Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Wild Amazonia
Amazon River
Deforestation affects habitat and life cycle of some fish, amphibians, turtles, etc..
Tourism and habitat disturbance
Jaguarundi @ RS
We exchanged our baby sunbear Indar, for this pair of Jaguarundi. They have recently given birth to 2 kittens.
Try to catch the kittens playing about with their loving mommy!
Jaguarundi have a wide range of coat colours, ranging from brown, black, grey to reddish brown. So even
though the kittens have different coat colours, they are from the same litter.
The ligaments in their jaws can stretch very well, allowing the anaconda to feed on a variety of animals
including prey as large as caimans, tapirs, deer and even jaguars!
Depending on the size, it takes a few days to few weeks for an anaconda to digest its prey. They can fast
for weeks or months after a big meal.
Constrictor throw loops over its victim, constricting and suffocating the animal to death
Physical Characteristics
Eyes and nostrils are positioned atop its head as an adaption to allow it to lie in wait in the water for
unsuspecting prey
Fmeales are much larger than males
Reproduction
As many as 13 males wriggle together to form a breeding ball, enclosing a single female, and wrestle
for a chance to mate with her. This wrestling may last for weeks.
Instead of laying eggs, anacondas are among the 30% of snakes which give birth to a clutch of 20-70
young. Newborn anacondas are about 60-100cm, and can reach 3m within 5-7 years. During brith,
female anaconda expels undeveloped eggs and stillbirths, which she eats up.
Baby anacondas often fall prey to piranhas, caimans and storks.
Conservation Status:
Not evaluated under IUCN Red List
However, its still vulnerable to threats such as habitat destruction, wanton killing due to
misconceptions, collection for research and pet trade.
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Squirrel monkeys are territorial. Please note that you are entering their territory when you are in the walk-in
exhibit; give them their due respect.
Note:
If guests are holding on to food/drink items, inform them to keep their food/drinks in their bags, finish,
or dispose of it before entering the exhibit.
In the event that guests are nipped by the squirrel monkeys, understand that it is not malicious. Rather, it is
more of a warning; indicating that it is uncomfortable or youre in its way. They may even be agitated by the
behaviour of other guests and just nip the nearest guest to show displeasure.
Assist by bringing the guests out of the Squirrel Monkey Forest, and calling for RS Ops Duty Officer via the Shift
Phone Number (9011 6061). Note that the shift phone number is internal and should not be revealed to public.
The alpha male at River Safari is named Arnold (after Schwarzenegger) and leads the current troop of
about 40 squirrel monkeys (numbers may fluctuate). Only Arnold is able to mate. The rest of the males
are sterilised.
For token feeding in River Safari, they are fed carrots, long beans, sweet potatoes, almonds and
hazelnuts at 10.30am and 3.30pm daily.
Mainly fruit and insects. The group spreads out to feed on all canopy levels.
Opportunistic feeders, they are frugivores -insectivores
During flooded season when fruits are aplenty, they eat fruits, leaves
During dry season when trees dry out, they become more insectivorous
Physical Characteristics
Also known as skull monkeys due to their black and white faces.
Non-prehensile tail used for balance. Tail is longer than body. Tail curls over one shoulder while resting.
Sexually dimorphic. Males have large upper canines.
Squirrel monkeys have nails instead of claws
Squeezing branches between hairless fingertips allow them to generate frictional force to hold on to the
branch
Among all primates, squirrel monkeys have the heaviest brain in proportion to body mass.
Behaviour
Very sociable animals
In the wild, live in troops as large as 500 individuals
Our troop in River Safari is currently 39
Active during day (Diurnal)
To identify one another, they smear food and urine on their limbs and tails.
A dominant male may urinate on a lower ranking male.
Reproduction
Promiscuous
Seasonal breeders (September and November)
Births between February and April, the wet season when food is abundant
Males pile on as much as 30 percent body weight before mating season. Fatter males are more
appealing to females. Weight gain believed to increase sperm production.
Older females act as aunts to care for infants
Conservation Status:
Least Concern(IUCN)
Threats:
o Habitat destruction due to deforestation
o Illegal hunting or poaching for pet trade or medical research
Social animals live in family groups of 3-9 members with a monogamous pair and their young
Burrow along river banks to build dens for females to give birth
New born pups remain in the den for about a month
When the wet season floods the Amazon forest, adults have to move the babies to higher grounds to
avoid drowning
Otter pups are well taken care of by both parents and their older siblings. Older siblings play an active
role in babysitting, especially when parents are out hunting for food
Conservation Matters
Currently Endangered under the IUCN Red List Status
Because of their dense fur, the Giant Otters were also heavily hunted for their pelt between 1940 and
1970. In 1973, it came under the protection of CITES, which prohibits any trade on the species. Today
the illegal fur trade is not a major threat to the giant river otter.
Threats like habitat loss, land and river pollution, logging, mining, exploration for fossil fuel and
construction of dams are the major threats which have adverse impact on species population.
Habitat destruction is likely to reduce the population by 50% over the next 20 years.
Increased tourism is also creating challenges for them as tourists travel in motor boats, getting to close
to denning otters. This cause mothers to either abandon the dens or stop milk production for the pups.
Carlos and Carmen @ RS
River Safari is the first zoological park to house the giant otters in Asia
Carmen and Carlos came to us from two different German Zoos, but became instant friends the
moment they met
They were originally named Chelsea and Tacutu but were renamed and given a more common name
Take a closer look at them! River otters have throat patches that are unique to each individual very
much like our fingerprints! They use it to recognise each other.
Heckel Discus
One of the most popular freshwater fish of all time
Good parents, both will look after eggs and fry
When fry hatch, parents secrete mucus-feed for them to feed on for up to two
weeks.
Mata Mata Turtle
Normally stays a bottom of slow-flowing streams
Freshwater turtle has an arrow-shaped, flattened head, and a
snorkel-like nose
Neck of Mata Mata is very long in relation to the rest of its body
Mata Mata turtle is often able to reach the water surface to catch
a breath without leaving the river bottom by simply stretching its
long neck.
Physical adaptation provides excellent disguise Small skin flaps forms an irregular shape along its flat head and neck breaks up the outline of the
animal
These, together with its patterned shell, make the turtle looks like a small stack of dried leaves,
blending in perfectly with its riverbed habitat
It cannot chew, but it hunts by suction feeding, using its skin flaps on the neck and head which are
sensitive to movements to help track prey. Once near, it sucks in the fish whole, then expelling the
excess water slowly
Can grow up to 15kg
Electric Eel
Like the Black Ghost Knifefish, the Electric Eel not a true eel,
but a knifefish!
Found in murky waters of rivers and ponds in Amazon and
Orinoco basins (South America).
Obligatory air breather will drown if it doesnt surface to
take in oxygen
Contains 3 special electric organs packed with special cells
(electrocytes) which stores power.
Besides using its sensitive hearing, the eel discharges
electricity of low voltage (less than 10 volts) to navigate or locate prey. Once the prey is found, it fires a
higher voltage to stun or kill its prey.
Can generate up to 600 volts of electricity with 1 ampere of current, enough to kill an adult human. That
is higher than the voltage of a Singapore wall socket! However, each shock only lasts for less than 2
milliseconds, which means a healthy adult human is unlikely to die from a single shock.
Cannot be kept with other fish and it will shock or eat them
Eels discharges electricity of different intensities for different purposes (i.e.: navigation, stun prey,
defense, etc..)
Shocking fact!
All living things discharge electrical charges, but usually in too small amount to be noticed. Humans generate
voltages too (at 0.01 to 0.1 volts). There are about 500 species of animals that can shock others by discharging
electricity from their bodies including the electric eels.
Uaru Cichlid
Aka the Triangle cichlid.
During breeding season, the dark band expands to cover its entire
side. Its eyes turn fiery red as well.
As with most cichlids, the Uara exhibits parental care
Young fry feed off a nutritious slime excretion from parents until
they can hunt
Length: 3.5m
Weight: 600kg
Range
Manatees muscular body contains little fat compared to whales and seals. Their round appearance
comes from long coiling intestines
They are able to survive in both fresh, estuarine or marine environment for extended periods of time,
but habitually spends time in freshwater environment to reduce the osmotic stress for its body
Has marching molars - new molars continuously outgrow and replace worn-out teeth
Also known as a sea cow, the manatee feeds on wide variety of submerged, floating, and emergent
vegetation. They particularly likes mangrove leaves and water hyacinth (contains high silica content) that
wears down its teeth
Behaviour
Undertakes extensive seasonal migrations with seasonal distribution determined by water temperature.
When water temperatures drop below 20C, it gathers at natural and artificial warm-water refuges
(outside factories and power plants)
Reproduction
Multiple males are attracted to an oestrous female to form a large mating herd
Mating herds can last up to four weeks, with different males joining and leaving daily
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Other threats include fishing gear entanglement, entrapment in water-control structures and pipes,
exposure to contaminants & habitat destruction
Manatee-ming RS Facts
Note that our manatees are not Amazonian manatees. The Amazonian manatees are much smaller and
lack fingernails
Our largest manatee, Eva, is 1,200kg and will eat about 120kg of vegetables per day!
Think you know our manatees?
Eva
Eva
Pedro and Turbo
Pedro: Long and slim body, line of dotted scars along spine
Pedro
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Behaviour
Obligatory air-breather, they can stay underwater for up 10-20 minutes, staying near the water
surface where they can easily emerge to breathe. This is very useful especially if it is trapped in a low
pond during dry season
Feeds mostly on fish, sometimes birds and other animals near to the water surface
Breeding season is during dry season (Feb Apr), where the arapaimas construct bottom nests and
females lay eggs
Young hatch as rising water levels provide them with flood conditions in which they flourish
Mouth brooders - adult males incubate tens of thousands of eggs in their mouth
Conservation Matters
Fish of mega sizes are increasingly rare worldwide due to intense fishing pressures. The arapaima is
one such fish that is threatened by overfishing.
Proximity to water surface makes it vulnerable to human predation.
Arapaima has a bony tongue fitted with a set of teeth, which some indigenous people use as a
scraping tool to scrap things like guarana fruit
Fishing is banned by the Brazilian government due to overfishing
Only locals are allowed to catch it
Some indigenous communities consume its meat and tongue, and collect its large scales which are
fashioned into jewelry and other items.
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Be Responsible Owners
Many unsuspecting owners buy the juveniles at its small size only to discover that the catfish can grow up to
1.36m. When this happens, owners release them into the water bodies like the red-bellied pacu, upsetting the
balance of our native biodiversity.
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