Wildlife of Singapore

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A crab-eating macaque, a primate native to Singapore Macaca fascicularis.jpg
A crab-eating macaque, a primate native to Singapore

The wildlife of Singapore is surprisingly diverse despite its rapid urbanisation. The majority of fauna that remain on the island exist in nature reserves such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. [1]

Contents

In 1819, Singapore was mostly covered in rainforests. During that time, it still contained flora shared with the Malay Peninsula, but even then, the biodiversity of fauna was relatively low. Following the establishment of the British trading post, rapid deforestation began due to crop cultivation, and was largely completed by the 20th century. By some estimates, there has been a loss of 95% of the natural habitats of Singapore over the course of the past 183 years. [2] Due to the deforestation, over 20 species of freshwater fish, 100 species of bird, and a number of mammals became locally extinct. [3] A 2003 estimate put the proportion of extinct species as over 28%. [4]

In modern times, over half of the naturally occurring fauna and flora in Singapore is present only in nature reserves, which comprise only 0.25% of Singapore's land area. [2] Estimates made in 2003 have said that the rapid habitat destruction will culminate in a loss of 13-42% of populations in all of Southeast Asia. [5] To combat these problems, the Singaporean government made the Singapore Green Plan in 1992 and the new Singapore Green Plan in 2012 to continue it. The plan aims to keep tabs on the unstable populations of fauna and flora, to place new nature parks, and to connect existing parks. In addition, there were plans to set up a National Biodiversity Reference Centre (now known as the National Biodiversity Centre). [6] The last goal was reached in 2006 when the centre was founded (it also accomplished the establishment of two new nature reserves in 2002 [7] ). Since its foundation it has been formulating various specific initiatives including attempts to conserve the hornbill and the rare dragonfly Indothemis limbata . [8]

Fauna

Mammals

Singapore has roughly 80 species of mammals (out of 11 different orders) including 45 species of bats and three species of non-human primates. [9] Currently, the only introduced non-domestic mammal species in Singapore is the variable squirrel. [10] The abundance of bats however has been decreasing rapidly due to habitat loss of over 95%. [11]

Birds

Singapore is the occasional home of 395 species of birds (out of which roughly 180 species are resident). [12]

Reptiles

Singapore contains a relatively large number of reptiles, a total of about 110 species (4 of which are introduced). [13] Most of the species, roughly 75 are snakes (mainly Colubrid snakes). [14]

Amphibians

Singapore has 30 species of amphibians (out of which two species, the painted bull frog and the American bullfrog, are introduced). [15]

Flora

Singapore currently contains 1358 known species of native vascular plants, of which approximately 759 are critically endangered. [16]

Urban environment interactions

Singapore's land area is dominated by urban development that is interspaced by natural reserves, waterways, parks and a large interlinked network of over 300 km of park connectors (PCN). [17] The indigenous fauna that has adapted to the urban environment includes the following:

Other wildlife sightings include the following:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bukit Timah Nature Reserve</span> Protected area in Singapore

The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is a 1.7-square-kilometre (0.66 sq mi) nature reserve near the geographic centre of Singapore, located on the slopes of Bukit Timah Hill, the country's highest natural peak standing at a height of approximately 165 metres (541 ft), and parts of the surrounding area, located actually in Bukit Panjang. The nature reserve is about 15 kilometres from the Downtown Core, Singapore's central business district (CBD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Catchment Nature Reserve</span> Largest nature reserve in Singapore

The Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) is the largest nature reserve in Singapore, occupying 2880 hectares. Forming a large green lung in the geographical centre of the city, it houses several recreational sites, including the Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari and the River Safari, as well as several newer facilities built to encourage public appreciation of the reserve, such as the HSBC TreeTop Walk. The reserve sits within the boundaries of the Central Water Catchment. It is one of the four gazetted nature reserves in Singapore. The other three are the Labrador Nature Reserve which was gazetted since 1 January 2002, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. All four nature reserves along with the parks are protected under the Parks & Trees Act 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satpura Tiger Reserve</span> National park in India

Satpura Tiger Reserve also known as Satpura National Park is located in the Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh in India. Its name is derived from the Satpura range. It covers an area of 524 km2 (202 sq mi). Satpura National Park was set up in 1981, and along with the adjoining Bori and Pachmarhi wildlife sanctuaries, provides 2,200 km2 (850 sq mi) of central Indian highland ecosystem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kali Tiger Reserve</span> Protected area and tiger reserve in Karnataka, India

Kali Tiger Reserve is a protected area and tiger reserve. It is located in Uttara Kannada district, in Karnataka, India. The park is a habitat of Bengal tigers, black panthers and Indian elephants, amongst other distinctive fauna. The Kali River flows through the tiger reserve and is the lifeline of the ecosystem and hence the name. The tiger reserve is spread over an area of 1300 square kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tengku Hassanal Wildlife Reserve</span>

Tengku Hassanal Wildlife Reserve is one of the largest wildlife reserves in Peninsular Malaysia covering 605.52 km2 located in the Titiwangsa Mountains, central state of Pahang, Malaysia that was established during the British Colonial Administration. It was officially gazetted to protect all wildlife species, particularly the gaur. The administrative offices of the reserve are located in several places. The main office is located in Bukit Rengit, and the other stations are in Lembah Klau, Kuala Lompat, and Perlok.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manas National Park</span> National park in Assam, India

Manas National Park is a national park, Project Tiger reserve, and an elephant reserve in Assam, India. Located in the Himalayan foothills, it borders the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog. It also hosts the only known population of pygmy hogs in the world. Manas is also famous for its population of the wild water buffalo. Because of its exceptional biodiversity, scenery, and variety of habitats, Manas National Park is a biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Parks Board</span> Statuary board of the Singapore government

The National Parks Board (NParks) is a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Government of Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Karnataka</span>

The state of Karnataka in South India has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 which constitutes 55% of the geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant population and 20% of the tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are still unexplored and new species of flora and fauna are still found.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raffles' banded langur</span> Species of primate

The Raffles' banded langur, also known as the banded leaf monkey or banded surili, is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae. It is endemic to Singapore and southern Peninsular Malaysia. The species underwent taxonomic revisions in 2019 and 2020, in which two former subspecies were elevated to separate species. As a result, the Raffles' banded langur meets the criteria for being listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. It is mainly threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flora of Singapore</span> Plant species of Singapore

Singapore has a wide variety of flora. Plants are mainly used to beautify the landscape of Singapore. The national flower is a hybrid orchid, Vanda Miss Joaquim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borneo lowland rain forests</span> Ecoregion in Borneo

The Borneo lowland rain forests is an ecoregion, within the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome, of the large island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It supports approximately 15,000 plant species, 380 bird species and several mammal species. The Borneo lowland rain forests is diminishing due to logging, hunting and conversion to commercial land use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bukit Tigapuluh National Park</span> National park in Sumatra

Bukit Tigapuluh National Park - The Thirty Hills - is a 143,223-hectare National Park in eastern Sumatra, consisting primarily of tropical lowland forest, largely in Riau province, with a smaller part of 33,000 ha in Jambi province. It is famous as one of the last refuges of endangered species such as the Sumatran orangutan, Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephant, and Asian tapir, as well as many endangered bird species. It forms part of the Tesso Nilo Complex biodiversity hotspot. The Park is inhabited by the indigenous peoples of the Orang Rimba and Talang Mamak tribes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Biodiversity Centre (Singapore)</span>

The National Biodiversity Centre is a branch of the National Parks Board and serves as Singapore's one-stop centre for biodiversity-related information and activities. It manages all available information and data on biodiversity in Singapore. Diverse biodiversity-related information and data are currently generated, stored and updated by different organisations and individuals. The National Biodiversity Centre will maximize the usefulness of such information and data by linking them in a single meta-database. Having complete and up-to-date information is crucial for many decision-making processes involving biodiversity. This hub of biodiversity information and data at the National Biodiversity Centre will also allow knowledge gaps to be better identified and addressed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dairy Farm Nature Park</span> Nature Park in Singapore

Dairy Farm Nature Park is a 63-hectare nature park located at 100 Dairy Farm Road, Upper Bukit Timah in the west side of Singapore. Dairy Farm Nature Park is known as a recreational area that offers a variety of attractions for visitors to explore. Some of the more notable attraction of the park includes the Singapore Quarry and Dairy Farm Quarry, both of which will enhance the unique opportunities for outdoor activities and appreciation of the nature environment in Singapore. Singapore Quarry is one of the two quarries that is located in Dairy Farm Nature Park where visitors can spot dragon files and even birds while admiring the scenic lake view. Meanwhile, Dairy Farm Quarry offers an experience of the region's geological history and it is surrounded by lush greenery and even rock cliffs. With these two quarries at the park, it will definitely contribute to the park's appeal for visitors to explore and hike.

The Zoo Taiping is a zoological park located at Bukit Larut, Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. Established in 1961, is the only zoo in northern Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomson Nature Park</span> Nature park in Singapore

Thomson Nature Park is a nature park in Singapore. Opened on 12 October 2019, it is located adjacent to Central Catchment Nature Reserve near Old Upper Thomson Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eco-Link@BKE</span> Ecological bridge in Singapore

The Eco-Link@BKE is an ecological bridge in Singapore which connects the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve with the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

The Mandai Wildlife Bridge is an ecological bridge in Singapore. It links portions of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve that are otherwise separated by the Mandai Lake Road.

References

  1. ↑ "National Parks Singapore".
  2. 1 2 Brook, Barry W.; Navjot S. Sodhi; Peter K. L. Ng (24 July 2003). "Catastrophic extinctions follow deforestation in Singapore". Nature. 424 (6947): 420–426. doi:10.1038/nature01795. ISSN   0028-0836. PMID   12879068.
  3. ↑ Corlett, Robert T. (July 1992). "The Ecological Transformation of Singapore, 1819-1990". Journal of Biogeography. 19 (4). Blackwell Publishing: 411–420. doi:10.2307/2845569. JSTOR   2845569.
  4. ↑ "Extinctions in Singapore". Animal Planet News. 14 August 2003. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  5. ↑ "Singapore is more wild than you think". The Straits Times.
  6. ↑ "National Initiatives". National Biodiversity Reference Center. Archived from the original on 2 March 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  7. ↑ "History of Biodiversity Conservation in Singapore". National Biodiversity Reference Centre. Archived from the original on 5 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  8. ↑ "Initiatives". National Parks Singapore. Archived from the original on 31 January 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  9. ↑ "National Biodiversity Centre Mammal List". Archived from the original on 12 March 2014.
  10. ↑ "List of mammal species present in Singapore" (PDF). Global Biodiversity Information Facility. June 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  11. ↑ Lane, David J. W.; Kingston, Tigga; Lee, Benjamin P. Y.-H. (2006). "Dramatic decline in bat species richness in Singapore, with implications for Southeast Asia" . Biological Conservation. 131 (4): 584–593. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2006.03.005. ISSN   0006-3207.
  12. ↑ "National Biodiversity Centre Bird List". Archived from the original on 12 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "National Biodiversity Centre Reptile List". Archived from the original on 12 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "List of reptile species present in Singapore" (PDF). Global Biodiversity Information Facility. March 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  15. ↑ "National Biodiversity Centre Amphibian List". Archived from the original on 12 March 2014.
  16. ↑ "Singapore Red Data Book" (PDF). p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012.
  17. ↑ "Know Our Recreational Connectivity". pcn.nparks.gov.sg. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Slippery, hungry, sometimes angry: Singapore struggles with 'unparalleled' otter boom". The Guardian. 23 October 2022. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "About 2,500 cases of monkey-related feedback received in Singapore each year". CNA. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  20. ↑ Davison, Geoffrey (2012). "Hornbills in the Lion City". NParks Buzz. 4.
  21. ↑ "Rare sighting of 8 hornbills loitering along Pasir Ris HDB corridor". mothership.sg. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  22. ↑ "Bukit Panjang wild boar attacks: More traps to be placed, fences extended after 2 injured". CNA. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  23. ↑ Zikri, Arif (10 November 2022). "In Singapore, critically endangered pangolin spotted by apartment residents in car park, rescued by animal group (video)". Malay Mail. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  24. ↑ "Man Spots Rare Sunda Pangolin Crossing S'pore Road, Makes Sure It Gets To Safety". Must Share News - Independent News For Singaporeans. 9 July 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  25. ↑ "Endangered Sunda Pangolin Walks Along S'pore Footpath, Shuffles Up To Human & Sniffs Camera". Must Share News - Independent News For Singaporeans. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  26. ↑ Ang, Qing; Teo, Josiah (27 February 2023). "Sambar deer making a return in Singapore, study shows" – via The Straits Times.
  27. ↑ "Sambar deer killed in accident along BKE". CNA.
  28. ↑ "Sambar deer making a return in Singapore, study shows". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
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