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List of reptiles of Singapore

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Green crested lizard
Green crested lizard (Bronchocela cristatella) at Bukit Batok
Water monitor
Water monitor (Varanus salvator) at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

There are about 110 species of reptiles in Singapore.[1] Most of them are small or rarely seen. But there are a few which are large or prominent. The largest reptiles which can be found in Singapore are the estuarine crocodile and the reticulated python. The ones most commonly seen in urban areas are the house geckos (typically called house lizard by the lay-person) and the non-native changeable lizard. The changeable lizard has pushed the local green crested lizard into forested areas.

In gardens and parks, one can often see common sun skinks, the introduced red-eared sliders and flying lizards.

Water monitors are common in rivers and mangrove. Another monitor that can be found in Singapore is the clouded monitor, which is a forest species. It is smaller than the Malayan water monitor, has slit nostrils and is paler in colour. In 2008, the Dumeril's monitor was rediscovered in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.[2] This goes to show that there can still be surprises in the forests of Singapore.

Equatorial spitting cobras can still be found in desolated urban areas of Singapore. The bigger king cobra is much rarer. The banded krait sometimes show up as road kills. There are also 2 coral snake and 9 sea snake species.

List of reptiles

Order Crocodylia (crocodilians)

Saltwater crocodile
Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Family Crocodylidae (crocodiles)

Family Gavialidae (gharials)

  • False gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) - likely former native but since extirpated, possible escaped juvenile caught in Pasir Ris in 1991[3][4]

Order Testudines (turtles, tortoises, terrapins)

Family Cheloniidae (sea turtles)

Family Dermochelyidae (leatherback turtle)

Family Chelydridae (snapping turtles)

Family Kinosternidae (mud turtles)

Family Trionychidae (softshell turtles)

Family Carettochelyidae (pig-nosed turtle)

Family Geoemydidae (Asian terrapins)

  • Southern river terrapin (Batagur affinis) - likely former native but since extirpated, recent local records likely to be escapees
  • Painted terrapin (Batagur borneoensis) - indeterminate, recent local records likely to be escapees
  • Northern river terrapin (Batagur baska) - extinct
  • Malayan box terrapin (Cuora amboinensis) - local populations likely to be a mixture of native and introduced individuals
  • Asian leaf terrapin (Cyclemys dentata) - Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Western Catchment
  • Oldham's leaf terrapin (Cyclemys oldhamii) - extinct
  • Enigmatic leaf terrapin (Cyclemys enigmatica) - extinct
  • Yellow-headed temple terrapin (Heosemys annandalii) - escapee
  • Giant Asian pond terrapin (Heosemys grandis) - introduced
  • Spiny terrapin (Heosemys spinosa) - Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Central Catchment Nature Reserve
  • Chinese stripe-necked turtle (Mauremys sinensis) - escapee
  • Malayan flat-shelled terrapin (Notochelys platynota) - Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Western Catchment
  • Malayan giant terrapin (Orlitia borneensis) - potentially native, recent local records likely to be a mix of indigenous and introduced animals
  • Black marsh terrapin (Siebenrockiella crassicollis) - potentially native, recent local records likely to be a mix of indigenous and introduced animals

Family Testudinidae (tortoises)

Family Emydidae (American terrapins)

Family Chelidae (side-necked turtles)

Order Squamata (lizards and snakes)

Family Eublepharidae (eyelid geckos)

Family Gekkonidae (geckos)

Family Agamidae (agamids)

Family Dactyloidae (anoles)

  • Brown anole (Norops sagrei) - introduced, breeding population in Gardens by the Bay, individuals spotted in Bishan, Tanah Merah, Punggol, Singapore Botanic Gardens

Family Iguanidae (iguanas)

  • Green iguana (Iguana iguana) - introduced, breeding populations in Jurong Hill, Jurong Bird Park, Sungei Tengah, Choa Chu Kang, escapees occasionally seen elsewhere

Family Scincidae (skinks)

A skink (most likely the common sun skink) alongside the Berlayer Creek Boardwalk in southern Singapore, near Labrador Nature Reserve.

Family Varanidae (monitor lizards)

A clouded monitor (Varanus nebulosus) in Singapore Botanic Gardens hunting for worms and other edibles under leaves. It can be distinguished from the Malayan water monitor — the other common monitor in Singapore — by its slit nostrils.

Family Typhlopidae (blind snakes)

Family Cylindrophiidae (Asian pipe snakes)

Family Xenopeltidae (sunbeam snakes)

Family Pythonidae (pythons)

Family Acrochordidae (file snakes)

File snake
File snake (Acrochordus granulatus), a marine file snake

Family Colubridae (colubrids)

Subfamily Sibynophiinae

  • Black-headed collared snake (Sibynophis melanocephalus) - Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Western Catchment, Kranji, Pulau Ubin, Pulau Tekong

Subfamily Natricinae

Subfamily Calamariinae

Subfamily Ahaetullinae

Subfamily Colubrinae

Family Homalopsidae (mud snakes)

Family Lamprophiidae (mock vipers)

Family Elapidae (cobras, coral snakes, kraits, sea snakes)

Blue Malayan coral snake
Blue Malayan coral snake (Calliophis bivirgatus) at Venus Drive

Family Pareidae (slug-eating snakes)

Family Viperidae (vipers)

See also

References

  1. ^ "List of reptile species present in Singapore". National Parks Board.
  2. ^ D. L. Yong; S. D. Fam; J. J. Ng (29 July 2008). "Rediscovery of Dumeril's Monitor Varanus Dumerilii (Varanidae) in Singapore". Nature In Singapore. 2008 (1). National University of Singapore: 21–22.
  3. ^ "Baby crocodile caught in canal at Pasir Ris estate". The Straight Times. 15 May 1991. p. 6.
  4. ^ Choo Siew Bee (6 June 1991). "Croc found in Pasir Ris canal is no man-eater". The Straight Times. p. 3.
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