Herpetological Society of Singapore

04/05/2026

This month’s h**p walk will be held at Thomson Nature Park on 10 May (Sun), 8:30 - 11 am. To register your interest for this month’s public walk, fill in this form: https://tinyurl.com/HSS10May.
This form will be accepting responses for 24 hours only!

Please note that filling out this form does NOT guarantee you a spot for the walk. If you’re successful, we will contact you within the week.

Red-tailed Racer, 𝐺𝑜𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑎 𝑜𝑥𝑦𝑐𝑒𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑚.
Photo credit: Shanyl Ong

28/04/2026

Cryptic diversity strikes again!

On , we would like to share a recent study by Dever et al (2026) that reveals that populations of the iconic cinnamon bush frog across the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo comprise at least three different species. The species previously thought to occur in Singapore, 𝘕𝘺𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘹𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘴, is now known to occur only on the islands of Borneo and Palawan. Populations on the Thai-Malay Peninsula (including Singapore) belong to a newly described species, 𝘕𝘺𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘹𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴, whereas populations from Sumatra belong to 𝘕. 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘯.

The authors used a combination of molecular and morphometric analyses to uncover hidden diversity within the species complex, and have aptly proposed the common name of "cryptic painted frog" for 𝘕. 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴. This discovery is yet another reminder of how much remains to be understood about Southeast Asia’s h**petofauna, and why documenting biodiversity is the first step to protecting it.

Source: Dever, J. A., McGuire, J. A., Iskandar, D. T., Hamidy, A., & Grismer, L. L. (2026). Cryptic diversity within 𝘕𝘺𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘹𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘴 (Anura: Rhacophoridae): a new species, a resurrection, and a redescription. Zootaxa, 5777(2), 283-306.

📸: Shivaram Rasu
🐸: Cryptic Painted Frog (𝘕𝘺𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘹𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴)

22/04/2026

24/03/2026

AmphibiaWeb has the pleasure to introduce the Herpetological Society of Singapore (HSS) with an introduction by the current president Kannan Raja: "Over the last decade, the Herpetological Society of Singapore has built and contributed towards perpetuating awareness, acceptance and understanding of Singapore's h**petofauna via two main prongs: outreach and research. As part of our outreach efforts, we conduct guided walks in many of the country's nature parks and reserves, bringing members of the public to observe and learn about our h**ps in their domain. Furthermore, we also organise talks and workshops with various organisations and stakeholders to raise awareness of our unique h**p biodiversity. HSS contributes to improving our understanding of local reptiles and amphibians by participating in ecological surveys and conducting research across a variety of topics and areas of interest. The Society manages a Frog Call Library, Singapore's most extensive open-access library of frog calls, featuring nearly all of our native frogs and even some from the region. Started in 2019, this resource has been useful to scientists working on local frogs and has further added to our understanding of amphibian bioacoustics. HSS is also currently running Project RunOver, a nationwide h**p-vehicle collision study, to identify roadkill hotspots, explore ways to mitigate road-kills, and improve local understanding of h**p-based road ecology. Lastly, to support local research, we recently launched the HSS Student Grant to enable student researchers and early-career scientists to advance h**petological science and communication locally."

Leer en Español: https://bioweb.bio/faunaweb/amphibiaweb/Noticias

Links:
Herpetological Society of Singapore: https://h**psocsg.com/
HSS Frog Call Library: https://h**psocsg.com/frog-call-library
Project RunOver: https://h**psocsg.com/h**p-roadkills-sg

20/03/2026

Happy World Frog Day to all who celebrate!

The Black-eyed Litter Frog is a notable species of the local forest floor. Its large, black eyes and mottled camouflage exemplify how remarkable wildlife often exists unnoticed in our immediate surroundings.

Frogs are nature’s early warning system. Their delicate skin and unique life cycles make them especially attuned to shifts in temperature, rainfall, and water quality. When frogs begin to disappear, it is often the first sign that the environment is under stress.

This World Frog Day, take a moment to marvel at the incredible diversity of frogs around us. Every croak, honk, and trill adds a note to the symphony of our ecosystem, helping us better understand the health of our natural world.

Spread froggy cheer this with our Frogs of Singapore posters, local frog stickers, and the newly-launched Frogs of Borneo sticker series.

🐸: Black-eyed Litter Frog (𝘓𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘴)
📸: Shivaram Rasu

10/03/2026

𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊

Mangrove habitats are home to a wide variety of animals - reptiles, amphibians, birds, and many more! Join us for our first guided walk of 2026 at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve this Saturday (14 Mar), from 8:30-11am.

To register your interest for this month’s public walk, fill in this form: https://tinyurl.com/HSS14Mar
This form will be accepting responses for 24 hours only!

Please note that filling out this form does NOT guarantee you a spot for the walk. If you’re successful, we will contact you within the week.

🐊: Saltwater Crocodile (𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘺𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘴)
📸: Law Ingg Thong

23/02/2026

Need more time to polish your application? The HSS Student Grant deadline has been extended to 22 March 2026! Take this extra time to refine your project goals; we look forward to seeing more wonderful proposals!
Details: https://h**psocsg.com/hss-student-grant/

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐓

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the HSS Student Grant, a new initiative by the Herpetological Society of Singapore, to support undergraduate and postgraduate students conducting research on reptiles and amphibians!

This grant aims to strengthen h**petological research and science communication in Singapore by providing up to SGD 1,000 per award, with up to two (2) projects funded each year. We encourage projects focused on local and regional h**petofauna, though international work is also welcome.

Applications open: 15 January to 14 February 2026 (Results Announced in Late May 2026)
Eligibility: Students from local autonomous universities in Singapore
Scope: Research on reptiles and amphibians or conference presentations in h**petology

We look forward to supporting the next generation of h**petologists and seeing the ideas and research that emerge. For more details, please look at the link on our website: https://h**psocsg.com/hss-student-grant/

17/02/2026

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐋𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑

While there are no horse-related h**ps locally, did you know that horses have frogs, too? And while these are not the same kind of , we are happy to announce our newest merch drop, the Frogs of Borneo.

Borneo is rich in frog diversity, and many of our local h**pers & frog enthusiasts have visited the island to marvel at its many frogs. While our merchandise only covers seven, we hope you spot a favourite of yours here. Check out this link (https://forms.gle/2sDHJm14YBHMPzwD9) for this set and the many others we have.

Here’s to a prosperous New Year, wonderful holidays, and happy h**ping!

14/02/2026

Spread some love this Valentine's Day! Send one (or all of these) to your loved one, and let us know which card is your favourite!
🐸 🐍 🦎 🐢 🐊

07/02/2026

Only one week left to apply for the HSS Student Grant!
Don’t let your project miss out on funding. Find out more and apply here: https://h**psocsg.com/hss-student-grant/

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐓

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the HSS Student Grant, a new initiative by the Herpetological Society of Singapore, to support undergraduate and postgraduate students conducting research on reptiles and amphibians!

This grant aims to strengthen h**petological research and science communication in Singapore by providing up to SGD 1,000 per award, with up to two (2) projects funded each year. We encourage projects focused on local and regional h**petofauna, though international work is also welcome.

Applications open: 15 January to 14 February 2026 (Results Announced in Late May 2026)
Eligibility: Students from local autonomous universities in Singapore
Scope: Research on reptiles and amphibians or conference presentations in h**petology

We look forward to supporting the next generation of h**petologists and seeing the ideas and research that emerge. For more details, please look at the link on our website: https://h**psocsg.com/hss-student-grant/

06/02/2026

A new paper, out and open access in Biological Conservation!

This study, led by HSS co-founder, Sankar Ananthanarayanan, uses a detailed detection record of lizards & snakes in Singapore over the last 200 years & estimates the local extirpation rate for these animals.

They estimated an overall extirpation rate of ~17% & identified 𝘎𝘦𝘬𝘬𝘰 𝘩𝘶𝘭𝘬 (undetected in Singapore since the 90s) as a promising candidate for reintroduction to Singapore's recovering forests!

Read more here: