We are a team of nature explorers that are on a journey to study the native species in Singapore.

To our
dismay, we had a hard time finding the natives as the whole place was invaded by “alien species”! Our team
fear that all our native species might had been attacked by these “aliens” and disappeared. Thus, our team
decided to embark on a mission: Catch all these “criminals” and save our natives!

Clidemia Hirta
ALIAS: Koster’s Curse ORIGIN: Central and South America
ARRIVAL: Entered through the dispersal of seeds by berry eating birds.
DESCRIPTION: A densely-branched shrub sparsely covered in hairs. This plant is easily recognized by its
prominent veins running down the leaves. It has small white flowers that produces dark coloured berries.
CRIMES: This hairy plant can tolerate a range of environmental conditions. It is able to generate vast amounts
of seeds, allowing it to invade the forest edges and roadsides of Singapore easily. The dense growth of this
exotic plant into our primary forest has significantly decreased the value of our native biodiversity.
COMBAT MEASURES: Remove koster’s curse plant through weeding and use of herbicides. It is also important for
hikers to wash their boots after each hike to prevent further spreading of its seeds into other areas.
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Dioscorea sansibarensis
ALIAS: Zanzibar Yam ORIGIN: Madagascar and Tropical Africa
ARRIVAL: Introduced for experimental purposes in the Singapore Botanic Gardens for studying of potential
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medicinal purposes, but has since escaped cultivation.
DESCRIPTION: A sun-loving climbing plant with bat-shaped leaves that make it easy to identify . It has large
underground tubers that are toxic, and propagates vegetatively through the production of aerial bulbils at the
leaf axils.
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CRIMES: Aggressive growth smothers the trees that it climbs on. Its poisonous tubers are also a potential for

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danger and harm if consumed. It's tubers and bulbils are difficult to fully eradicate, as the presence of even
the smallest piece left behind can re-sprout.
COMBAT MEASURES: Continue weeding exercises, making sure to detect and remove as much of its bulbils and tubers
from the ground. Maybe make it a school community project, where students can come and help in weeding

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exercises, at the same time learning about the importance of natural heritage.

Acridotheres javanicus
ALIAS: Javan myna ORIGIN: Java
ARRIVAL: Introduced through caged bird trade
DESCRIPTION: A common bird often seen around hawker centers. It is characterized by its greyish-black feathers
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with patches of white feathers around the tail and wings. It also has a yellow beak and legs.
CRIMES: Javan mynas outcompete the local population of birds because they are much efficient food hunters and they
can also create their nest at any suitable locations, thus crowding out our local birds. The Javan mynas have
grown fearless toward humans and they may pose a danger if they attack humans that deny them of food at hawker
centres. They are considered pests because of their loud noises and droppings everywhere. Furthermore, since they
often visits unhygienic places, they may also be harbouring infectious diseases.
COMBAT MEASURES: Maintain cleanliness at hawker centres by returning our used utensils and throw away leftover
food. We should try not to feed them so as to reduce their population and dependency on humans.
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Achatina fulica
ALIAS: Giant African Land Snail ORIGIN: Africa
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ARRIVAL: Introduced accidentally through trade as undetected stowaways
DESCRIPTION: Its shell is conical and narrow, with visible spirals. It is usually slightly dark brown or
reddish with yellowish vertical stripes.
CRIMES: They reproduce at an alarmingly fast rate that threatens our environment. They are carriers of

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parasitic worms and may transmit plant and human pathogens. They have a huge appetite that feeds on more than
500 types of plants, threatening the life of our native plants and even agriculture.
COMBAT MEASURES: Be careful when transporting plants or agriculture structures as they can hitchhike on it. Use
a garden spray to kill these snails and avoid throwing foods to them

Trachemys scripta elegans

ALIAS: Red-eared Slider ORIGIN: North America, Mississippi valley
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ARRIVAL: Introduced through pet trade. They are often discarded into the wild by irresponsible pet owners after
they have matured. There are also cases of religious practice releasing the turtles into the wild.
DESCRIPTION: They are characterised by a yellow plastron covered in dark, blotchy markings and small red stripe
behind the eyes. Their omnivorous diet and ability to survive in the tropical climate allows them to adapt in
our Singapore’ water.
CRIMES: These fast-growing turtles compete with our native turtles for food and habitat. They are aggressive
towards our native turtles, forcing our natives out of their basking sites. They may have unknown diseases that
can harm our natives and also a possible spread of Salmonella to humans.
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COMBAT MEASURES: Think twice before you buy a Red-eared Slider, the responsibility is very high! And do not
release them into the wild, you will be fine up to $50,000!
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Paraserianthes falcataria
ALIAS: Albizia Tree ORIGIN: Maluku Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands.
ARRIVAL: It was introduced and grown in Singapore Botanic Gardens in the 1870s. It escaped cultivation and is now
flourishing in wastelands.
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DESCRIPTION: It is one of the fastest growing imported tree species in Singapore that has become naturalised. It can
sprout spontaneously across the island without human intervention. It has smooth, light or white coloured bark, and
creamy white small flowers that are faintly fragrant.
CRIMES: It competes with our native plants for space and sunlight. Additionally, this tree has soft wood and shallow
root systems which makes it susceptible to falling down during strong winds. When it falls, it might knock down
anything caught in its path, posing a danger to surrounding flora, fauna and humans.
COMBAT MEASURES: Removing Albizia trees in high population density areas especially those in parks, along footpaths
and residential areas. However, Albizia trees growing in wastelands provide refuge to wild animals hence we can
provide structures to strengthen the soil base to decrease the likelihood of them toppling over.
1. Kouk Qing Yuan (A0169750W)
2. Wong Jie Feng, Joel (A0191899A)
3. Chiu Guan Ru(A0183298N)
4. Peh Xin Yi Cindy (A0194073A)
5. Cynthia Lim Xin Ru (A0157681W)
References

Acridotheres javanicus. (n.d.). Retrieved from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum: https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/dna/organisms/details/470

Acridotheres javanicus. (n.d.). Retrieved from National Parks: https://florafaunaweb.nparks.gov.sg/special-pages/animal-detail.aspx?id=40

Choo, C. (2018, August 09). ‘Cacophony’ of mynah birds a headache for some Potong Pasir residents. Retrieved from Today Online:

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/cacophony-mynah-birds-headache-some-potong-pasir-residents

Choo, T. (n.d.). Waging war against Dioscorea. NParks. Retrieved from National Parks: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/-/media/nparks-real-

content/biodiversity/wildlife-in-sg/invasive-alien-species/2009jangwwagingwaragainstdioscorea.pdf

Chua, A. H. M. (2012, January 25). Javan myna. Retrieved from Wiki.nus:

https://wiki.nus.edu.sg/pages/viewpage.action?spaceKey=naturalheritage&title=Javan+myna

Falcataria moluccana (Miq.) Barneby & J.W.Grimes. (n.d.). Retrieved from National Parks: https://florafaunaweb.nparks.gov.sg/special-pages/plant-

detail.aspx?id=5620

J. (2015, January 16). Dioscorea sansibarensis Pax. Retrieved from Urban Forest: http://uforest.org/Species/D/Dioscorea_sansibarensis.php

Koster’s curse. (2011, November). Retrieved from South East Weeds: http://www.southeastweeds.org.au/system/files//f8/f18/o917/Kosters-Curse.pdf

Masters, Madeline. (n.d.). Is a Giant African Snail's Mucus Harmful to Humans? Animals - mom.me. Retrieved from https://animals.mom.me/giant-

african-snails-mucus-harmful-humans-3046.html

Nelson, R. (2013). Koster’s curse. Retrieved from Untamed Science: http://www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/kosters-curse/

Non-native Wildlife In Singapore. (2015). Retrieved from National Parks: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/mygreenspace/issue-27-vol-4-

a2015/conservation/non-native-wildlife-in-singapore

Pinto, K. G. (2013, January 31). Albizia. Retrieved from Wiki.nus:

https://wiki.nus.edu.sg/pages/viewpage.action?spaceKey=naturalheritage&title=albizia

Red-Eared Slider. (n.d.). Retrieved from Invasive Species Initiative: http://www.invasivespeciesinitiative.com/redeared-slider/

Sonel, S.A. (2017). Giant African Land Snail. Retrieved from Snail-World: https://www.snail-world.com/african-giant-snail/

Tan, D. (2016, February 2). Terrapin threat: Reptiles can pose salmonella risk. Retrieved from

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/terrapin-threat-reptiles-can-pose-salmonella-risk-8169184

Wee, Y. C., & Chew, H. H. (2008, January 29). Save our albizia trees. Retrieved from BES Group: http://www.besgroup.org/2008/01/29/save-our-albizia-

trees/

Wilson, A. (2018). Red-Eared Slider. Retrieved from http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/red-eared_slider_712.html

W. S. (2013, July 30.). Storm-vulnerable Albizia trees to get the chop. Retrieved from The Straits Times:

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/storm-vulnerable-albizia-trees-to-get-the-chop