Last Friday, I joined my colleagues in the conservation department for a night survey. I was rather disappointed not to spot any mammals, but we found a galore of frogs, crabs, fishes, shrimps, scorpions, and a wide array of insects (including fireflies!). The rather rare spiny hill terrapin was a pleasant surprise for us although it was not so pleasant for him when we pry him out of his hiding place and shower him with incessant flashes from our cameras.

Spiny Hill Terrapin

Johnson Freshwater Crab

Spider

Scorpion found on the pillar of the main trail

Copper-cheeked frog

Black-eyed Litter frog

Can you spot the frog?

Cricket found on fruit that is attached directly on the branch (Cauliflory)

There were many interesting plants as well.  The most intriguing must be the luminous fungi that glowed in the dark.  We spotted trees with very high prop roots, and huge woody lianas that wind their way into the forest.  Walking along the muddy stream for 4 hours, we were accompanied by the crickets’ and the frogs’ harmonious symphony.

Indeed where there are plants, there is life.  When a garden set up, is it inevitable that other life forms come along either to make their home or just to visit.  At the right balance, it is an indication of a thriving garden.  So instead of spraying at every single insect and fretting about overpopulation of millipedes, is it good to think of biological ways to strike the balance.  For example, introducing praying mantis to curb leaf-eating insects rather than to infest your garden with insecticides.  It’s not just leaves and flowers at your backyard; it’s an entire ecosystem.  That is the beauty of nature, derived from the principle found in our very first garden, the majestic rainforest. 

Eleanor Soh