Animals that live in MANGROVES

At high tide many different animals can move in and out of the mangroves easily. Food sources also move in and out with the tide.

The tangle of mangrove roots offers safe habitats for fish, shrimp, and oysters from their predators.

The roots help stop erosion by anchoring the ground and also lessening the effects of the waves. They prevent silt from damaging reefs and sea grass beds. They trap sediments that can contain dangerous heavy metals, keeping them away from inland waters and fragile animal (and human) populations.

Some examples of animals that live in Mangroves:

1. Cleaner shrimp

• Colourful
• Feeds itself by setting up a cleaning station on the reef.
• Larger fish visit the cleaner and float motionless when the shrimp removes parasites and dead skin.
• Some fishes even invite the shrimps into their mouths to clean, but never harm the bite-sized crustacean.

Hundred different species of BIRDS depend on the mangrove forest. The birds build nests on the mangrove branches every year and their chicks will do the same when they are older.

Mangroves are also home to manatees, monkeys, turtles, fish, monitor lizards, and, in parts of Asia, the fishing cat.

Fishing cat:

• Able to swim!!!
• Diet includes birds, small mammals, snakes, snails, and fish.
• Attracts fish by lightly tapping the water's surface with its paw, mimicking insect movements.
• Dives into the water to catch the fish.
• Use its partially webbed paws to scoop fish, frogs, and other prey out of the water or swim underwater to prey on ducks and other aquatic birds.

The mangrove habitat can be divided into different zones, and different organisms can be found in each area.

Behind the mangroves, away from the water’s edge, is the driest area in this habitat, the salt flat. This area is only inundated during high spring tides i.e. when tides levels are highest. Thus, at low spring and high neap tides the salt flats are left exposed.

Consequently, animals that live on the salt flat are at risk of drying out and, therefore, have special adaptations that allow them to survive.

For example:
2. Mangrove crabs

• Avoid this by living in burrows sealed by ‘plugs’.
• Improve the nutritional quality of the mangal muds for other bottom feeders by mulching the mangrove leaves.
• Found in Sungei Buloh
  

Other animals found in SUNGEI BULOH:

1. Cicadas, brown insects that make the shrill sound heard in Sungei Buloh.
2. Crabs and shellfish on tree trunks at high tide
3. Water snakes and horseshoe crabs in shallow streams
4. Mudskippers across MUDFLATS

What are MUDFLATS??

Mudflats are the areas in front of the mangroves. As the incoming tides flood this area, animals, such as fishes, move in to feed. These animals retreat with the falling tide. Other animals, including snails and sea cucumbers, retreat into burrows as the water level drops, while other such as fiddler crabs, emerge to forage. Some animals such as barnacles, oysters and snails live on the trunks and leaves of the trees. Few species feed directly on the mangrove trees, instead they feed on decomposing leaves and wood.

5. Birds like resident herons and migratory waders.

What are migratory WADERS??

A type of Birds that migrate from their breeding grounds in Siberia and northern Asian countries to warmer regions to escape from harsh weather conditions like winter. Some that had arrived in Sungei Buloh are Common Redshank, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper and Plovers.They often stay on nutrient-rich Mudflats to feed on during low tide.

6. Birds like Common Greenshank ,Yellow Bittern, Cinnamon Bittern, Common Tailorbird, White-bellied Fish Eagle and White-breasted Water hen, a water bird.

7.Reed-warblers, kingfishers and bee-eaters are also common migrants, among the trees and shrubs surrounding the ponds.

8. Golden web spider, Atlas moths, mud lobsters.

9. Fishes like the Mullet, Archer Fish and Halfbeak .