Recording amphibians in Singapore’s parks

Friends of A Rocha in Singapore have launched their first practical project, ‘Amphibian Diversity in Urban Parks’. Team members Mary-Ruth Low and Prarthini Selveindran, both experienced in herpetology fieldwork, led the training session in January with 22 volunteers at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. This was followed by a night walk where the species recorded included Dark-sided Chorus Frog Microhyla heymonsi and the non-native Günther’s Frog Hylarana guentheri. This citizen science project will be carried out over two years as a monthly survey with six people in each team.

‘We hope to determine the diversity of frogs and toads in selected urban parks across the North, South, East and West areas of Singapore’, say Mary-Ruth and Prarthini. ‘Through the data collected, we will contribute to and complement the existing National Parks Board knowledge base of local biodiversity.’

Copper-cheeked Frog Hylarana labialis is an urban and forest species in Singapore. (Prarthini Selveindran)