Sungei+Buloh+Team+5

Commendable effort - needs more info and greater depth of reflection!
= = =//Done by: Justin Peng Ho Teng (16), Shaun Hin Fei (19)//=

**Tree Crabs**
The Hermit crabs and the Mangrove crabs are the only type of crabs that can climb trees. They do this as a defense mechanism, protecting themselves from predators.

**Monitor Lizard**
The monitor lizard is the largest lizard in Singapore,with a length up to 2m but some can be as small as 20cm!

**Mudskipper**
Unlike most fishes, the mudskipper is an amphibious fish (like a frog: land and water). It has special fins that help it propel out of water and across muddy land. When mudskippers come out of water, a bubble of air will be retained in their enlarged gill chambers which will close tightly to keep the gills moist and allowing them to function.

**Prop Roots**
These roots help to prop up the tree in the soft mud, hence the name. With these roots, the tree has fewer chances of toppling with the ebbing and rising tide.

**Pencil Roots**
These roots are vertical and sticking out from the ground for a reason. They allow the absorption of atmospheric oxygen through specialized root cells known as lenticels. You might think these are useless, but pencil roots are important as the mud that mangrove trees grow in are extremely low in oxygen.

**Seeds**
Some seeds germinate on the parent plant before they detach and fall to grow. Through this adaptation, the seedlings are able to take root immediately in favourable conditions, increasing their chances of survival.

= **Our Reflection:** =

This trip to the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve taught me interesting things, including what kinds of animals live in wetlands, how they defend themselves, why some roots stick out of the ground, why and how the significance of our Singapore wildlife could potentially affect our lives and the few native species of Singapore wildlife that are decreases in numbers quickly. If foreigners want to see wildlife in Singapore, we would definitely recommend them to go to nature reserves.

**Sources (pictures, ideas for description):**

http://www.sbwr.org.sg/ http://www.wikipedia.org/