sgbeachbum: python

Saturday, January 2, 2016

macaque family chasing python @ SBWR-Dec2015

I had seen the macaque family a little earlier in the afternoon complete with a new addition a baby male macaque which was likely only about 3 to 4 weeks old (my guess). The four (papa, mama, 2 year old and baby) had moved across the main bridge towards the visitor centre about an hour earlier and were foraging in the trees nearby.

All was quiet until a sudden explosion of chatter and the very visible movement of the branches and leaves as the macaques jumped amongst the branches down towards the exposed mangrove mud below the trees.

The family soon showed themselves chasing something on the mud. The snake made headed straight for the water. It looked like a reticulated python about a metre long and it was sliding for its dear life away from the macaques. It managed to get into the water disappearing below the water surface not to be seen again.

Papa must have taken a very aggressive stance against the python due to the prescence of the baby and especially since the tree was amongst its most frequented spots near the main bridge.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

sleeping python, frightened squirrel @ sungei buloh - 21Dec2013

Was on the way out from the SBWR when another visitor pointed out a coiled up reticulated python sitting snugly on a limb of a tree beside the main path into the reserve. This was my first time seeing a python in the reserve but i have heard that the reserve has seen this and other pythons before including an assortment of other snakes, both venemous (like the rarely seen King Cobra and more often seen Pit Vipers) as well as non-venomous snakes. The reserve does also have other large reptiles such as the Malayan Water Monitor and the Estuarine Crocodile (Uh, No we do not have Komodo dragons at the reserve).

This python was being harassed by a determined plantain squirrel and its mate. The squirrels were in a rather excited state compared to the snake which just sat still without flinching a scale. The squirrels kept calling out with loud pips and swatting their tails. All the excitement was lost on the snake which carried on its slumber oblivious to the concerns of the squirrels.