SAVE MOTHER EARTH ;

2009-06-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

These are button shells..The shells come in an amazing variety of colours and patterns. To escape predators, button snails make a short, spiralling leap then quickly bury themselves into the sand again. You might see the tiny trails left by panicky button snails, punctuated by little holes where they disappeared into the sand. Sadly, these beautiful tiny animals are collected, killed and their shells sold as cheap curios and for handicrafts.

Done by : Enrui

2009-06-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

During the trip, l saw a squirrel running swiftly up a tree. It is very quick and agile on trees. The Plantain Squirrel is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is also called Oriental or Tricoloured Squirrel. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. They are found in a wide range of habitats: forests, mangroves, parks, gardens, agricultural areas. Fruit farmers consider them to be pests.

Done by: Enrui

2009-06-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

OUR PAST POSTS HAS GONE INTO HISTORY !
CLICK ONTO THE THIRD TREE FOR OUR HISTORY !

2009-06-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

Towards the end of mangrove, we saw this. It is a chameleon lizard.They are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, and the possession by many of a prehensile tail, crests or horns on their distinctively shaped heads, and the ability of some to change color.

Done by: Enrui

2009-06-05T05:39:00.000-07:00

we picked up weeds and pong pong fruits.
we wore gloves and those who didn't have gloves held trash bags.
it was a hard work picking those up and our hands got all dirty.
our shoes got all muddy too.
towards the end, we all got vety tired.
but we had no choice but to fill up all the trash bags.
we continued picking and filled up the trash bags.
we were all dog-tired after tat.
we then had to carry the trash bags to the car park.
they were real heavy
er perspired a lot.
all in all, it was fun !
hope to have another trip tp the mangrove !

Done By : Minji
Pictures By : YUME :D

2009-06-05T05:19:00.000-07:00

This is the Crematogaster type of ants. Members of this species-rich genus nest in cavities. This ant has a small sting and exudes a repellent.It is common on the underside of leaves of the Sea Hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus), feeding on the slot-like nectaries of the thick veins at the base of the leaves.

Done by: EdDIE

2009-06-05T05:15:00.000-07:00

This is the archerfish. Even though it only appeared once during our trip and not many of us saw, it was still a magnificent sight.The Archerfish's eye is designed to spot and aim accurately at insects - fully compensating for the refraction which takes place when light travels from water to light. When the fish fails to shoot down its prey (as even the most accomplished marksman sometimes does), it is able to leap high out of the water to snatch the insect.

Done by: EdDIE

2009-06-05T05:06:00.000-07:00

About the Coastal Cleanup.
here, we would now like to share about the coastal cleanup we done at the beach !

General information about the rubbish :
In 1996, about 7,529 tonnes of refuse was thrown out each day in Singapore. At present, only 35% of that is recycled. Refuse has become a significant issue for land scarce Singapore, and long-term solutions are being investigated by the Ministry of the Environment (ENV).
Trash is, unfortunately, a significant feature of our mangroves! Other than flotsam from rivers and the sea, the trash also consists of abandoned possessions of former coastal kampung settlements like refrigerators, appliances and even the occasional kitchen sink!
Most of the trash is mainly plastic and does not degrade for years, building up at the HWST level to form a strand line, or more appropriately, a trashline! In our mangroves, this is along sandbanks at the seaward edge, and landward behind the mud lobster mound systems. It is thus rarely seen by visitors to our parks.

So to help the earth, beach, mangrove, WE HAVE TO COASTAL CLEANUP !
which also means, help pick up the rubbish on the beaches !

( and also not to litter of course >:D )

We were shocked to find loads of rubbish ex : Cereal Packets, Water Bottles, Straws, And even STRINGS !

and we even found a TOY !

This is the junks we found and the hardworking us ;)

YUME :D

2009-06-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

This are mudskippers.The Mudskippers are perhaps, the most conspicuous fish in our mangroves mainly because they spend most of their time out of water. They breathe by holding water in their mouth and gill chamber, replacing with fresh water when it becomes deoxygenated. By staying damp, the fish can also breathe through its skin. The physiology of mudskippers is remarkable—they can withstand levels of oxygen so low that few animals con survive, they are able to breathe anaerobically for long periods, and endure concentrations of hydrogen sulphide toxic to many organisms.

Done by: EdDIE

2009-05-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

Well, at the end of the seashore trip,

(collecting organisms and returning them back to where they came from)

we saw two different birds.

we were very lucky!

We saw a collared kingfisher and a chicken.

This picture was taken from http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/2118.htm as the picture i've taken was not clear.

The Collared kingfisher resides all year round in coastal parks and gardens.Its loud and harsh laughing call is one of the more distinctive sounds in the mangroves. It feeds on fish, lizards, frogs, crabs and insects.

done by: Charis Kay

2009-05-29T05:26:00.000-07:00

On the second day of the trip to Pasir Ris Seashore,

we saw a mangrove slug.

There are more than 15 species in several genera of shell-less mangrove slugs all over Singapore mangroves, burrowing in the mud, on the forest floor, under wood and even climbing trees!Species identification is difficult, requiring an examination of the texture and features on the dorsal and ventral surface, and even the arrangement of internal organs! Hence they are often referred to collectively as 'Onchs' - which means lump! (Onchidium is the Latinised derivation of the Greek word for 'little lump'!).

done by: Charis

2009-05-15T00:10:00.000-07:00

Tree-climbing / Vinegar crab

first day of trip ( mangroves ) ,,
we saw tree climbing crabs !
They lived in mounts made by the mud lobsters (below).
They are sized from 4-5 cm.
They are primarily leaf-eaters and are known as pests of mangrove plantations for their habit of attacking propagules. They will also scavenge meat like many other crabs. The Teochew are known to pickle this crab in black sauce with vinegar, and take it with porridge ( so they call them vinegar crabs (: ) .

Extra knowledge :
Of the three species found in Singapore, the Violet vinegar crab (E. versicolor) is one of the most common species, with a distinctive violet palm and the fingers white-tipped. It prefers the seaward part of the mangroves.

Mud Lobster

We did not get to see the mud lobster at the mangroves D:
They hide under 2 m of the mud mount and are rarely seen.
They are up to 30cm.
The mud lobster is a very important member of the mangrove ecosystem. It excavates extensive catacombs, bringing the mud to the surface and forming characteristic volcano-like mounds which form a topographically distinct zone next to the back mangrove.
As we wrote earlier, the mud mounds are homes for the tree-climbing animals. Other animals also live in the mounds so the mud lobster really is important.
Mud lobsters feed on organic matter in the mud, and for this reason, they are not popular as food although they are eaten.

courtesy of http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/2064.htm

YUME :D

A new start ,

2009-05-14T23:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting our blog (: ,

from today onwards, we will be posting about the creatures and plants we've seen at PasirRis Park ( seashore & mangrove ) as a project work.
We hope that you gain knowledge about the livingcreatures &
try looking out for them when you go to the beach next time.
Lastly, please save all these creatures by not littering into the beach.

YUME :D