Animals

Balabac Mouse Deer (Tragulus nigricans)

18/08/2012 14:25
The small mouse deer of Balabac is known in literature as chevrotain. The chevrotain does not have in any way a semblance to the deer family Cervidae but a separate Chevrotain family for groups of mammals that in French literally means “little goat”. They are more related to goats than deer. The...

Bearcat (Arctictis binturong whitei)

18/08/2012 14:28
  The Palawan bearcat or binturong is one of Palawan's seldom encountered animals. This is because it is active at night. Despite the infrequent encounters, the bearcat population appears to decline because of the pressure of hunting; for meat, as pets, for its fur as well as medicinal uses....

Bearded Pig (Sus barbatus ahoenobarbus)

18/08/2012 14:29
Migrant settlers settling and engaging in slash-and-burn farmin in the forested areas of Palawan had a hard time with the wild pigs (local name: baboy damo) feeding on and destroying their cassava crops in the process. To prevent further damage, the farmer settlers devised “pig bombs”...

Chubby Frog (Kaloula pulchra)

18/08/2012 14:42
I was surprised to see this chubby frog in front of my door at one time. It was there, forcing its way through the narrow opening of the door. It looks like a different kind of frog to me so I took a picture and tried to find information about a similar-looking frog in Google. I typed "frog in...

Cobra-Like Frog

18/08/2012 14:23
  In August 2009, this cobra-like frog was found hiding amongst the litter when it was discovered by Jun, a laborer we hired to dig some holes to erect a fence next to our home in Puerto Princesa. Jun thought it was a cobra with part of its body embedded in the soil. We were a little bit...

Dwarf Otter (Amblonyx cinerea cinerea)

18/08/2012 14:32
My first encounter with the otter was when I was working in a crocodile conservation facility in Palawan at Irawan. Somebody from south Palawan brought an otter about two feet in length and placed it on a tub for us to see. I did not know that the otter is, in fact, difficult to encounter in the...

Flying Squirrel (Hylopetes nigripes)

18/08/2012 14:33
Some animals evolve remarkable features in order to adapt to its environment, increase its chance to survive, or just plain convenience. For some animals, features are developed allowing them to make life easier for them. Among these animals is the Palawan flying squirrel. Although the...

Horned Frog (Megophrys ligayae)

18/08/2012 14:18
The Palawan horned frog (Megophrys ligayae) above is listed as endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). I found the above featured juvenile (about 3 cm long) along the sloping margins of Iwahig river amongst a pile of leaves and twigs. The horned...

Mangrove Snake (Boiga dendrophila)

18/08/2012 14:20
  Is the mangrove snake another candidate for extinction? Two decades back, while our research team surveyed several mangrove-lined rivers for crocodiles, the mangrove snake, blunt-headed tree snake or the gold-ringed cat snake (Boiga dendrophila), locally known as binturan, are usually...

Mongoose (Herpestes brachyurus)

18/08/2012 14:36
Many people especially those in the urban areas of Palawan are not aware of the existence of the mongoose in Palawan. Its range appears to be limited in the province as it is seldom seen.  A few years ago, while visiting a plantation project in the isolated place of Culasian in Bataraza south...

Mud Lobster (Thallasina anomala)

18/08/2012 15:00
  Scouring the mangrove forest at low tide, a mound of mud a few meters away from the river can be observed. It is a mountain of mud with volcano-like holes on it. These mounds were built by the mud lobster or Thallasina. The mud lobster is buried deep inside the mound excavating...

Porcupine (Hystrix pumila)

18/08/2012 14:51
  My first encounter with the Palawan porcupine (earlier referred to as Thecurus pumilus, later Hystrix pumila) was in captivity in one of the pens of Crocodile Farm in Barangay Irawan, Puerto Princesa. The Palawan porcupine hides itself inside a makeshift shed and brandishes its...

Red-throated Skink (Acritoscincus sp.)

18/08/2012 14:58
  This red-throated skink of the genus Acritoscincus was found in the elevated and forested portions upstream of Balsahan River in Iwahig, Puerto Princesa City, a few hundred meters away from the Balsahan swimming pool. It may be of the species platynotum because the...

Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

18/08/2012 14:48
  Crocodylus porosus or the saltwater crocodiles can be found in Palawan's mangrove-lined rivers. These species of crocodiles are man-eating when fully mature, some of them growing to as much as 18 feet long in Quinlogan, Quezon, Palawan. Several people in various parts of Palawan, most of...

Scaly Anteater or Pangolin (Manis culionensis)

18/08/2012 14:46
I encountered the scaly anteater or pangolin about 15 years ago Irawan, Puerto Princesa. In another instance, I saw this animal walking slowly on the ground looking for food in an area marked by mounds of termites and stand of inyam (Antidesma ghaesembilla). I could not help it but get awed by...

Shrew (Tupaia palawanensis)

18/08/2012 14:52
  A little known mammal, the Palawan tree shrew (Tupaia palawanensis palawanensis) is an antisocial animal, as it would prevent even its own kind from entering its territory. Morphological Description The Palawan Tree Shrew is one of the unfamiliar and uncommon mammals of Palawan Island,...

Skunk (Mydaus marchei)

18/08/2012 14:49
If you travel south of Palawan, you will detect the presence of the Palawan skunk (earlier literature referred to it as Suillotaxis marchei, more recently its scientific name is Mydaus marchei) because of the Palawan skunk's characteristic pungent smell. The Palawan skunk emits a very...

Spitting Cobra (Naja miolepis)

18/08/2012 14:44
I am not really that sure if this snake is a real cobra or just a mimic. It produces a hissing sound when approached. The one featured here is a small one, about a little more than one foot in length. I trapped it using a stick and captured it for closer scrutiny. Bearing in mind that this is...

Talking Mynah (Gracula religiosa)

08/09/2013 12:23
The Talking Mynah, Common Hill Mynah or locally kiyaw (Gracula religiosa) is one of the most sought birds in the Province of Palawan. It can talk even better than the well-known blue-naped parrot (Tanygnathus lucionensis). The talking mynah can mimic not only the sound of other birds or animals but...

Tree Frog (Polypedates leucomystax)

18/08/2012 14:53
  Almost always, the common tree frog (Polypedates leucomystax) makes its way into houses looking for refuge in unlikely places. The common tree frog is not really that common compared to the more ubiquitous frogs that croak when the rains come. The tree frog can be encountered by people...

Tree Squirrel (Callosiurus juvencus)

18/08/2012 14:54
  The tree squirrels, locally called “bising”, are common in many forested parts of the Province of Palawan. The squirrel's noisy chattering in the early mornings can make one get up and see those jerky movements. Squirrels jump from one branch to another, finding their precious...

White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

07/08/2013 17:29
The Philippine white-bellied sea-eagle is a fairly common sight when you glance in the skies on a sunny day in any part of Palawan. But it is quite difficult to make them out if seen from a distance as it could be mistaken for other birds of prey.  Food Habits As the name connotes, the...