Tropical rainforest, Singapore

[JC50]

It is a shame that places like you speak of are being taken,all over the world and unfortunately species will and do become extinct,because of growing populations and sometimes greed alone.The big problem is that too little are aware of the ultimate price we all pay for these actions in so many ways.

 

[MaartenSFS]

Singapore is indeed tiny. From Wikipedia:

"The Republic of Singapore is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At 710.2 km2 (274.2 sq mi), Singapore, a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast Asia, is by orders of magnitude larger than Monaco, San Marino, Andorra and Vatican City, the only other surviving sovereign city-states."

This, coupled with the fact that 95% of Singapore's originally forested land has been cleared and urbanised, means there is actually very, very little rainforest left. In fact, about 50% of Singapore's animals have already gone extinct (including the tiger, Panthera tigris), many of which were endemic to the island, and this was only after the British authorities began to make records; even more were already extinct before that. Most of the island's forests now are secondary forest, with almost nil megafauna. There is very, very little primary forest left. It's a tragic situation. I am quite certain that some theraphosid species found in neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia would have been found in Singapore as well (Selenocosmia, Haplopelma sp.), had the rainforest not been so ruthlessly cleared.

But I digress. So why do you want to know where exactly I took the pictures? Do you know Singapore well enough to know what I'm talking about if I were to give you the name of a place?

I'll try to get a picture of the spider I found in that burrow.

No, I don't know Singapore well enough, but was just curious because a friend joked that Singapore had no rainforest (He has been there) and there still seems to be something left after seeing your photos. Though, don't worry, most of the forest and rainforest in the world will be gone soon. The fact of the matter is that people are greedy and think only of the present.

 

[Draiman]

No, I don't know Singapore well enough, but was just curious because a friend joked that Singapore had no rainforest (He has been there) and there still seems to be something left after seeing your photos. Though, don't worry, most of the forest and rainforest in the world will be gone soon. The fact of the matter is that people are greedy and think only of the present.

Your friend is right. Well, pretty much. There is some primary forest left, like I said earlier, but there is very, very little megafauna left, and the area is completely isolated from other (secondary) forested areas in the country. Also, due to granite quarrying in the past, the water table in the area is decreasing and the rainforest is drying up. Very unfortunately, most of the country's rare and endemic species are only, or predominantly, found in this isolated tract of primary forest. It's a tragic situation, like I said.

 

[zes]

which part of it? I can think of a couple of more forested areas. Is it one of the offshore islands?
You might want to check out an area rather near to Seletar reservoir, I don't exactly know the place name only know how to get there, there is a small nice marsh with lots of little critters (tonnes of mudskippers)

 

[Draiman]

which part of it? I can think of a couple of more forested areas. Is it one of the offshore islands?
You might want to check out an area rather near to Seletar reservoir, I don't exactly know the place name only know how to get there, there is a small nice marsh with lots of little critters (tonnes of mudskippers)

Yeah, but most of those forested areas were previously cleared, and therefore now have very little animal life. For instance, the local population of Lampropelma violaceopes is almost certainly completely diminished.

 

[zes]

yea its a pity, can't help it though, high population tiny land =\

 

[Draiman]

I finally got round to taking a few shots of this spider.

So, out of this hole:

Came this spider:

I'm not 100% certain about its identification, but it's most likely the common selenocosmiine, Phlogiellus inermis.

 

[MaartenSFS]

Nice.. I would guess the same as you. They supposedly have some species on the Chinese/Vietnam border. I'm considering going back to China.

Can you travel to Malaysia easy enough from Singapore? They have a lot more there.

 

[Draiman]

Can you travel to Malaysia easy enough from Singapore? They have a lot more there.

Of course. Getting them across the border is the problem.

I might move to Malaysia sometime in the not-so-distant future - it's spider wonderland over there.

 

[MaartenSFS]

Of course. Getting them across the border is the problem.

I might move to Malaysia sometime in the not-so-distant future - it's spider wonderland over there.

The big issue is, of course, finding a job (unless you are retired). Malaysia is truly insane, but has a lot of third world problems. It's best to live near a well-protected reserve or park that you can be sure won't be cut down anytime soon. That's what I would do if I went back to China.

 

[Draiman]

 

[Draiman]

Some dragonfly:

Unidentified jumper; could well be a new species:

 

[Draiman]

I have no idea what this is.

 

[Treynok]

These pictures look great and just the flora shots of the jungle make me want to go there lol, let alone all the insects and arachnids you find.

 

[Matt K]

I really like the jumper. Jumping spiders may be among my favorites....

 

[blooms]

Of course. Getting them across the border is the problem.

SO how did you get them across the border? I live in China and would love to be able to hop a train into southeast asia and get me some haplos or selenocosmias. One can dream can't they?

 

[MaartenSFS]

SO how did you get them across the border? I live in China and would love to be able to hop a train into southeast asia and get me some haplos or selenocosmias. One can dream can't they?

Actually you don't need to cross the border, they are found in Guangxi and Hainan, although I never found any myself.

 

[JC]

Very cool images. Wish I lived there.

 

[Draiman]

Menemerus bivittatus, adult female:

Here she began baring her chelicerae at a large, aggressive, carnivorous weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina:

Same individual:

Further down the broadwalk, I came across this brilliantly colored jumper. No idea what species he is though.

Some strange fly:

 

[Draiman]

Mature female Telamonia dimidiata.