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By Pilar Saldajeno, Heidi
Doctolero and Mary Ann Leones, Haring Ibon Magazine
(First of two parts)
THE Philippines has amazing
biodiversity. As compared with other countries, she has more endemic
species in groups like plants, mammals, birds, reptiles and
butterflies. Certainly, we can call her a “Paraisong Pinaka” or
a paradise of some of the best and the most rare plant and animal
species in the world.
Our rainforests are home to 102
species of amphibians (82 of which are endemic or found only in the
Philippines), 254 species of reptiles (208 are endemic), 179 mammals
(111 endemics), 20,940 species of insects (14,616 are endemic), 578
species of birds (196 are endemic), 15,000 kinds of plants (7,500
are endemic).
Even our seas and oceans are
teeming with life. Marine scientists consider the Philippines the
center of the center in marine biodiversity. Its coral reefs, which
spans 300,000 km2 holds diverse species of fish and many organisms,
which are greater than those in the Eastern Papua New Guinea, the
Ryukyu and Yaeyama Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Yet, Philippine biodiversity is
also alarmingly endangered. With continuous logging, mining and
exploitative activities in the forests, Filipinos are exposed to
environmental disasters as well as water and food crises and health
hazards.
We hope forest and marine
destruction stops today. Every Filipino deserves to experience the
best that our own Philippine biodiversity has to offer.
Showcasing some of the
‘Pinaka’ or the best and the rarest wildlife species in the
Philippines
Northern Luzon Giant
Cloud Rat (Phloeomys pallidus)—the
largest endemic rat in the Philippines
They weigh up to 2.5 kilos.
Unlike ordinary mice and rats, they don’t spread diseases or pose
threats to humans. They are quiet and timid animals that nest in
hollow trees. They actively forage in the forests and feed on tender
young leaves. However, cloud rats are severely threatened due to the
destruction of their habitat and by rampant hunting for their meat.
Only one young is born in a year; thus, their slow-growing
population also contributes to the threats they face.
Large Flying Fox (Pteropus
vampyrus)—
the largest bat in the world
With a wingspan of nearly 6 ft or
1.7 meter and weight of 1.5 kg, they are indeed the largest in the
fruit bat category. These dogs and foxes look-alike, roost in large
groups and hang themselves upside down in treetops. By sunset, their
stretching, flying and feeding activities start. They can travel up
to 60 km every night just to feed on flowers, fruits and nectars. As
voracious eaters, they can consume food, which amounts to half their
body weight. Flying foxes are mammals, and like humans, the mother
produces milk for the young ones, and gives birth to a single young
each year, but rarely twins. Unfortunately, their survival is
threatened by human’s indiscriminate hunting for food, habitat
conversion to other land uses, and forest destruction.
Dugong (Dugong dugon)—the
only vegetarian marine mammal in the world
They are more closely related to
elephants than to marine mammals such as whales and dolphins. Their
closest living aquatic relatives are the manatees. Dugongs can eat
30-40 kilos of sea grass and algae in a day. Adults can weigh up to
400kg and measures 2 to 4m 400kg and measures 2 to 4 m long. Every 1
to 3 minutes, they surface in the water to breathe. Their average
swimming speed is about 10 kmph, but if pressured they can double
their speed over short distances. These magnificent yet endangered
creatures are hunted throughout the range for their meat, as well as
their hide for leather, bones and teeth for ivory artifacts and
sugar refining, and for oil. They give birth once every 3 to 7
years, but they can live up to 55 to 70 years.
Palawan Mouse Deer (Tragulus
napu)—
the smallest deer in the Philippines
Probably originated from the
mainland Asia, they are also called the Malayan Mouse Deer. True to
their name, they can only be seen in Palawan. Their body measurement
is approximately 2.3-2.5 ft and they weight 5-8 kg. These solitary
creatures tend to flock in small groups and are active during the
night. Their stomach is three-chambered. Plants, and occasionally
invertebrates and small mammals, are their main diet. They can live
up to 14 years. A mother mouse deer can become pregnant after an
hour of giving birth.
Sinarapan (Mistichthys
luzonensis) —the smallest food fish in the world
So tiny, they measure only
2.1-2.45 cm and have an average length of 12.5mm. The males of this
species are smaller, shorter and more slender than the females.
Their home is confined in Lakes Buhi, Bato, Katugday and Manapao in
Camarines Sur Province and along the Bicol River. A school of
Sinarapan, approximately 100,000 to 500,000 individuals, swim at an
average depth of 7 to 10 meters. If placed inside a tabletop
aquarium, they live for only about 10 minutes.
Pygmy Forest Frog (Platymantis
pygmaeus)—the smallest frog in
the Philippines
So small, they measure only 14-16
mm or about the size of a 10-centavo coin. So light, they weigh only
0.2-0.4 grams. The home range of these nocturnal and land-dwelling
animals is confined in the lowland forests of the Northern Sierra
Madre Mountains in Isabela and Kalinga Apayao provinces.
Giant Clam (Tridacna gigas)—the
largest and heaviest mollusc in the world.
Quite large at 4 feet 6 inches
and quite heavy at 200 to 500 kilos. Their shells may reach up to
1.5m in length. Once fully grown, Giant Clams cannot completely
close their shells anymore. These large creatures occupy coral reef
habitats, typically within 20m of the water surface. They are
stationary or unable to move from their position in the coral reef.
They are found in shallow waters of the Pacific Ocean, from Thailand
and Japan to Australia and Micronesia.
Mangkono or Philippine
Ironwood (Xanthostemon verdugonianus)-the hardest tree in the
Philippines
Cutting a Mangkono tree of about
70 cm diameter usually takes two to four days. The species is
endemic to the Philippines and is known to have a very limited
habitat. It is indigenous only within the so-called ‘Mangkono
Triangle’ area consisting of the Dinagat Island in Surigao, the
Homonhon Island in Samar, Babatngon in Leyte, and in Palawan. It
rarely grows more than a few inches in diameter. It is mainly used
as pillars of small houses. In islands where the Mangkonos are
found, people believe that the tree becomes tougher when exposed to
heavy rainfall.
Some of the best and the most
rare wildlife in the Philippines in the next issue of Haring Ibon. 
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