largest of the living turtles. Leathery turtles live in open seas and apparently feed largely on jellyfish. There is a nesting colony in Terengganu, along the north-eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This particular exhibit was found in Singapore on the beach at Siglap on 14th December 1883, by some local people who tried to throw it back into the sea. Mr. A. M. Skinner, who happened to pass by, managed to persuade them to take it to the Museum instead.
Source: The signage beside the exhibit.
1883.. that means it has been preserved for more than a 100 years. In fact the preservatives are poisonous (e.g. arsenic and formalin) and the guides repeatedly told us not to touch them (Signs were displayed as well).
p/s: for an explanation between turtles and tortoise, read Tisugal's post.
5)Oven bake specimen
I was asking the guide how did she managed to preserve the butterflies into such a pretty state and she told me they oven baked it. Shocked! Haha but now, I'm asking Tisugal if she is able to find out more information on it for our FF display exhibits.
6) Children corner
Purely because of today's open house that they had some children activities e.g. colouring and crafting. I must admit these activities looked interesting and is quite popular among the children. I was tempted to do the craft too haha.
Sadly, I did not get to see the zoological reference collection.
Oh and if you want more information about the RMBR, do drop by Tisugal's post.
Raffles Museum is named after Singapore's founder Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. It houses a collection of dead and preserved biological specimens that are classified and catalogued just like books.
There were 2 guides this morning though I did not stick myself to either one as I was flitting around observing how they conduct the tour and bring forward the conservation message.
Interesting things I took note:
1) Snake
Probably because I recently read Tisugal post on it too so I listened more intently.
It was cute when she said snake don't bite for a reason. We are not their type of food. Besides after biting us, it will transferred all its poison to us, and leave itself vulnerable to another snake that comes along. Hmm somehow I wonder why vulnerable.. Unless it might be a potential source of food for the oncoming snake? Probably.
2) Horseshoe crab
I actually like the way the small horseshoe crabs are displayed. Must check out FF display and see how it can be improved further. It is said to be related to spider. That statement triggered my interest to do a little research on horseshoe crab:
The horseshoe crab belongs to the large group of invertebrates (animals without backbones) called Arthropods. This group also includes lobsters, crabs, insects, spiders, and scorpions. The horseshoe crab is not a crab at all, but is more closely related to sea spiders (not the land spiders).Sea spiders are not real spiders, or even arachnids.
Source:
History and Biology
Horseshoe-Crabs.com
And the amazing fact about these creatures is after over 500 millions years have passed, little evolution has happened to them. Thus it is very precious to the biomedical science research and utmost care must be given to these creatures especially since they are currently very threatened by the human.
3) Conservation message
Most repeated is the fact that these animals are facing extinct due to various external (human) threats. E.g. The sunbear whose bile was removed. Hmm I forgot about this when the guide asked me especially since the zoo did mention. Sigh memory bad, me bad too.
4) The preservation efforts.
Source: The signage beside the exhibit.
1883.. that means it has been preserved for more than a 100 years. In fact the preservatives are poisonous (e.g. arsenic and formalin) and the guides repeatedly told us not to touch them (Signs were displayed as well).
p/s: for an explanation between turtles and tortoise, read Tisugal's post.
5)Oven bake specimen
6) Children corner
Sadly, I did not get to see the zoological reference collection.
The Zoological Reference Collection has one of the largest collection of Southeast Asian animals in the region, holding about 500,000 specimens. Normally only accessible by scientists, for IMD 2009, special tours for the ZRC will be available to the public.Sighz...
Oh and if you want more information about the RMBR, do drop by Tisugal's post.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
SZ Tale 18
Latest addition: River Toad (Bufo asper)
The female of this species is impressive as it can grow up to 14cm. Unlike other toads, both the young and adults do not wander through the forest but remain along the steam banks.
Crowd was low though, wondering is it because of H1N1 hmm...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Fort Canning
Fort Canning hill was originally known as Bukit Larangan prior to the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. Bukit Larangan which means "Forbidden Hill" in Malay. was believed to be the site of palaces built by their ancestral kings. The Keramat Iskandar Shah at the foot of the hill was believed to be the resting place of the last Malay king of the island, and was venerated by Muslims.
Source: Wiki
You can find some interesting exhibits displayed in the Fort Canning Centre. An example is the Congkak game which I used to play in neopets. Geez I did not know it is a traditional game played in the island of Borneo, Singapore, and Peninsular Malaysia (cited in wiki). Neopets actually turned it into a flash version, cool right? Haha.
And did you know that saga seeds can be eaten? You can fry it like peanuts. Yummy?
The seeds were roasted before eating. Elsewhere they are boiled. In Java, they are roasted, shelled, then eaten with rice. They are said to taste like soy bean. The raw seeds are toxic and may cause intoxication. Studies show the cooked seed to be rich in oil and proteins and easily digested by both humans and livestock.
Source: http://www.4to40.com/encyclopedia/index.asp?id=407
Suddenly I felt it is such a waste to see these seeds littered on the roads.
At the start of the tour, a guide demonstrated how to make Bunga Rampai, before proceeding to give each of us a Bunga Rampai. It is actually potpourri made from shredded pandan leaves and flower, sprinkled with rosewater and wrapped up with a perfect betal leaf using either bamboo stick (olden times) or staple (modern technology). Surprised to hear betal leaf can be perfect? It meant the veins must match. With all due respect, I wonder if this is human's doing to seek perfection in all things. Afterall giving a bunga rampai signifies that all things beautiful and desirable will be showered upon the couple.
Pretty and nice smelling :) Oh and thanks for my friend's pose.
We started the tour in the 14th century walk. There is also a 19th century walk which I planned to visit the next round. While walking, the tour guide heard the white belly sea eagle call. I'm always impressed with how people can distinguish all these when I'm already having problem remembering names.
Petai (Parkia speciosa) also known as stink beans, is often eaten raw or blanched and almost always eaten with sambal (chili paste). It is believed to whet one's appetite. Blanching it removes the poisonous substances in addition to removing the smell.
Banana is a shrub! Just reminding myself.
And did you know the squirrels here will eat durians haha.
Kacip fatimah (Labisia pumila)
A popular traditional medicine used for women at childbirth, to help expedite labour and during confinement. A decoction is used to treate flatulence, dysentery and rheumatism.
This is a gender specific plant with the female having 3 black dots (as shown in photo) and the male 2 dots.
If I did not remember wrongly, these are wild cinnamon or cassia. Closely related to the cinnamon, cassia is the cheaper version.
Can you see the cocoa being eaten hollow? Haha
The saviour - lemon grass. It contains citral, which also provides the dominant flavour in lemon peel. Citral has mild insect-repellent properties. Lemon grass is also believed to relieve flatulence.
Did you know that Henna (Lawsonia inermis) is edible too. It is able to cure internal wound if you take it 7 days. However for consumption, the method of preparation is extremely important. Also, the fragrant white flowers can allay fever and dull alertness while the leaves are used to colour medicine.
For me, I only know henna is best known for the dye derived from ground leaves and young shoots. You probably need to ask the Jamu experts on the topic of consumption to know more.
Rice - a type of grass grows best when submerged in water. Seeing this reminds me of my childhood song...
Planting rice is never fun.
Bent from morning till the set of sun.
Can not stand and can not sit.
Can not rest for a little bit.
Nutmeg!
Jamu is an ancient art of healing with the use of concoction of herbs. Traditionally, this art was passed down from mothers to daughters and now, jamu can be found in drinks, pills, capsules and powders.
Jamu encourages the body to produce its own antibodies rather than killing the infection and can be used on its own or in conjunction with other healing techniques such as massage.
The numerous ingredients in a jamu consists of three categories: the main ingredients, supporting ingredients and those added to improve taste.
Hmm the only concoction I took note of is this: egg yolk + honey + turmeric
Tumeric (one of the main ingredients of jamu) extract mixed with egg yolk and honey makes a simple homemade remedy for clearing chest inflammations and phlegm.
And I repeat that I am not taking any responsibility for the consumption and the practise of jamu. If you really want to know more about Jamu, it is best to find an expert who has been practising it for years.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
SZ Tale 17
Today's duty start off with an Orang Asli Folklore...
The Malayan tapir was said to be a handsome animal with black glossy coat. He was strong and had an impressive horn. However, he was vain and a bully.
One day, the bamboo rat and some mice drugged him, cut off his horn and filed down his sharp teeth. They also painted part of his body white to brand him like a criminal. When the tapir woke up, he felt disgraced and went into hiding.
This is how the tapir got his black and white coloration, became so shy and a vegetarian.
Source: Singapore Zoo
And if you are wondering what is a Malayan tapir... ta-da!
And I decided to take another route to FF today, because I wanted to visit the kangaroo.. suddenly thought of the kangaroos and koalas I used to visit in Australia haha.
This is a grey kangaroo. By the way have you ever wonder the meaning of Kangaroo? When European exlorers first saw kangaroos in Australia, they asked an Aborigine what are they called. The Aborigine replied "kangaroo" which means "I don't understand your question". Unfortunately the explorers thought that was the name of this animal and thus, that is how Kangaroo got his name. Suddenly I was thinking maybe when ET came to the world and was asked for his name, he could have been saying "I don't understand". Kidding. Oh and that was from the zoo again haha.
A grass fact: This is an endangered Australian plant called Grass Tree which can live up to 600 years. It grows only 1 to 2 cm in height per year (Mother nature is always so wise, for a 600 years old tree, it really should not grow tall too fast). The aborigines eat the shoots, roots and grind the seeds into flour. Wunderbar!
The kangaroos were a planned visit, but the chimpanzee were not. However I was glad to have taken a look at them because it was the highlight of the day to me.. seeing them in their intelligent state. It started when I caught of a young chimpanzee with a stick digging.. and digging..
But before I could take more photos of it, the adult chimpanzee carried the young away to the back... I thought darnz, there goes my highlight!
Was a bit discontented and was mulling around the place when the adult chimpanzee came forward (with the young on the back) with a stick too. Cool!
It was fun seeing them happily digging and peeking for food... A pity I had to go and do my duty..
I have to admit though I forgot all about the chimpanzees the moment I saw baby sloth sleeping so snuglyg haha. It was also the first time I see baby sloth on his own.
Is this the fruit of the Parsonia spiralis (host plant of tree nymph caterpillar)? I cannot find much info on Parsonia spiralis though hmm.
Oh and I finally caught sight of the iguana which fellow docents have reported of its sightings. Still remember I mixed up iguana and monitor lizard... haha!
The Malayan tapir was said to be a handsome animal with black glossy coat. He was strong and had an impressive horn. However, he was vain and a bully.
One day, the bamboo rat and some mice drugged him, cut off his horn and filed down his sharp teeth. They also painted part of his body white to brand him like a criminal. When the tapir woke up, he felt disgraced and went into hiding.
This is how the tapir got his black and white coloration, became so shy and a vegetarian.
Source: Singapore Zoo
And if you are wondering what is a Malayan tapir... ta-da!
And I decided to take another route to FF today, because I wanted to visit the kangaroo.. suddenly thought of the kangaroos and koalas I used to visit in Australia haha.
This is a grey kangaroo. By the way have you ever wonder the meaning of Kangaroo? When European exlorers first saw kangaroos in Australia, they asked an Aborigine what are they called. The Aborigine replied "kangaroo" which means "I don't understand your question". Unfortunately the explorers thought that was the name of this animal and thus, that is how Kangaroo got his name. Suddenly I was thinking maybe when ET came to the world and was asked for his name, he could have been saying "I don't understand". Kidding. Oh and that was from the zoo again haha.
A grass fact: This is an endangered Australian plant called Grass Tree which can live up to 600 years. It grows only 1 to 2 cm in height per year (Mother nature is always so wise, for a 600 years old tree, it really should not grow tall too fast). The aborigines eat the shoots, roots and grind the seeds into flour. Wunderbar!
The kangaroos were a planned visit, but the chimpanzee were not. However I was glad to have taken a look at them because it was the highlight of the day to me.. seeing them in their intelligent state. It started when I caught of a young chimpanzee with a stick digging.. and digging..
But before I could take more photos of it, the adult chimpanzee carried the young away to the back... I thought darnz, there goes my highlight!
Was a bit discontented and was mulling around the place when the adult chimpanzee came forward (with the young on the back) with a stick too. Cool!
It was fun seeing them happily digging and peeking for food... A pity I had to go and do my duty..
I have to admit though I forgot all about the chimpanzees the moment I saw baby sloth sleeping so snuglyg haha. It was also the first time I see baby sloth on his own.
Is this the fruit of the Parsonia spiralis (host plant of tree nymph caterpillar)? I cannot find much info on Parsonia spiralis though hmm.
Oh and I finally caught sight of the iguana which fellow docents have reported of its sightings. Still remember I mixed up iguana and monitor lizard... haha!
Coney Island - Horseshoe Crab
Source: Beach Net
A picture of a pair of mating Horseshoe Crab caught in action, courtesy of my friend for taking it at Coney Island.
So what is Horseshoe Crab (HSC)'s mating ritual?
Males, two-thirds the size of their mates, cluster along the water's edge as the females arrive. With glove-like claws on its first pair of legs, the male hangs on to the female's shell and is pulled up the beach to the high tide line.
The female pauses every few feet to dig a hole and deposit as many as 20,000 pearly green, birdshot-sized eggs. The male then fertilizes the eggs as he is pulled over the nest. After the spawning is complete, the crabs leave and the waves wash sand over the nest.
More facts of HSC
# Despite their size and intimidating appearance, horseshoe crabs are not dangerous.
# A horseshoe crab's tail, while menacing, is not a weapon. Instead, the tail is used to plow the crab through the sand and muck, to act as a rudder, and to right the crab when it accidentally tips over.
# The horseshoe crab's central mouth is surrounded by its legs and while harmless, it is advisable to handle a horseshoe crab with care since you could pinch your fingers between the two parts of its shell while holding it.
# Horseshoe crabs have 2 compound eyes on the top of their shells with a range of about 3 feet. The eyes are used for locating mates.
# Horseshoe crabs can swim upside down in the open ocean using their dozen legs (most with claws) and a flap hiding nearly 200 flattened gills to propel themselves.
# Horseshoe crabs feed mostly at night and burrow for worms and mollusks. They will, however, feed at any time.
# Horseshoe crabs grow by molting and emerge 25 percent larger with each molt. After 16 molts (usually between 9 and 12 years) they will be fully grown adults.
# In the 1900s, horseshoe crabs were dried for use as fertilizer and poultry food supplements before the advent of artificial fertilizers.
# The medical profession uses an extract from the horseshoe crab's blue, copper-based blood called lysate to test the purity of medicines. Certain properties of the shell have also been used to speed blood clotting and to make absorbable sutures.
So what is Horseshoe Crab (HSC)'s mating ritual?
Males, two-thirds the size of their mates, cluster along the water's edge as the females arrive. With glove-like claws on its first pair of legs, the male hangs on to the female's shell and is pulled up the beach to the high tide line.
The female pauses every few feet to dig a hole and deposit as many as 20,000 pearly green, birdshot-sized eggs. The male then fertilizes the eggs as he is pulled over the nest. After the spawning is complete, the crabs leave and the waves wash sand over the nest.
More facts of HSC
# Despite their size and intimidating appearance, horseshoe crabs are not dangerous.
# A horseshoe crab's tail, while menacing, is not a weapon. Instead, the tail is used to plow the crab through the sand and muck, to act as a rudder, and to right the crab when it accidentally tips over.
# The horseshoe crab's central mouth is surrounded by its legs and while harmless, it is advisable to handle a horseshoe crab with care since you could pinch your fingers between the two parts of its shell while holding it.
# Horseshoe crabs have 2 compound eyes on the top of their shells with a range of about 3 feet. The eyes are used for locating mates.
# Horseshoe crabs can swim upside down in the open ocean using their dozen legs (most with claws) and a flap hiding nearly 200 flattened gills to propel themselves.
# Horseshoe crabs feed mostly at night and burrow for worms and mollusks. They will, however, feed at any time.
# Horseshoe crabs grow by molting and emerge 25 percent larger with each molt. After 16 molts (usually between 9 and 12 years) they will be fully grown adults.
# In the 1900s, horseshoe crabs were dried for use as fertilizer and poultry food supplements before the advent of artificial fertilizers.
# The medical profession uses an extract from the horseshoe crab's blue, copper-based blood called lysate to test the purity of medicines. Certain properties of the shell have also been used to speed blood clotting and to make absorbable sutures.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Bird Tale 02
Welcome to Bird Discovery Centre, the latest addition of Jurong Bird Park.
There are quite a lot of props and exhibits in this centre. As my knowledge of birds is limited, so the station I manned was much simpler. This is an Egg Lume which can gauge the extent of embryo development and air space increase during incubation. The method is called egg candling.
The method uses a bright light source behind the egg to show details through the shell, and is so called because the original sources of light used were candles.
For uncooked egg, one can see the light shining through the egg. If there is embryo or fertilisation, you can spot it.
Once it is cooked, no light can be see through the egg. The solidifying matter is also the reason why cooked eggs can be spinned but raw eggs cannot.
Guess the birds whose eggs it belong to? Black egg = Emu, the white smaller one = Rhea, the biggest egg of course is the ostrich and the lovely green mango lookalike is the Cassowary's egg.
The next topic is feathers! Mainly 3 types (though there are more specifics): Down feather, Body feather and flight feather. For fletchings, they only have down feather which is soft and keep you warm. It can also be used to make pillow.
This is a lovely 1 metre feather from Great Argus pheasant. It is said that the longest can grow up to 2 metre. Woah!
Can you see the sail feather of this male mandarin duck. I find it very lovely that this feather only appears during mating season. Oh and Dr. Squawk says that actually only mandarin duck and king penguin mate for live (referring to birds in JBP only).
This is a Citron Crested Cockatoo. Her name is Nga Nga (Forgive me if I spelt wrongly).
Caught sight of her raised orange crest.. coolz. She has a habit of peeling of the bark though.. wonder why.
Haha excited to see her food that she raised her crest again. And the way she uses her claw to eat, really lovable.
After I'm done duty, a CA volunteered to be my tour guide to guide me around JBP. We picked a few places (those I did not managed to go previously). Missed the fake thunderstorm at Southeast Asian Birds Aviary during noontime though haha.. but I guess it is ok. The Jungle Jewels reminded me of Zoo's Biodome with a rainforest feel.
This is a Scarlet Ibis, who mainly lives near coastal mangroves, swamps and estuaries. Thus when you find them in the JBP, you can actually find that area with a musky smell. Oh and if you can see the tag on the leg, that means the bird is a JBP's bird. A tip taught by my tour guide of the day.. (I learnt alot from her that day especially on what were the interesting/uncommon behaviours which only the regulars will know... somehow like if I catch the baby sloth on its own, I will point to the tourist that is uncommon too haha!)
And this is great artist Picaso, the Yellow Crested Cockatoo, in the process of painting one of its greats artwork.
Ta-da! An artwork for SGD10 including postcard and notebook etc. Interested? Picaso has a portfolio for you to choose from too.
Caught sight of the peacock too.. Oh there is a peacock (male), peahen (female).. and if you don't know the gender, you can always term them as a peafowl. But seriously it is very easy to differentiate the gender...
Just by their beautiful tail feathers... so many eyes!
My last stop was to visit the owls (World of Darkness), the place I saw a month ago but had no chance to visit. And with it, I can finally say that I did visit most parts of JBP. Of course, like the zoo, I believed every time you visit nature, you will see something different.. but for now, I'm happy with my visit.
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