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Habitatnews 2001-30: Thursday, 6th December 2001
The Habitat Group's Nature Information List
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Current nature-related news busy Singaporeans might otherwise miss
More information and archives at: <http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg>
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Contents

1. Channel U's "Inside Out" to feature Chek Jawa this Sunday
2. Chek Jawa update?
3. A dead Cinnamon Bittern at the SAF Ferry Terminal
4. Happy Birthday Sungei Buloh Nature Park!
5. World's Smallest Reptile Discovered in Caribbean
6. BadTrans.B - fixes for this PC virus present in you

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---> [1] Channel U's "Inside Out" feature on Chek Jawa this Sunday
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"Inside Out" is a Mandarin current affairs programme about issues in
Singapore hosted by Guo Liang every Sunday at 9:30pm on Channel U.
The programme this Sunday will feature Chek Jawa.

Someone has suggested that it may be possible to phone in to give
your views on these issues, but this is unconfirmed.

--- Source: M. K. Tan (research writer at Mediaworks)
& Chim Chee Kong


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---> [2] An update of Chek Jawa
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Several of you have been writing in, asking for an update. Many have
been kept away from Chek Jawa, as a result of the impending
reclamation, monsoon storms of this period, the danger of lightning
strikes on the flats, and descriptions earlier this month
of mud-churned roads and queues at Ubin jetty to get back to Changi.


Well, I can say that Chek Jawa has survived the dreaded month of
November. Despite the ominous presence of a large bright orange buoy
offshore, none of the usual pre-reclamation activity or objects such as
dredges have been seen.

The more optimistic amongst us remain hopeful at this point. And
are still contributing efforts in various ways: signing books of
remembrance, creating and maintaining webpages, putting up
exhibitions, conducting talks, writing articles and submitting
proposals. These two pages summarise some of these efforts:
<http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/news/chekjawa/peoplesay.htm>
<http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/news/chekjawa/whatdone.htm>

In the meantime, guides at Chek Jawa have had to dissuade
members of the public from collecting. 'Marine creatures'
they say, are difficult to maintain, and will inevitably die,
decompose and stink up the place. Surely no way to remember
Chek Jawa? Enjoy life as it appears in these shores, and
refrain from keeping a false memory of it back home.'

Instead, take photos with your finds and family, and make your
space on the web. The Chek Jawa homepage has a recent addition
to the family of webpages. "Protect Chek Jawa" by Chim Chee Kong
has beautiful pictures, see: <http://chimck.tripod.com/chekjawa/>

Here he urges, "Be Responsible - Look where you step and avoid
trampling on the animals and plants. Put back the life where you
found it, there is a reason why it was under a rock or inside a
puddle of water. Please do not collect live animals. They will die
under your care (or the lack of it) and will stink up your whole
room. Give yourself and others a chance to enjoy looking at these
beauties in future visits."

Happily, the majority of visitors have displayed a natural
sympathy to Chek Jawa and have refrained from collecting. Several
of you have brought others and guided them well. A sign by NParks
has appeared recently, and urges against collections of plants
and animals. They suggest instead that we allow others to enjoy
the beauty of Chek Jawa.


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---> [3] A dead bird, a Cinnamon Bittern, at the SAF Ferry Terminal
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NParks officers who were at SAF Ferry Terminal at Nicoll Drive
this morning happened upon a dead Cinnamon Bittern in the canteen.
The specimen has been deposited at the Raffles Musuem of
Biodiversity Research.

Bitterns are birds famous for striking an upright position, with neck
extended and beak pointing upwards, when confronted by a predator.
A bird rescued by a friend some years ago did exactly that in her
living room, swaying slightly, as if surrounded by reeds!


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---> [4] Happy Birthday Sungei Buloh Nature Park!
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The park has survived eight years since its official opening by the
Prime Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong. Okay, okay, it has done more than
survive. Recent news has declared it be a Nature Reserve!
<http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/news/SBNPlaunch-10Nov2001/>

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---> [5] World's Smallest Reptile Discovered in Caribbean
Penn State Univ. Press Release, 3rd December 2001
<http://www.science.psu.edu/alert/Hedges11-2001.htm>
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'The second world's smallest lizard has been discovered on a tiny
Caribbean island off the coast of the Dominican Republic. At 16mm,
the dwarf gecko _Sphaerodactylus ariasae_ is also the smallest of
the Earth's 23,000 species of reptiles, birds and mammals.

Believed to exist only on Beata Island and nearby areas in the
Dominican Republic's Jaragua National Park, small groups were
discovered living in a sink hole and a cave in a partially
destroyed forest.

It shares the title of world's smallest lizard with another
lizard species named _Sphaerodactylus parthenopion_, discovered
in 1965 in the British Virgin Islands.'

High-resolution images of the lizard and other images are
available at: <http://www.science.psu.edu/alert/Hedges11-2001.htm>


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---> [6] BadTrans.B - a virus several of you are infected with
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I have received mail from several of you, only to see just "Re:"
in the subject line, and an attachment that I do not open!
The About Guide to Antivirus Software (Tue 4 Dec 2001)
<http://antivirus.about.com> desdcribes The BadTrans.B virus -
"Often arriving with a subject line of Re: and nothing else, the
BadTrans.B worm can autolaunch itself onto your system using the
one of the same vulnerabilities exploited by the Nimda worm."

Several of are infected with this. I use a Macintosh and am
relatively immune to most PC viruses. Even so, I keep both my
anti-virus programmes automatically updated and run regular
checks. Nothing fatal in all this, but it is time a few of you
do so as well!

In the meantime, please see:
BadTrans.B disinfection instructions at:
<http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/bt_b_dis.shtml>

and read about it at:
"BadTrans.B Detection and Removal" by Mary Landesman
<http://antivirus.about.com/library/weekly/aa112401a.htm>
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