Seeking Serpents at Sungei Buloh
Twas time for the monthly snake hunt at Buloh with Chee Kong!
Wai and I eagerly looked forward to more snaky encounters of the numerous kind.
Plunging into the mud (only Master Chee Kong walks on mud. Us mere mortals get it up to our necks), we searched....
There were plenty of Telescopium snails (Telescopium telescopium). A closer look revealed they were busily doing funky things! Poking siphons where they aren't ordinarily poked. In pairs, threesomes, foursomes and more. It was quite a snail party on the mudflats. There were some alone, doing stuff to stones. Laying eggs?
I was just remarking to Wai that we haven't bumped into flatworms in mangroves. Then there at our feet, another party! Upside down, you can see their branched digestive systems, all pretty in pink and purple. Were they Limnostylochus sp.?
And LOTS of worms too. Handsome bristely bristleworms. Really flat red ribbon worms. This one had openings at one end. Releasing eggs? A wound? So many questions.
But the one question on our minds was: "Where are all the snakes?!"
We went to Snake City no. 1 where we used to haul them out by the bagfuls. None to be seen. We went to Snake City no. 2, also not much action. Wai doggedly stalked one hiding in a hole, finally talking it out of hiding. Only Chee Kong seemed to be having much luck. Possibly it's that ability to levitate over mud that we wonder about, as we trudge along behind him.
We did get to see one snake in action.
Wai shot great footage of him snatching a fish. We could see the fish moving down the snake after it got swallowed! After dispatching the first fish, the snake immediately snatched another one!
As we limped back last night, our bags and our thirst for snakes unfilled, we chanced upon a nightjar.
This bird nests on the ground and is usually perfectly camouflaged against the fallen leaves. As the nightjar flew off, where it was sitting was a single perfect little egg!
Perhaps next month, Wai and I will have better luck with the snakes...
Wai and I eagerly looked forward to more snaky encounters of the numerous kind.
Plunging into the mud (only Master Chee Kong walks on mud. Us mere mortals get it up to our necks), we searched....
There were plenty of Telescopium snails (Telescopium telescopium). A closer look revealed they were busily doing funky things! Poking siphons where they aren't ordinarily poked. In pairs, threesomes, foursomes and more. It was quite a snail party on the mudflats. There were some alone, doing stuff to stones. Laying eggs?
I was just remarking to Wai that we haven't bumped into flatworms in mangroves. Then there at our feet, another party! Upside down, you can see their branched digestive systems, all pretty in pink and purple. Were they Limnostylochus sp.?
And LOTS of worms too. Handsome bristely bristleworms. Really flat red ribbon worms. This one had openings at one end. Releasing eggs? A wound? So many questions.
But the one question on our minds was: "Where are all the snakes?!"
We went to Snake City no. 1 where we used to haul them out by the bagfuls. None to be seen. We went to Snake City no. 2, also not much action. Wai doggedly stalked one hiding in a hole, finally talking it out of hiding. Only Chee Kong seemed to be having much luck. Possibly it's that ability to levitate over mud that we wonder about, as we trudge along behind him.
We did get to see one snake in action.
Wai shot great footage of him snatching a fish. We could see the fish moving down the snake after it got swallowed! After dispatching the first fish, the snake immediately snatched another one!
As we limped back last night, our bags and our thirst for snakes unfilled, we chanced upon a nightjar.
This bird nests on the ground and is usually perfectly camouflaged against the fallen leaves. As the nightjar flew off, where it was sitting was a single perfect little egg!
Perhaps next month, Wai and I will have better luck with the snakes...
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