On our weekend trip to Perlis State Park, we had the opportunity to go herping both Friday and Saturday night. Herping is the act of searching for amphibians and reptiles. We went at night because it is easiest to find these animals when it is cooler outside so they do not have to be in the sun. We walked down to the small creek, turned on our headlamps and started searching.
We saw many different animals: many different water bugs, many kinds of frogs, a toad, a snake head fish, a crab and a soft shell turtle! It was a particular fun find because we hadn’t seen any turtles before that and it was a baby turtle! One of the Malaysian students who attends class with us picked it up to get a closer look. It was unlike any turtle we had ever seen before! First, its shell was soft, but it also had a pointed nose.
It was really interesting to see all of the adaptations that animals can have. Many of the animals had camouflage or a certain type or color of skin to help them breathe or to warn other animals to stay away.
After herping, we made our way back to the gathering space to learn more about the species. We learned their scientific names as well as some facts about them. I cannot wait to see what else Malaysia has in store for us!
Leaf Litter Frog
Giant River Toad
Malaysian Soft Shell Turtle
Whoa, totally cool!