Guimaras. According to a survey conducted by the IUCN in 1996, there were around 2,500 species in the world.

Scientists arent sure

subject to extreme hunting, habitat loss, and logging. The population of these species are now limited to few grassy plains.

Philippine Eagle
The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) also referred to as monkeyeating 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 eagles length is concerned, Philippine eagle is the largest, harpy eagle and the stellars 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.

about how many species exactly grasses. left now. These

are deer

primarily feeds on leaves, buds, and

Philippine Tarsier
The Philippine tarsier (Carlito

syrichta) also called Luzon is an

Philippine Freshwater Crocodile

The Philippine freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus subspecies inhabits considered endangered all to mindorensis), of crocodile throughout be also that the called Mindoro crocodile is a

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.

Philippine. These crocodiles are critically due to species

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.

The Philippine Sea Turtle or Pawikan 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

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

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.

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 Palawan Binturong

Bearcat

or

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

the

majestic and to

Philippine

Eagle

conveniently move from one place to another.

The Philippine Mouse Deer or Pilandok

The Philippine Mouse Deer In

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 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 Canadian likened to the The

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 dont 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 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

flying

lemur.

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 a connected membrane by a

petagium,

that

measure up to 33 cms. in length and can weigh up to 0.39 kgs. The population of Kalangay, is

became an instant eco-tourism destination. Additionally, the town thanks to these gentle creatures, stages the fun-filled Butanding Festival annually.

flier. It roosted in caves, in areas where a little light penetrated the gloom.

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

Palawan Bearcat
Know 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.

The Philippine Pig

Visayan Warty

http://sevennaturalwonders.org/ last year.

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

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

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

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 fishermans 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 lives on Negros Island and Cebu Island in the Philippines.

Philippine Bamboo Bat

The Philippines has at least 56 species of bats. In other parts of the

The

Philippine

bare-backed

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.

fruit bat

Like other bare-backed fruit bats, its wings met along the midline of their bodies, making it a very agile

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

species of monitor lizards that are specialized frugivores.

Freshwater fish 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.

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 [3] endemic. 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 [4] discovered. 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 5001000 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

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
[

The Philippines has about 330 [5] freshwater fish, 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 lakes 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 [6] lake.

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

be

found

in

the

Philippines.

Birds
Main 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

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.

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.

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.

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, Philippines last frontier. This species which is threatened by loss of habitat 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.

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.

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.

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,

Paphiopedilum ciliolare

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Argent Nephentes (Nepenthes argentii) 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.

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.