Baby Swamp Eel

When my car porch got flooded, this snake-like creature came along. Probably it came from the nearby swamp. Not sure if it has tiny front legs as I did not inspect it closely.

It looks like an Asian Swamp Eel (locally known as Belut).

Could it be an Amphiuma or a Monopterus Albus?

Anacondas in Asia

Baby Anacondas spotted in Asia, Melaka Zoo that is. I wonder how Melaka Zoo will handled the Anacondas when they matured into a giant snake. About Anacondas Anacondas are large, non-venomous boas found in tropical South America. Although the name actually applies to a group of snakes, it is often used to refer only to one species in particular, the green anaconda, Eunectes murinus, which is one of the largest snakes in the world, and (together with the reticulated python of southeast Asia) arguably the longest. Related posts: * Fake photo of Legendary Nabau, Borneo giant snake

Python Reticulatus photo

Python Reticulatus is a species of python found in Southeast Asia, including Borneo. Adults grow to a maximum of over 28 feet (8.7 m) in length and are the world's longest snakes, but are not the most heavily built. Like all pythons, Python Reticulatus are non-venomous constrictors and normally not considered dangerous to man, even though large specimens are powerful enough to kill an adult and attacks are occasionally reported.

An excellent swimmer, Python reticulatus has even been reported far out at sea and has consequently colonized many small islands within its range. The specific name is Latin meaning net-like, or reticulated, and is a reference to the complex color pattern.



The above Python Reticulatus was caught by someone and kept in a cage. I'm very sure that the snake was reserved for a cooking pot at nearby restaurant. See also, Nabau, Borneo giant snake

The irony is that, the cage was kept at the back of the Bako National Park office located at the Boat Point, Kpg Bako. Thus, the suspect is likely to be employee or staff of the National Park and any animal at the National Park protected or otherwise, are suppose not be killed, harmed or trapped.

Related posts:
* Sunset photo of Telok Assam, Bako National Park, Sarawak
* Telok Assam, Bako National Park, Sarawak
* Proboscis monkey - Nasalis larvatus at Bako National Park

Tropical Chameleon - Green crested lizard - earth lion

Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are squamates that belong to one of the best-known lizard families. The name "chameleon" means "Earth lion" and is derived from the Greek words chamai (on the ground, on the earth) and leon (lion).

The chameleon in this post is known as Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela Cristatella).


Chameleon changing of colour

Some chameleon species are able to change their skin colour, which has made them one of the most famous lizard families. Changing colour is an expression of the physical and physiological condition of the lizard. The colour also plays an important part in communication.

Despite popular belief, chameleons cannot change colour to their surroundings. Chameleons are naturally coloured for their surroundings as a camouflage.

Chameleons have specialized cells, collectively called chromatophores, that lie in layers under their transparent outer skin. The cells in the upper layer, called xanthophores and erythrophores, contain yellow and red pigments respectively. Below these is another layer of cells called iridophores or guanophores, and they contain the colourless crystalline substance guanine. These reflect, among others, the blue part of incident light. If the upper layer of chromatophores appears mainly yellow, the reflected light becomes green (blue plus yellow). A layer of dark melanin containing melanophores is situated even deeper under the reflective iridophores. The melanophores influence the 'lightness' of the reflected light. All these different pigment cells can rapidly relocate their pigments, thereby influencing the colour of the chameleon.


Click Chameleon gallery for more hi-res photos of chameleon (earth lion).

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