Just last week, some of us beanies signed up for an engaging (and thoroughly exciting) walk with the Naked Hermit Crabs in the Pasir Ris Mangroves. The walk was conducted in the late afternoon, and to our luck, it seemed as if all the wildlife in the mangrove were out to meet us.
Bird calls filled the sky, butterflies danced in the rays of the setting sun, and mudskippers basked in the glow of the warm evening. We even spotted a shore pit viper! An adult shore pit viper at that, complete with red eyes and dark grey scales. It was camouflaged and calm amongst the general excitement and silent frenzy of cameras coming in from us on the boardwalk.
Spot the mudskipper!
Male mudskippers impress the ladies with pushups in the mud, flexing their pectoral fins.
(We humans must have learnt it from them)
Spot the shore pit viper curled around a root
For a parting note, here's what Jia le, a fellow Green Bean, had to say about his experience during the walk:
"My memories of Pasir Ris Park were of the many races I had with my friends to the top of the spider web playground. Until recently, I was unaware that a mangrove actually existed in the park.
Hidden behind all the horse riding, cycling and playgrounds, there lay a small 5 Ha mangrove, home to many species of trees and animals, and of course plenty of mudskippers grazing in the mud. Despite playing an important role of housing many endangered species and a protector of coastal areas, the mangrove may still remain transcendent to the public. But perhaps, this is how it retains its mysterious and captivating attributes that only reveal its little intricate ‘features’ like the Shore pit viper or the hermit crabs if one were to look hard enough. It seemed to me that nature likes to play hide-and-seek with us and is rather playful. I guess that is what draws me towards nature."
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