Philippine Sailfin Lizard

(Water Dragon)

Scientific Name

Hydrosaurus pustulatus

size/weight/height

Length: adults average 24 - 30" to maximum of 36"

adaptations/coloration

Body: slightly compressed
Tail: long; male has large sailfins on back and tail; female has dorsal fringe
Toes: scale fringes allow animal to run on to of the water on hind legs ( like pontoons); juveniles run on top of the water for short distances
Vestigal Third Eye: on top of head (parietal or pineal eye); clearly visible; sensitive to angle of sun's rays; thought to be homing mechanism

behavior

Personality: hand-raised individuals become very tame and seem to like being handled.
Defense: when threatened go into water to escape

reproduction/lifespan

egg layers

 Rusa alfredi
 Philippine spotted deer

Taxonomy

Rusa alfredi [Sclater, 1870].

 

Citation: Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1870: 381.

 

Type locality: Philippines.

The initial taxonomic record (above) is taken from Wilson and Reeder (1993).  Prior to 1983, Rusa alfredi was considered to be a subspecies of R. unicolor, although some authors report it as a subspecies of R. mariannus (Grubb and Groves, 1983; Whitehead, 1993).  Melanaxis breviceps and M. masbatensis are invalid synonyms for R. alfredi (Grubb and Groves, 1983; Wilson and Reeder,1993).  This species is monotypic, although two genetically isolated populations exist on separate islands (Grubb and Groves, 1983; Oliver et al., 1991).

The Philippine crocodile

(Crocodylus mindorensis)

a crocodile found only in the Philippines. It is also known as the Mindoro crocodile and the Philippine freshwater crocodile. In the Philippines, it is strictly prohibited to kill a crocodile, but its status is critically endangered from exploitation and unsustainable fishing methods,such as dynamite fishing.Conservation methods are being taken by the Dutch/Filipino Mabuwaya foundation, the Crocodile Conservation Society and the Zoological Institute of HerpaWorld in Mindoro.

The Philippine Eagle

(Pithecophaga jefferyi)

one of the rarest, largest and most powerful birds in the world. This bird of prey, or raptor, belongs to the family Accipitridae. It is also known as "Haribon" or "Haring Ibon," meaning "Bird King."

The Philippine Tarsier

(Tarsius syrichta)

known locally as the Mawmag in Cebuano/Visayan, is an endangered tarsier species endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the southeastern part of the archipelago, particularly in the provinces of Bohol, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao, Philippines. Its name is derived from its elongated "tarsus" or ankle bone.

Its geographic range also includes Maripipi Island, Siargao Island, Basilan Island and Dinagat Island. Tarsiers have also been reported in Sarangani, although they may be different subspecies. Believed to be about 45 million years old,^[5] and perhaps one of the oldest land species to continuously live in the Philippines, it was only introduced to western biologists in the 18th century.