Endemic animals of the Philippines

The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), also known as the monkey-eating eagle or great Philippine eagle, is a critically endangered species of eagle of the family Accipitridae which is endemic to forests in the Philippines. It has brown and white-colored plumage, a shaggy crest, and generally measures 86 to 102 cm (2.82 to 3.35 ft) in length and weighs 4.04 to 8.0 kg (8.9 to 17.6 lb).

The Philippine eagle is considered the largest of the extant eagles in the world in terms of length and wing surface area, with only Steller's sea eagle and the Harpy eagle being larger in terms of weight and bulk. It has been declared the national bird of the Philippines. The most significant threat to the species is loss of habitat, a result of high levels of deforestation throughout most of its range. Because of this, the IUCN Red List has classified the species as “critically endangered”.

Killing a Philippine eagle is a criminal offence, punishable by law with up to 12 years' imprisonment and heavy fines.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_eagle

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The Philippine tarsier (Carlito syrichta), known locally as mawumag in Cebuano and other Visayan languages, and magô in Waray, is a species of tarsier endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the southeastern part of the archipelago, particularly on the islands of Bohol, Samar and Leyte. It is a member of the approximately 45-million-year-old family Tarsiidae, whose name is derived from its elongated "tarsus" or ankle bone. Formerly a member of the genus Tarsius, it is now listed as the only member of the genus Carlito, a new genus named after the conservationist Carlito Pizarras.

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.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_tarsier

Source Pic: By Kok Leng Yeo - Tarsier Sanctuary, Corella, Boholvia AnimalPhotos.info, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3829684

The Philippine crocodile is a crocodilian endemic to the Philippines. It is a relatively small, freshwater crocodile. It has a relatively broad snout and thick bony plates on its back (heavy dorsal armor). This is a fairly small species, reaching breeding maturity at 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) and 15 kg (33 lb) in both sexes. A 69-kilogram (152 lb) individual was found to have a bite force of 2,736 N (615 lbf).[15] Adults rarely exceed 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) and 90 kg (200 lb), and only the largest males attain record maximum size of up to 3.5 m (11 ft), perhaps reaching the maximum weight of 210 kg (460 lb) in exceptional individuals. Females are slightly smaller than males. Philippine crocodiles are golden-brown in color, which darkens as they mature.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_crocodile

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The tamaraw or Mindoro dwarf buffalo (Bubalus mindorensis) is a small buffalo belonging to the family Bovidae. It is endemic to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines and is the only endemic Philippine bovine. It is believed, however, to have once also thrived on the larger island of Luzon. The tamaraw was originally found all over Mindoro, from sea level up to the mountains (2000 m above sea level), but because of human habitation, hunting, and logging, it is now restricted to only a few remote grassy plains and is now a critically endangered species.

Contrary to common belief and past classification, the tamaraw is not a subspecies of the water buffalo, nor is it a subspecies of the slightly larger carabao, which is classified as a subspecies of the water buffalo. In contrast to the carabao, the tamaraw has a number of distinguishing characteristics; it is slightly hairier, has light markings on its face, is not gregarious, and has shorter horns that are somewhat V-shaped. It is the second-largest native terrestrial mammal in the country, next only to the carabao.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamaraw

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The Philippine cobra is a stocky snake of medium length with long cervical ribs capable of expanding, so when threatened, a hood can be formed. The average length of this species is 1.0 meter (3.3 ft). The species can grow to lengths of 1.6 meters (5.2 ft) However, subpopulations of the species, particularly specimens from Mindoro Island, are said to attain lengths of 2 meters (6.6 ft), but these are unconfirmed claims. If true, however, 2 m would be very rare and would be considered the absolute maximum for this species. The head is elliptical, depressed, slightly distinct from neck with a short, rounded snout and large nostrils. The eyes are moderate in size with dark brown and round pupils, typical of other cobra species and like other elapids in general. It has a stocky build for an elapid, and adult snakes are uniformly light to medium brown, while the juveniles tend to be a darker brown in color. They have 23-27 scale rows around the neck and 21 just above the middle part of the body; 182-193 ventrals, 36-49 subcaudals, and basal pairs are sometimes undivided.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_cobra

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The Samar cobra (Naja samarensis) also called Peters' cobra, southern Philippine cobra or Visayan cobra, is a highly venomous species of spitting cobra native to the Visayas and Mindanao island groups of the Philippines. The Samar cobra is a species of spitting cobra that can grow up to 1.4 meters in length. Their coloring varies from a black and yellow to green. Like the Philippine cobra (Naja philippinensis), the Samar cobra feeds mostly on small rodents such as rats and mice. They will also prey upon frogs and smaller reptiles. Since their main food source is attracted to rice paddies and human settlements, this species often comes into conflict with people.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samar_cobra

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The Philippine deer (Rusa marianna), also known as the Philippine sambar or Philippine brown deer, is a vulnerable deer species endemic to the Philippines. It was first described from introduced populations in the Mariana Islands, hence the specific name.

The Philippine brown deer is relatively smaller than its relative, the sambar deer. Its head-and-body length and shoulder height measures 100 to 151 cm (39 to 59 in), and 55 to 70 cm (22 to 28 in), respectively. Its weight usually ranges from 40 to 60 kg. Generally, its color is brown with white tail underside. Antlers are common among males which measures 20 to 40 cm. Variations in morphology were observed especially in Mindanao populations but is still unknown at present.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_deer

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The Visayan spotted deer (Rusa alfredi), also known as the Visayan deer, the Philippine spotted deer or Prince Alfred's deer, is a small, endangered, primarily nocturnal species of deer found in the rainforests of the Visayan Islands of Panay and Negros. It once was found across other islands, such as Cebu, Guimaras, Leyte, Masbate, and Samar. It is one of three endemic deer species found in the Philippines, although it was not recognized as a separate species until 1983.

The Visayan deer is small and short-legged, but it is the largest endemic species of deer among the Philippine islands. Adults range from 125 to 130 cm (49 to 51 in) long from the head to the base of the tail, 70 to 80 cm (28 to 31 in) in shoulder height and 40 to 60 kg (88 to 132 lb) in weight. This species is easily distinguished from other species of deer in the Philippines by the distinctive "A"-pattern of beige spots on its deep brown back and sides. Other distinctive features include its cream underparts and white fur on the chin and lower lip. The animal's head and neck are brown, but lighter than the body, and the eyes are ringed with paler fur. Males are larger than females and have short, thick, bumpy antlers.

Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visayan_spotted_deer

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The Palawan peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron napoleonis) is a medium-sized (up to 50cm long) bird in the family Phasianidae endemic to the island of Palawan in the Philippines. The spectacular male has a black body with blue marks on the wings, a grayish, finely speckled back and tail with blue peacock “eyes,” white marks on the face, and a red eye-ring. Females are mostly brown but with a white face. It is known as tandikan in the some local Palawano (peras in Southwest Palawano), Tagbanwa, and Batak languages of Palawan. It is featured prominently in the culture of the indigenous people of Palawan. The bird is also depicted in the official seal of the city of Puerto Princesa.

Source Text: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palawanpfaufasan

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