Last Friday,my school sent my class to Sungei Buloh for a geography field trip .We are asked to take photos of the flora and fauna there and make a blog about them.
===Mangroves==
Mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes 25° N and 25° S. The saline conditions tolerated by various species range from brackish water, through pure seawater (30 to 40 ppt), to water of over twice the salinity of ocean seawater, where the salt becomes concentrated by evaporation (up to 90 ppt).There are many species of trees and shrubs adapted to saline conditions. Not all are closely related, and the term "mangrove" may be used for all of them, or more narrowly only for the mangrove family of plants, the Rhizophoraceae, or even more specifically just for mangrove trees of the genus Rhizophora.
===Animals===
The reserve had many species of animals like monitor lizards,Hornbills,Pythons,Mudskippers and even crocodiles.
Mudskippers are members of the subfamily Oxudercinae (tribe Periophthalmini), within the family Gobiidae (Gobies). They are completely amphibious fish, fish that can use their pectoral fins to walk on land. Being amphibious, they are uniquely adapted to intertidal habitats, unlike most fish in such habitats which survive the retreat of the tide by hiding under wet seaweed or in tidal pools. Mudskippers are quite active when out of water, feeding and interacting with one another, for example to defend their territories.They are found in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions, including the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic coast of Africa.
Monitor lizards also known as bayawak or goannas, genus Varanus, are members of the family Varanidae. They have a more distinctive upper set of teeth to intimidate their predators when in danger. Varanus is a group of largely carnivorous lizards which includes the largest living lizard, the Komodo dragon, and the crocodile monitor. The closest living relatives are the anguid and helodermatid lizards.Monitor lizards are usually large reptiles, although some can be as small as 12 centimeters in length. They have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs. Most species are terrestrial, but arboreal and semi-aquatic monitors are also known. Almost all monitor lizards are carnivorous, although Varanus bitatawa, Varanus prasinus and Varanus olivaceus are also known to eat fruit. They are oviparous, laying from 7 to 37 eggs, which they often cover with soil or protect in a hollow tree stump.
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the subfamily Crocodylinae). The term can also be used more loosely to include all members of the order Crocodilia: i.e. the true crocodiles, the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae) and the gharials (family Gavialidae), or even the Crocodylomorpha which includes prehistoric crocodile relatives and ancestors. Member species of the family Crocodylidae are large aquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Crocodiles tend to congregate in freshwater habitats like rivers, lakes, wetlands and sometimes in brackish water. They feed mostly on vertebrates like fish, reptiles, and mammals, sometimes on invertebrates like mollusks and crustaceans, depending on species. They are an ancient lineage, and are believed to have changed little since the time of the dinosaurs. They are believed to be 200 million years old whereas dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago; crocodiles survived great extinction events.
The Palawan Hornbill (Anthracoceros marchei), known locally as Talusi in Filipino language, is a smallish (approximately 70 centimetres (28 in) long) forest-dwelling bird. Its plumage is predominantly black with a white tail, a dark green gloss on its upper parts and a large creamy-white beak with a casque typical of the hornbill family. The bird emits loud calls which can be transcribed as kaaww and kreik-kreik.
Nine species of hornbill are found in the Philippines and the Palawan Hornbill is endemic to Palawan island, but has also been recorded on nearby islands of Balabac, Busuanga, Calauit, Culion and Coron. Most visiting birdwatchers travel to St Paul's National Park, Palawan to see this bird, but it is now uncommon. It acts as a bio-indicator due to its sensitivity to environmental changes. It is officially classified as "vulnerable" and its numbers have reduced by at least 20% in the last 10 years, due to habitat destruction and hunting for food and the live bird trade.It is usually seen in pairs or small noisy family parties, and has a communal roosting site. It is most usually observed in fruiting trees at the forest edge, but also feeds on insects and small reptiles
