The blue-green facial bands in two species of mangrove crabs, Perisesarma eumolpe (De Man) and Perisesarma indiarum (Tweedie) (Fig. 1), are known to be important in mate and/or species recognition and are believed to convey the physical ‘quality’ of the individual. For colour to be an effective indicator of quality, there has to be a direct production cost of the colour. Carotenoid-based pigments in animals fulfill these criteria. Being unable to biosynthesize carotenoids de novo, animals rely on dietary supply to achieve carotenoid-based pigmentation; therefore their presence can reflect foraging ability. Facial band tissues of Perisesarma eumolpe and Perisesarma indiarum were extracted and analysed for carotenoids using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The results confirm the presence of carotenoids in the facial bands of both species.

Forest fragmentation as a result of urbanisation can adversely affect gene flow between wildlife populations. Although gene flow among fragmented populations has been investigated for many species, there has been little research into the effects of urbanisation on gene flow in large mammals. Singapore is a small, densely urbanised tropical city-state where more than 99% of its original forest has been cleared. The wild pig is currently the largest native terrestrial mammal in Singapore and has important roles in maintaining plant diversity and seed dispersal. Pigs are widespread and present in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) as well as other forest patches in Singapore. Due to the extent of urbanisation, it is unclear if genetic connectivity exists between the CCNR and other forest fragments. In this study, genome libraries from 48 samples of pig blood were collected from two sites: 1) the CCNR and 2) forest fragments in the northeast of Singapore. Genome-wide SNP loci were used to understandthe population genomics of the two pig populations. The results indicated that the pig populations formed twodistinct genetic clusters that did not align with the respective sites. Both sites included individuals with signaturesfrom both genetic clusters, although with different frequencies. This suggests that pigs can move across heavilyurbanised landscapes. Future studies should involve long term collaring studies to identify specific corridors usedby the pigs for dispersal, and a larger population genomic assessment to understand pig dispersal and gene flowto and from forest patches other than the CCNR and the Northeast.

Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) have a wide geographic distribution across mainland and insular Southeast Asia. The evolutionary history of long-tailed macaques has been examined extensively through comparison of phenotypic variation and by phylogenetic analyses of molecular genetic data. Nonetheless, the complex evolutionary history of M. fascicularis throughout Southeast Asia is not fully understood. For the present study, we performed a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of M. fascicularis mitochondrial 12S/tRNA-val/16S sequences to examine the evolutionary relationships of the long-tailed macaques from Singapore. More generally, we hoped to gain a better understanding of the evolutionary history of long-tailed macaques throughout Southeast Asia. We used previously archived sequences in GenBank and new sequences from Singapore (n=34) and Bali, Indonesia (n=2) in a Bayesian phylogenetic framework to co-infer evolutionary histories and divergence dates. Our results revealed two large clades, one composed of haplotypes primarily from Sundaic islands populations, and the second primarily from continental populations. These two larger clades comprise four primary regional clades. All three haplotypes from Singapore form a well-supported subclade within a larger peninsular clade. A median-joining network of haplotypes mirrored the results from the phylogenetic analyses. We found divergence dates that were largely consistent with previous studies using complete mitochondrial genomes. Based on an assessment of phylogenetic relationships, the pattern of estimated divergence dates, and the available fossil record, we suggest that the evolutionary history of M. fascicularis likely included multiple dispersal events.

The critically endangered swamp forest crab Parathelphusa reticulata is endemic to Singapore and known only from certain parts of Nee Soon Swamp Forest (NSSF) and some of its peripheral streams. As part of ongoing ex-situ conservation efforts to ensure the survival of this threatened species, wild-caught individuals were reared in captivity to determine its captive breeding, husbandry requirements, and reproductive biology. The conditions required for these wild-caught animals to successfully spawn and brood in captivity, as well as for their first-generation offspring (F1) to be reared to maturity, were determined over a period of more than three years. Second-generation offspring (F2) were produced by F1 individuals that mated in captivity, which is reported here for the first time. Data on the captive conditions, clutch size, and growth of newly-born crablets are detailed. A self-sustaining captive population of this highly-threatened species has been established and will play an important role in ensuring its future survival, representing the first successful ex-situ conservation effort for a freshwater crab found primarily in freshwater swamp forest