August 11, 2022:

 1. Improved graphics
Optimised from the original full color assets for more detail and cleaner graphics.  Color-balanced for separation of background and terrain. Border color added to objects.

2. Added new objects
Now the terrain has a full set of 32 objects, 13 objects appeared in this update, namely: American white ibises above a tree (replacing the scarlet ibis) + one ibis separately. Roseate Spoonbill (two different objects), Crab Eating Frog (two different objects), Bats (two different objects), Cuscus, Flamingo, Mudskipper, Crab Claw, Propagules

3. Terrain name changed from Mangrove to Mangrove Swamp

Mangrove forests

are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones and grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes with low-oxygen soil, where slow-moving waters allow fine sediments to accumulate. Mangrove forests can be recognised by their dense tangle of prop roots that allows the trees to handle the daily rise and fall of tides, which means that most mangroves get flooded at least twice per day. The roots also slow the movement of tidal waters, causing sediments to settle out of the water and build up the muddy bottom. Mangrove forests stabilise the coastline, reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves, and tides.

The following species/groups were used on this terrain:

Mangrove Trees







There are about 80 different species of mangrove trees. They only grow at tropical and subtropical latitudes near the equator because they cannot withstand freezing temperatures. Their roots are iconical, very important to the ecosystem and can be recognised by their dense tangle of prop roots that make the trees appear to be standing on stilts above the water. Some mangrove roots are a bit different, like the Black mangrove (Avicennia sp.) that has pneumatophores (tube roots on the soil that look like spikes). These different root species were not used on the terrain. Examples of species that are more similar to the trees of this terrain are: Rhizophora mangle (the propagule actually is falling from the sky on the background), Laguncularia racemosa and Conocarpus erectus.

Liana



The terrain idea started with lianas/vines, and initially I thought that there weren't lianas on mangroves, at least I didn't remember to see a liana on my mangrove experiences in Brazil. So we gave up the lianas on the beginning, but at the very end I researched and I discovered at least 2 liana types found on mangroves: Rhabdadenia sp. and Derris trifoliata.

So, SIBASA made the bridge with an image similar enough to these species.

Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus)



is a fish that really seems to have human teeth. It eats bivalves, crabs and other crustaceans.  It is a common North American marine species that span from Cape Cod and Massachusetts through to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil. Preferring coastal habitats around rock pilings, jetties, mangroves, reefs and piers, they can grow up to around 91 cm in length and weigh up to 9.6 kg. They have five to seven distinctive black, vertical bars running down their silvery bodies.

Mangrove Snapper (Lutjanus griseus)



is a species of snapper (fish) native to the western Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean Sea. The juvenile mangrove snappers tend to feed diurnally among sea-grass beds, with
their diet mainly consisting of crustaceans, fishes and to a lesser extent molluscs and polychaete
worms. The adults are primarily nocturnal predators, forage and feed upon cephalopods,
gastropods, small fish, shrimp and crabs.

Mangrove Root Crab (Goniopsis cruentata)



is a crab that I already hold in my hand. It is one of the most common crabs of mangrove forests of Brazil (here it is called Aratu-vermelho). It is mainly red and eats decomposing animals, and also mangrove forest fruits + plants.

Hermit Crab (Coenobita sp.)


Some hermit crabs can be terrestrial and live on mangrove forests. These crabs are from the genus Coenobita and are usually hidden inside gastropod shells. The terrain image of the crab probably represents the Passionfruit Crab (Coenobita cavipes) which is blue and lives in mangroves forests, but it could potencially be the Bluberry Crab (Coenobita purpureus) or even Coenobita lila which are blue/purple as well.

Passionfruit Crab has this name because it can ocasionally use part of a hard passionfruit as a shell. It is native to the eastern parts of Africa, the Indonesia, Philippines, China, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Polynesia, and Micronesia. This land hermit crab lives in mangrove trees, are mainly nocturnal, and terrestrial species, however often prefer salt water inside of its shell.

Ivory Barnacle (Amphibalanus eburneus)



is a species of acorn barnacle. Barnacles are sessile crustaceans related to crabs and lobsters, usually being suspension feeders. Ivory Barnacles occur on the east coast of North America, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. They pass through six naupliar stages and one cyprid stage over the course of one to two weeks. The nauplii feed on phytoplankton but the cyprid larvae do not feed. They search out sites for settlement, possibly following chemical cues from already established adults or testing the substrate for suitability. Once settled, they cement themselves by their heads to the surface and undergo metamorphosis into juvenile barnacles. It can be found on mangrove roots.

Crab-eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)



It is native to Southeast Asia and lives in a society in which the females rule and dominate. It can be found in several different places, being considered an invasive species in many of them. It has several different types of interaction between human beings and is an opportunistic omnivore, so its diet can vary a lot, despite its name. In Thailand, the species is called "ลิงแสม" (Ling s̄æm; literally 'mangrove monkeys') because it lives and forages in mangrove forests. It is not the only species of primate living in mangrove forests: Proboscis Monkey lives too.

Mangrove Snake (Boiga dendrophila)



Mangrove snakes are aptly named for the areas they inhabit: mangrove forests, riverine areas and lowland forests. They spend most of their time basking on tree branches 30 meters (100 feet) or higher but descend to the forest floor at night to hunt. They are widely distributed across southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines. It is native, but not common, to Singapore. A population of mangrove snakes was also accidentally introduced to Texas. The mangrove snake's toxin, called denmotoxin, is especially useful when hunting their primary prey, birds.

Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus)



is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. Since 2016, it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The fishing cat lives foremost in the vicinity of wetlands, along rivers, streams, oxbow lakes, in swamps, and mangroves. It is thought to be primarily nocturnal, and is very much at home near water. It can swim long distances, even under water. The fishing cat's main prey is fish, comprising about three-quarters of its diet, with the remainder consisting of birds, insects, small rodents; molluscs, reptiles including snakes, amphibians and carrion of domestic cattle supplement its diet. Fishing cats have been observed while hunting along the edges of watercourses, grabbing prey from the water, and sometimes diving into the water to catch prey further from the banks. The conversion of mangrove forests to commercial aquaculture ponds is a major threat in Andhra Pradesh, where the targeted killing of fishing cats is also prevalent where there is human/animal conflict.

American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)



is the most widespread of the four extant species of crocodiles from the Americas, with populations present from South Florida and the coasts of Mexico to as far south as Peru and Venezuela. The habitat of the American Crocodile consists largely of coastal areas. It is also found in river systems, but tends to prefer salinity, resulting in the species congregating in brackish lakes, mangrove swamps, lagoons, cays, and small islands. Other crocodiles also have tolerance to saltwater due to salt glands underneath the tongue, but the American crocodile is the only species other than the saltwater crocodile to commonly live and thrive in saltwater. They can be found on beaches and small island formations without any freshwater source, such as many cays and islets across the Caribbean. They are also found in hypersaline lakes; one of the largest known populations inhabits Lago Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic.

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)



is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter. Tropical populations are found by slow-flowing rivers, in mangrove creeks and in swamps.

This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to see prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank. Common kingfishers are important members of ecosystems and good indicators of freshwater community health.

Like all kingfishers, the common kingfisher is highly territorial; since it must eat around 60% of its body weight each day, it is essential to have control of a suitable stretch of river. If another kingfisher enters its territory, both birds display from perches, and fights may occur, in which a bird will grab the other's beak and try to hold it underwater.

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)




is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mouth of the Amazon River, and along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to northern Chile, including the Galapagos Islands. The brown pelican mainly feeds on fish, but occasionally eats amphibians, crustaceans, and the eggs and nestlings of birds. It nests in colonies in secluded areas, often on islands, vegetated land among sand dunes, thickets of shrubs and trees, and mangroves.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)



is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. The great blue heron is the largest heron native to North America. It can adapt to almost any wetland habitat in its range and may be found in numbers in fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded meadows, lake edges, or shorelines.

The primary food for great blue heron is small fish. It is also known to opportunistically feed on larger fish and a wide range of shrimp, crayfish, crabs, aquatic insects (such as dragonflies), other insects (such as grasshoppers), rodents, and other small mammals, amphibians (such as frogs, toads, and salamanders), reptiles (such as lizards and snakes), and birds, especially ducklings.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)



like all egrets, it is a member of the heron family, Ardeidae. It is a large, widely distributed egret, with four subspecies found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe, recently also spreading to more northern areas of Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water. It can be found in mangroves.

Decapod's Claw



This object can be interpreted as either a crab claw or a lobster claw, animals that lives in mangrove ecosystem (it can also be from other decapod. An example of a lobster that lives in mangrove swamp is Thalassina sp.

Flamingo



This object can be interpreted as a generic Flamingo, but there are not many species of flamingo that can be found specifically in mangrove swamps, because flamingo generally are found on Mudflats or lagoons. One example is American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) that can be found in the Petenes mangroves ecoregion of the Yucatán (Mexico).

American flamingo is the largest species in the Americas. Most of its plumage is pink, giving rise to its earlier name of "Rosy flamingo" and differentiating adults from the much paler "Greater flamingo". The American flamingo is usually monogamous when selecting a nest site, and incubating and raising young; however, extra-pair copulations are frequent.

While males usually initiate courtship, females control the process. If interest is mutual, a female walks by the male, and if the male is receptive, he walks with her. Both parties make synchronized movements until one member aborts this process. For low-intensity courtships, males and females walk in unison with their heads raised. In high-intensity courtships, males and females walk at a quick pace with their heads dropped in a false feeding posture. This high-intensity courtship stops at any point if either bird turns and the other does not follow, the heads are raised, unison movements are stopped, or the pace of movement is slowed. If the female is ultimately receptive to copulation, she stops walking and presents for the male. Long-term pairs do not frequently engage in courtship behaviors or in-group display. Pairs often stand, sleep, and eat in close proximity.

For trios with one male and two females, the subordinate female is tolerated by the male, but often fights with the dominant female. If two females share a nest and both lay an egg, one female will try to destroy the other egg or roll it out of the nest. For trios with two males and one female, the subordinate male is tolerated by both individuals and often becomes the primary incubator and caregiver of the chicks. For quartets, the dominant male and two females take care of the nest, while the subordinate male remains around the periphery, never gaining access to the nest. Less animosity is observed between the dominant and subordinate females in quartets compared to trios.

Mangrove Propagule



A propagule is something that a living being produces for reproduction. This term is frequently used for structures present in mangrove trees, specially the Red mangrove. Depending on the tide it can fall on the water and be transported or it can fall on the mud, sometimes vertically.

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)




It is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. I already saw this bird near my house, in a famous park from my city. Its pink colour may make people think that it is a Flamingo, looking from distance. Although, its beak is very different, similar to a spoon (but flat).

Roseate Spoonbills forage in the shallows of fresh, brackish, and marine waters including bays, mangroves, forested swamps, and wetlands. They nest and roost in trees and shrubs along the water's edge. The bill allows it to sift easily through mud. It feeds on crustaceans, aquatic insects, frogs, newts and very small fish ignored by larger waders.

The species occurs in South America mostly east of the Andes, and in coastal regions of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and the Gulf Coast of the United States, and from central Florida's Atlantic coast.

Crab-eating Frog (Fejervarya cancrivora)




is a frog native to south-eastern Asia including Taiwan, China, the Philippines and more rarely as far west as Orissa in India. It has also been introduced to Guam, and was most likely introduced from Taiwan. It inhabits mangrove swamps and marshes and is one of only 144 known modern amphibians which can tolerate brief excursions into sea water.

This frog can tolerate marine environments (immersion in sea water for brief periods or brackish water for extended periods) by increasing urea production and retention, and by remaining slightly hyperosmotic within urea and sodium flux. Adults can survive in salt water with salinity as high as 2.8%, and tadpoles can survive salinities as high as 3.9%.

The food sources of the crab-eating frog are mainly determined by the locally available prey. Near fresh water, its diet consists largely of insects. But in an environment with brackish water, small crustaceans, including crabs, form the main part.

Mudskipper



Mudskippers are amphibious fish. They are of the family Oxudercidae and the subfamily Oxudercinae. There are 32 living species of mudskipper. They are known for their unusual appearance and their ability to survive both in and out of water. The object used in this terrain, represents a generic species.

Mudskippers are mostly tropical to subtropical animals, and are distributed across a region from the Atlantic coast of Africa as far east as the Pacific islands of Samoa and Tonga. The most widely distributed and species-rich genus is Periophthalmus, within which are currently accounted 18 species. The only mudskipper from the Atlantic is a member of this genus, Periophthalmus barbarus, and some Periophthalmus species have ranges that extend into the temperate zones of southern Japan and eastern Australia, where they overwinter inside deep burrows.

A few other mudskippers are found in these temperate zone environments as well, including species of Boleophthalmus and Scartelaos, but otherwise mudskippers are typically animals of hot, humid mangrove forests and tidal mudflats. They are mainly found within the intertidal zone, and besides being able to move about on land, all mudskippers share an ability to adapt to rapid changes in salinity.

Common Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus maculatus)



Also known as the white cuscus, is a cuscus, a marsupial that lives in rainforests, mangroves, hardwood and eucalypt forests below 1,200 metres (3,900 ft); unlike most of its relatives, it is not restricted to rainforest environments. Because it lives in dense wooded habitats, it is not easily seen, especially in Australia. The common spotted cuscus resides in Cape York, Queensland, in northeastern Australia, as well as New Guinea and nearby smaller islands. It inhabits areas as far west as Sulawesi and as far east as the Solomon Islands.

Cuscuses mate year-round and with multiple partners, conducting courtship on tree limbs. The gestation period for a pregnant female is around 13 days, with a pouch period of 6–7 months. The curled, prehensile tail is a distinctive characteristic of the common spotted cuscus. The upper part of the tail closest to the body is covered in fur, while the lower half is covered in rough scales on the inside surface to grip branches.

This species is typically very shy, so it is rarely seen, especially in northern Australia. It is nocturnal, hunting and feeding at night and sleeping during the day on self-made platforms in tree branches. It also has been found resting in tree hollows, under tree roots, or among rocks. It is slow-moving and somewhat sluggish, sometimes mistaken for sloths, other possums, or even monkeys. Unlike its close relatives, the common spotted cuscus has been observed feeding during the day on rare occasions. It is typically a solitary creature, feeding and nesting alone. Interactions with others, especially between competing males, can be aggressive and confrontational.

Bat




There are several species of bat that can be found in mangrove swamps. Only in a single state of Brazil at least 17 species can be found in this ecosystem, in Singapore at least two species, and  there's another example: Little Red Flying Fox.

Little red flying foxes are pollinators, like bees, and thus critical to the health and reproduction of flowering tree species. They are known to haunt many different habitats, including swamps, mangroves, and bamboo stands.


American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)




is a species of bird in the ibis family, Threskiornithidae. It is found from Virginia via the Gulf Coast of the United States south through most of the coastal New World tropics. Males are larger and have longer bills than females. The breeding range runs along the Gulf and Atlantic Coast, and the coasts of Mexico and Central America. Outside the breeding period, the range extends further inland in North America and also includes the Caribbean. It is also found along the northwestern South American coastline in Colombia and Venezuela. Populations in central Venezuela overlap and interbreed with the scarlet ibis. The two have been classified by some authorities as a single species.

Their diet consists primarily of small aquatic prey, such as insects and small fishes. Crayfish are its preferred food in most regions, but it can adjust its diet according to the habitat and prey abundance. Its main foraging behavior is probing with its beak at the bottom of shallow water to feel for and capture its prey. It does not see the prey.

Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) - This is an object of the 1st version of the terrain, in the second version it was replaced by white ibises



is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its remarkably brilliant scarlet coloration makes it unmistakable. It is one of the two national birds of Trinidad and Tobago, and its Tupi–Guarani name, guará, is part of the name of several municipalities along the coast of Brazil (including Guaratuba and Guaraqueçaba, cities of the coast that are not far away from my city: Curitiba).

The legitimacy of Eudocimus ruber as a biological classification, however, is in dispute. Traditional Linnaean taxonomy classifies it as a unique species, but some scientists have moved to reclassify it as a subspecies of a more general American ibis species, along with its close relative, the American white ibis (Eudocimus albus).

Scarlet ibises like wet, muddy areas such as swamps, but for safety they build their nests in trees well above the water. If they can, they nest on islands, where their eggs and chicks are less likely to be in danger from predators.

Their distinctive long, thin bills are used to probe for food in soft mud or under plants. The large quantity of shrimp and other red shellfish produces a surfeit of astaxanthin, a carotenoid which is the key component of the birds' red pigmentation.

The scarlet ibis is a sociable and gregarious bird. They live in flocks of thirty or more. Members stay close, and mating pairs arrange their nests in close proximity to other pairs in the same tree. Flocks often congregate in large colonies of several thousand individuals. They also regularly participate in mixed flocks, gaining additional safety through numbers: storks, spoonbills, egrets, herons and ducks are all common companions during feedings and flights.