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.
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