Date: Contact us *maximum 1 month* prior to book a date for this tour.
Difficulty: Accessible for those of all ages and abilities.
Participants: 1-4
Maximum days: 3
What is it?
The Singapore herping tour is a fun wildlife experience with a surprising variety of options. One can book both day and night walks, to locations such as tropical rainforest, coastal mangroves, city parks and even freshwater swamp forest edges. One can reserve one to three days of exciting herping with local experts, and are guaranteed to encounter some fantastic animals, especially snakes. This tour is suitable for both experienced herpers, families, beginners and other inquisitive naturalists.
What can we find?
With over 60 species of snake recorded from the island, the potential finds each night are almost limitless. One of the most significant species which we commonly encounter on night hikes is the iconic Wagler’s pit viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri), while Mangrove cat snake (Boiga melanota), Kopstein’s bronzeback (Dendrelaphis kopsteini) and oriental vine snake (Ahaetulla prasina) are also frequently encountered in the city’s forested areas. There are so many tropical gems and rarities which are possible, as well as certified ‘showstopper’ species like the blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgata) and king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah).
Away from the evergreen rainforests, one can also visit coastal mangrove systems where another unique diversity of snakes occur. Here, mangrove pit viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus) are common, along with a selection of uncommon species such as Cantor’s mangrove snake (Cantoria violacea) and the marine file snake (Acrochordus granulatus).
On top of snakes, the cinnamon frog (Nictyxalus pictus) and black-eyed litter frog (Leptobrachium nigrops) are two highlights, while both water monitor (Varanus salvator) and clouded monitor (Varanus nebulosus) are common, while mammals such as the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), leopard cat (Prionailurus javanensis) and slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) also appear from time to time.
How does it work?
Contact us with a month prior to inquire about availability and we will arrange the dates for the tour. Our guides will contact you at most one week before and send you a specific meeting location which is easily accessible by car or public transport. We will meet at an agreed time. After a brief introductory talk and safety briefing, we will venture into the forest. Night walks typically finish around midnight, but can finish earlier at your request. Daytime hikes are typically in the morning hours. Once the trip is finished, we will part ways from the location and you will make your own way ‘home’.
The experiences available on this tour include:
- A night or daytime walk in secondary evergreen rainforest
- A night or daytime walk in a mangrove ecosystem
- A nighttime walk near freshwater swamp forest
Contact us for all relevant information, we will answer any questions.
