Philippine Eagle

The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga

jefferyi) also referred to as monkey-

eating eagle, is an eagle subspecies

that belong to the family of

Accipitridae and is native to

Philippine. These eagle display

white-colored plumage together

with the shaggy crest, averaging 86

– 102 cm (2 ft 10 in to 3 ft 4 in) in

length. The weight of these species

measure around 4.7 – 8 kg (10 – 18

lb). As far as the eagle’s length is

concerned, Philippine eagle is the

largest, harpy eagle and the

stellar’s sea eagle being the other

contenders. They are also regarded

as the rarest and the most powerful

birds in the world. Philippine eagle

is also the national bird of

Philippine. One of the foremost

causes of the population decline is

habitat loss or deforestation.

Philippine Spotted Deer

Philippine spotted deer (Rusa

alfredi) also known as Visayan

spotted deer, is an endangered

species of deer that inhabits all

along the islands of Panay and

Negros. These are nocturnal

animals and are known to reside all

throughout the islands of Leyte,

Samar, Cebu, Masbate and

Guimaras. According to a survey

conducted by the IUCN in 1996,

there were around 2,500 species in

the world. Scientists aren’t sure

about how many species are

exactly left now. These deer

primarily feeds on leaves, buds, and

grasses.

Philippine Freshwater Crocodile

The Philippine freshwater crocodile

(Crocodylus mindorensis), also

called Mindoro crocodile is a

subspecies of crocodile that

inhabits all throughout the

Philippine. These crocodiles are

considered to be critically

endangered species due to

unsustainable fishing. They have

wide and thick bony plates. They

can grow to a length of 1.5 meters

(4.9 feet), and weighs around 15 kg

(33 lb). The males are fairly larger

than females.

Tamaraw

The tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis)

also known as Mindoro dwarf

buffalo is a small mammal that

belongs to the family of Bovidae.

These animals are native to the

Mindoro Island. They are found at a

level of 2,000 meters above sea

level. Tamaraw is critically

endangered species as they were

subject to extreme hunting, habitat

loss, and logging. The population of

these species are now limited to

few grassy plains.

Philippine Tarsier

The Philippine tarsier (Carlito

syrichta) also called Luzon is an

endangered species that is endemic

to the Philippines. These animals

are found in the south-eastern

region of archipelago. Philippine

tarsier is also the inhabitant of the

islands of Leyte, Boho, Samar, and

Mindanao. Some of these species

are known to reside in Siagao

Island, Dinagat Island, and Maripipi

Island. The length of the Philippine

tarsier measures around 118 – 149

mm, with weigh measuring at 113 –

142 grams.

The Philippine Sea Turtle or Pawikan

The Philippine Sea Turtle – Also

called here as Pawikan this marine

creature patrols the open sea and

when hungry will stalk on small

fishes, crustaceans and jellyfishes. It

is saddening to know that some of

these dies of suffocation by eating

plastic or balloons (the busted ones

that find its way in the sea or

ocean), that are mistaken as a

yummy jellyfish.

The Philippines is home to four of

the only six sea turtles species in

the world. The Green Sea Turtle is

the most common species, that can

grow to a length of one and a half

meters, and can weigh up to 185

kgs. The largest sea turtle in the

country is the Leatherback, which

can weigh up to more than 2

meters in length.

The Philippine Flying Lemur, Colugo or the Kagwang

The Philippine Flying Lemur or

Colugo - Also known as Kagwang by

local folks, this fascinating mammal

can be mistaken as a big bird as

they are like flying gracefully in mid

air. Kagwang has a head that

resembles like that of dog and its

body can be likened to the

Canadian flying lemur. The

Kagwang is actually gliding in the air

not flying and it is adept in doing

so. Commonly found in Mindanao,

this awesome creature has 12-inch

tail that is connected by a

petagium, a membrane that

stretches from the neck to the

forelimbs to the hind feet to the

tail. With this remarkable feature,

the Kagwang is built to glide to a

distance of 100 meters or more to

escape being eaten as a meal by

predators like the majestic

Philippine Eagle and to

conveniently move from one

place to another.

The Philippine Mouse Deer or Pilandok

The Philippine Mouse Deer – In

other countries this animal is also

called chevrotain but in the

Philippines it is called Pilandok.

Although, not really specie of deer,

Pilandok can only be found in the

Philippines. The right tag for this

awesome creature is a mouse deer,

to be precise and accurate. The

male ones don’t grow horns but will

rely more on its larger front canine

tusk-like teeth on its upper jaw to

fend off the attacks of a predator.

Other types of mouse deer can also

be found in South East Asia, Sri

Lanka and India.

The Palawan Bearcat or Binturong

Binturong – The Palawan bearcat

or the Binturong is another case of

an animal with a mistaken identity,

since it is neither a bear nor a cat. It

is unique on its own. Thriving

gallantly in the forest of Palawan,

Borneo, Burma and Vietnam, this

animal belong to the family of

Viverridae, which is prominently

known as the civets or the civet

cats. This animal can measure up to

96 cms., has a tail that is as long as

its body, can weigh up to 14 kgs.

and has life expectancy of about 20

years.

The Philippine Cockattoo or the Kalangay

Kalangay – This lovely Philippine

cockatoo, which has snowy white

feathers throughout her body,

belongs to the family of parrots.

Can live up to 50 long years, this

magnificent and very smart bird

(see the amazing antics of this bird

by visiting this link: Fascinating

Animal Tactics), the Kalangay can

measure up to 33 cms. in length

and can weigh up to 0.39 kgs. The

population of Kalangay, is

estimated to be in between 1,000

to 4,000, and they are now

protected in Subterranean River

National Park one of the

frontrunners in the quest for the

seven natural wonders of the world

that was launched by

http://sevennaturalwonders.org/

last year.

Butanding or the Whale Shark

Butanding – The whale shark or the

Butanding as what they call this

mighty creatures here, is the largest

fish in the world. A group of about

40 whale sharks regularly visit this

once sleepy and rustic town, that is,

the Donsol, Sorsogon from

November to June, which is the

most in the world. Several years

ago this tamed sea creatures was

considered as a nuisance since they

can capsize a fisherman’s boat or

destroy their nets because of their

enormous size. Moreover, some

fisherman hunted them down for

their meat. But thing change

dramatically as Donsol, where this

whale shark abounds in droves

became an instant eco-tourism

destination. Additionally, the town

thanks to these gentle creatures,

stages the fun-filled Butanding

Festival annually.

The Philippine Visayan Warty

Pig

The Philippine Warty Pig, is one of

four known pig species endemic to

thePhilippines. The other three

endemic species are the Visayan

Warty Pig (S. cebifrons), Mindoro

Warty Pig (S. oliveri) and the

Palawan Bearded Pig (S.

ahoenobarbus), also being rare

members of the Suidae family.

Philippine Warty Pigs have two

pairs of warts, with a tuft of hair

extending outwards from the warts

closest to the jaw.is a nocturnal

animal lives in

The Philippine bare-backed

fruit bat

lives on Negros Island and Cebu

Island in the Philippines.

Like other bare-backed fruit bats,

its wings met along the midline of

their bodies, making it a very agile

flier. It roosted in caves, in areas

where a little light penetrated the

gloom.

Palawan BearcatKnow in Southeast Asia as

binturong, the Palawan Bearcat is

niether a bear nor a cat and is a

species all its own. Besides Palawan

this species can also be found in

Borneo, Burma, and Vietnam. Its

head and body measure 61 to 96

centimeters in combined length

while its tail is almost as long. It

weighs 9 to 14 kilograms and can

live up to 20 years. Its thick black

fur is used by hunters for making

clothes and caps. It is usually found

awake at night searching for food,

using its tail to climb trees where it

hides in the leaves.

Philippine Bamboo BatThe Philippines has at least 56

species of bats. In other parts of the

country, several bat species are

now believed to be extinct.The

smallest bat in the world, belonging

to the vespertilionid family is the

Philippine Bamboo Bat. It is only

about 1 1/2 inches in length and

has a wingspan of 15 cm. It only

weighs about 1/20 ounce.

Forest Mice

A team of Filipino and American biologists recently found seven new species of forest mice endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines.

Troides magellanus, also known as the Magellan birdwing butterfly

About 70 percent of the Philippines’

nearly 21,000 recorded insect

species are found only in the

country. In addition about one-third

of the 915 butterflies found here

are endemic to the country, and

over 110 of the more than 130

species of tiger beetle are found

nowhere else. One of the largest

butterflies in the world and the

largest in the Philippines, the

Magellan birdwing can be found

here. The largest moth, the Atlas

moth, can be found in the

Philippines.[

BirdsMain article: List of birds of the Philippines

There are 612 species of birds found in the Philippines, of which 194 are endemic, 3 have been introduced by humans, and 52 are rare or accidental. There are 67 globally threatened species. These include the rufous hornbill and the

critically endangered national bird of the Philippines, the Philippine eagle.

Reptiles and amphibians

There are more than 111 species of Amphibians and 270 species of Reptiles in the Philippines, 80% of the Amphibians are endemic and 70% of the Reptiles are also endemic.[3] It is believed that there are not more than 14 of the 114 total species of snakes in the country are venomous. Several species of reptiles and amphibians remains undiscovered. Unfortunately, several of these species were believed to have disappeared without ever being discovered.[4]

The endemic freshwater crocodile Crocodylus mindorensis is critically endangered and is considered the most threatened crocodilian in the world. In 1982, wild populations were estimated to be only 500-1000 individuals; by 1995 a mere 100 crocodiles remained living in the wild. The recent discovery of a population of this species in the Sierra Madre mountains of Luzon brings new hope for its conservation. Projects were being made in an effort to save the crocodiles. The Crocodile Rehabilitation, Observance and Conservation (CROC) Project of the Mabuwaya Foundation is active in carrying out such projects.

Other unique and threatened reptiles include Gray's monitor and the Philippine forest turtle. There are two newly discovered species of frugivorous monitor lizard, the Panay monitor lizard from the island of Panay and Northern Sierra Madre forest monitor from north east Luzon, there are only three

species of monitor lizards that are specialized frugivores.

Freshwater fish

The Philippines has about 330 freshwater fish,[5] including nine endemic genera and more than 65 endemic species, many of which are confined to single lakes. An example is Sardinella tawilis, a freshwater sardine found only in Taal Lake. Unfortunately, Lake Lanao, in Mindanao, seems to be experiencing the country's most catastrophic extinction event, with nearly all of the lake’s endemic fish species now almost certainly extinct, primarily due to the introduction of tilapia, which is an edible fish, for the expansion of the fishing industry. Other exotic species were also introduced to the lake.[6]

Flora See also: Orchids of the Philippines

At the very least, one-third of the more than 9,250 vascular plant species native to the Philippines are endemic. There are, however, no plant families endemic to the country. The families of gingers, begonias, gesneriads, orchids, pandans, palms, and dipterocarps are particularly high in endemic species. For example two-thirds of the 150 species of palms present in the country are found nowhere else in the world. 700 of the 1,000 species of orchids found in the Philippines are unique to its wildlife.

The broad lowland and hill rain forests of the Philippines, which are mostly gone today, were dominated by at least 45 species of dipterocarps. These massive trees were abundant to up to 1,000 meters above sea level. Other

important tree species here include giant figs, which provide food for fruit bats, parrots, and monkeys, and Pterocarpus indicus, which like the dipterocarps, is valued for its timber.

A few species of Rafflesia are found in the Philippines, one of them being Rafflesia philippensis.

Paphiopedilum fowliei

This beautiful and uniquely shaped flower is from Paphiopedilum fowliei, a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is native to the beautiful island of Palawan, Philippine’s last frontier. This species which is threatened by loss of habitat inhabits tropical and subtropical forests.

Paphiopedilum acmodontum

The pretty Paphiopedilum acmodontum, which is native to the Philippines, is a unique species that belongs to the family of Orchidaceae. It is characterized by its hairy appearance.

Paphiopedilum ciliolare

Another lovely plant that belongs to the Orchidaceae family is the Paphiopedilum ciliolare. Like the other two unique plants above, this species is threatened by loss of habitat. It also inhabits tropical and subtropical forests.

Sacred Garlic Pear (Crateva religiosa)

The flowering tree Crateva religiosa is a flowering tree commonly called the Sacred Garlic Pear. Sometimes it is also called the Spider Tree because the showy flowers bear long, spidery stamens. Aside from the Philippines, it is also endemic to other Southeast Asian countries, Australia, Japan and many Pacific islands. It is grown elsewhere for fruit, especially in parts of the African continent. It is also commonly called Temple Plant. Other names in a variety of dialects include; Abiyuch, Barna, Bidasi and Varuna.

Sea Poison Tree (Barringtonia asiatica

The unique-looking but beautiful Sea Poison Tree is a species of endemic to mangrove habitats on the tropical coasts and islands of the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean like Philippines, Fiji, Taiwan,

Zanzibar and New Caledonia. It is also known as Fish Poison Tree or Box Fruit due the distinct boxed like shaped fruit it produces.

Spoon-leaved Sundew (Drosera spatulata)

The Spoon-leaved Sundew is not just a peculiar-looking plant but also a carnivorous plant. It has a large range and occurs naturally in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. This beautiful plant can be found also in China, Japan, Micronesia, New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.

Rafflesia schadenbergiana

This species of Rafflesia is known to the Bagobo tribe as Bo-o. To the Higaonon tribe of Bukidnon, it is known as Kolon busaw. This parasitic plant has the largest flower among the Rafflesia species found in the Philippines with a diameter of up to 80 cm. Among all other Rafflesia species, it has the second largest flower. Its first specimen was collected in 1882 and it was not seen for over a century and was thought to be extinct. It was rediscovered in 1994 on Mount Matutum, South Cotabato. In 2007, a population of this rare Rafflesia species was discovered in Baungon, Bukidnon.

Peltate Nephentes (Nepenthes peltata

Another beautiful and unique pitcher plant native to the Philippines is the Nepenthes sibuyanensis. This tropical plant can be found only in Sibuyan Island in the Philippines hence the scientific name.

Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

It was discovered in 1996 and this newly found species was formally described by in a 1998 issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter.

Burke Nephentes (Nepenthes burkei)

The glossy and attractive Nepenthes burkei is closely related to the Nepenthes sibuyanensis and Nepenthes ventricosa. It was named after David Burke, a British plant collector. This tropical pitcher plant is endemic to the island of Mindoro, Philippines.

Another beautiful and unique pitcher plant native to the Philippines is the Nepenthes sibuyanensis. This tropical plant can be found only in Sibuyan Island in the Philippines hence the scientific nameHeart-shaped Nephentes (Nepenthes truncate)

Nepenthes truncate is another unique carnivorous pitcher plant native to Mindanao. This beautiful plant is characterized by its heart-shaped or truncate leaves and very large pitchers, which can reach up to 50 cm in height.

Argent Nephentes (Nepenthes argentii)

The dull-colored Nepenthes argentii, which was named after George Argent, is a highland pitcher plant endemic to Mount Guiting-guiting on Sibuyan Island. This unique pitcher plant is probably the smallest species in the genus and does not appear to have a climbing stage.

Sibuyan Nephentes (Nepenthes sibuyanensis)

Another beautiful and unique pitcher plant native to the Philippines is the Nepenthes sibuyanensis. This tropical plant can be found only in Sibuyan Island in the Philippines hence the scientific name.

Nepenthes ventricos

Nepenthes ventricosa is a unique pitcher plant having a swelling on one side. This highland species grows at 1,200- to 1,500 m altitude in rainforests. This medium-sized species can be pale green or streaked with red, or red.