Endangered Animals in the

Philippines

Aliah Agnes T. Pigao

Christine Angela F. Tañaquin

According to Conservation International, the Philippines is one of the biologically richest countries in the world. Most of the Philippine islands are covered with rainforests, but cutting down trees at the extreme level or disturbing the natural habitats of native species leave many species threatened or endangered.

ENDANGERED ANIMALS• Philippine Eagl

e• Hawksbill Sea T

urtle• Philippine Fres

hwater Crocodile

• Tamaraw• Philippine Tarsi

er• The Mindoro Bl

eeding-heart• Red-vented Coc

katoo

• Philippine Forest Turtle

• Philippine Naked-backed Fruit Bat

• Rufous-headed Hornbill

• Visayan Warty Pig

• Philippine mouse deer

• sea cow• whale shark

Philippine Eagle• Scientific Name: Pithecophaga jefferyi• also referred to as monkey-eating eagle, is an

eagle subspecies that belong to the family of Accipitridae and is native to the Philippines.

• These eagles display white-colored plumage together with the shaggy crest. They average 86 to 102 cm in length and weigh around 4.7 to 8kg.

• The Philippine Eagle is the largest eagle, and regarded as the rarest and the most powerful birds in the world. The Philippine Eagle is also the national bird of Philippines. One of the foremost causes of the population decline is habitat loss or deforestation.

Philippine Eagle

Hawksbill Sea Turtle• These smaller species of turtle are listed as

critically endangered. Growing only up to 45 inches, they can be found in tropical waters, preferring shallow reef areas where sandy nesting sites are nearby, and their preferred food, sponges, can be found.

• Featuring claws on their flippers, a pointed mouth resembling a birds beak (hence hawksbill), and striking colored shells, these turtles are often poached for their eggs, flesh, and shells.

• Living in shallow waters also makes them victims of fishing nets. Apart from their cultural significance and tourism value, Hawksbill turtles play an important role in maintaining reef health through eating sponges, thus providing better access for reef fish to feed

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Philippine Freshwater Crocodile• Scientific Name: Crocodylus

mindorensis• Also called Mindoro Crocodile, is a

subspecies of crocodiles that inhabits all throughout the Philippines. • 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 weigh around 15 kg (33 lb.). The males are fairly larger than females.

Philippine Freshwater Crocodile

Tamaraw• Scientific Name: Bubalus mindorensis• also known as the 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. Tamaraws are critically endangered species as they have been subject to extreme hunting, habitat loss, and logging. The population of these species are now limited to few grassy plains

Tamaraw

Philippine Tarsier• The Philippine Tarsier (Carlito syrichta) is an

endangered species that is endemic to the Philippines. These animals are found in the southeastern region of archipelago, inhabiting the islands of Leyte, Bohol,Samar, and Mindanao. Some of these species are known to reside in Siargao Island, Dinagat Island, and Maripipi Island. The length of the Philippine tarsier measures around 118 to 149 mm, with weight measuring at 113 to 142 grams.

Philippine Tarsier

THE MINDORO BLEEDING-HEART• Scientific Name: Gallicolumbaplatenae

Common Name: Kulo-kuloHabitat: Mt. Siburan, Mindoro

• Its heart must be bleeding saddened by its fate.

• Another species that is fighting for its very existence is the Mindoro Bleeding-heart, a type of ground dove with the unmistakable red markings on its chest. The sad reality is most, of its natural habitat has been cleared as majority, if not all, of the primary forests of Mindoro have been cleared.

THE MINDORO BLEEDING-HEART

RED-VENTED COCKATOO• Scientific Name: Cacatuahaematuropygia

Common Name: Katala, KalangayHabitat: Palawan, only about 180 left

• You can never mistake this 12 inch-long cockatoo made up of just two colors: white and red. Like a priest out to say Holy Massthis bird is all-white with red feathers around the vent.

• Perhaps because of its strikingly-clean personality, the red-vented has become a victim of the cage-bird trade with a bird fetching as much as $160 in Manila. And that was in the late 90’s.

RED-VENTED COCKATOO

PHILIPPINE FOREST

TURTLE• Scientific Name:

SiebenrockiellaleytensisCommon Name: Palawan turtleHabitat: Palawan

• This turtle may have gotten a misnomer as it is totally not endemic to the island of Leyte but only in the Palawan island group.

• You can easily distinguish this land turtle by its ginkgo-shaped vertebral scutes (at its back). Also, a line which is colored pale white to yellow traverses across its head behind the ears.

• They are prized as pets and ranks as one of the most commonly confiscated species in the Philippines with overseas buyers visiting the islands to collect them. However, sadly, the Philippine forest turtle do not do well in captivity making them avery vulnerable species.

PHILIPPINE FOREST TURTLE

PHILIPPINE NAKED-BACKED FRUIT

BAT• Scientific Name: Dobsoniachapmani

Common Name: kwaknitHabitat: Cebu, Negros Island (very small numbers)

• Size is not everything. Being the largest cave-dwelling bat in the whole archipelago measuring up to 220m in total length is no protection. Instead, the Philippine naked-backed fruit bat has attracted bad men, being hunted for its meat.

• However by some twist of fate, this mega bat specie known for its naked appearance due to the wings attachment on the midline of their back, made an amazing recovery. Reported to be extinct in 1970’s, the night-flier known to very equipped at biting through hard-skinned fruits making them extremely unpopular to farmers, were rediscovered, though in small numbers by the 2000’s.

• Fortunately, Cebu forests where this bat is endemic to is protected by law. Negros may do well to follow suit.

PHILIPPINE NAKED-BACKED FRUIT BAT

RUFOUS-HEADED HORNBILL• Scientific Name: Aceroswaldeni

Common Name: KalawHabitat: Panay, some part of Zamboanga del Norte, extinct in Guimaras

• This bird with a lot of weight on its horn, is found only in the Philippines. Yes, you’re right. No other country has this mighty specie.

• That fact alone should make us proud. Had it stayed that way. The thing is the Kalaw or rufous-headed is in an extremely rapid population decline or in plain English their numbers are dying. It’s a shame that we can’t take care of such a wonderful bird treasure.

RUFOUS-HEADED

HORNBILL

VISAYAN WARTY PIG• Scientific Name: Suscebifrons

Common Name: Cebu warty pig, Negros warty pigHabitat: Cebu, Panay, Negros Island

• It’s no secret Filipino love to eat pork. One of the major reason why this wild pig known for the 3 pairs of wart in its appearance has become so rare.

• And to confound things up, the pig has as a subspecies the Cebu warty pig. Seems things are looking bleak for the boar as Cebu is the unofficial lechon capital of the Philippines.

• Luckily, breeding programs for the specie are being undertaken in Rotterdam Zoo and San Diego Zoo.

VISAYAN WARTY PIG

Philippine Mouse

Deer• Scientific Name: Tragulus

nigricans• Also known as Pilandok• Classified by International Union

for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered, these are also endemic to the islands of Palawan and Balacbac. They are usually the subject of local folklore, but are mostly hunted for their meat.

Philippine Mouse Deer

Sea Cow

• Scientific Name: Dugong dugon• Also known as Dugong• The dugong is commonly found

in the tropical waters of the Philippines, Indian Ocean, and Western Pacific Ocean. It is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Sea Cow

Whale Shark • Scientific Name: Rhincodon typus• Also known as Butanding• The whale shark is one of the

world's endangered species and can be found in almost all tropical waters around the globe. In the Philippines it is called butanding and is listed vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Whale Shark

Aliah Agnes T. PigaoChristine Angela F.

Tañaquin

THE END THANK

YOU