Endemic Animals of Philippines

The Philippine flying lemur or Philippine colugo (Cynocephalus volans ), known locally as kagwang, is one of two species of colugo or "flying lemurs." It is monotypic of its genus. Although called a flying lemur, it cannot fly and is not a lemur. Instead, it glides as it leaps among trees.The kagwang belongs to the order Dermoptera that contains only two species, one of which is found in the Philippines, while the other, the Sunda flying lemur, ...
is found in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Recent research from genetic analysis suggests two other species, the Bornean flying lemur and the Javan flying lemur, may exist, as well, but they have yet to be officially classified.Both species of Dermoptera are classified under the grandorder Euarchonta, which includes treeshrews and primates, as well as an extinct order of mammals, the Plesiadapiformes. Less

Known as the “world’s smallest monkey” because of its similarity in appearance to that primate, tarsiers, along with lemurs, tree shrews, and lorises, actually are members of a more primitive suborder of Prosimii or prosimian. They are amongst the oldest land species that have existed continuously in the Philippines, dating from the early Eocene period, 45 million years ago. The Philippine tarsier has various distinctive habits and chara ...
cteristics that make it an object of both popular curiosity and scientific research. Less

The Visayan warty pig (Sus cebifrons ) is a critically endangered species in the pig genus (Sus ). It is known by many names in the region (depending on the island and linguistic group) with most translating into 'wild pig': baboy ilahas ('wild pig' in Hiligaynon,Cebuano and Waray), baboy talonon ('forest pig' in Hiligaynon), baboy sulop ('dark pig' in Cebuano), and baboy ramo ('wild boar' in Waray). The Visayan warty pig is critically ...
endangered due to habitat loss and hunting. It is believed to be extinct in four of the islands in its original native range, with only small surviving populations in Negros and Panay. Due to the small numbers of remaining Visayan warty pigs in the wild, little is known of their behaviors or characteristics outside of captivity. Less

The Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis ), also known as the Mindoro crocodile, the Philippine freshwater crocodile, the bukarot in Ilocano, and more generally as a buwaya in most Filipino lowland cultures, is one of two species of crocodiles found in the Philippines; the other is the larger saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). The Philippine crocodile, the species endemic only to the country, went from data deficient to critically ...
endangered in 2008 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 island. It is strictly prohibited to kill a crocodile in the country, and it is punishable by law. Less

The Giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) is native and endemic exclusively to the Philippines. Otherwise called the Golden-capped Fruit Bat, this animal is the largest and one of the rarest bats around the globe, currently classified as Endangered. Moreover, this animal is threatened with extinction as a result of continuous poaching and destruction of its forest habitat. These massive, giant bats belong to the group of megabats. ...
There is very little information on the life expectancy of this species, although captive individuals are known to live as long as 23 years, while those in the wild are believed to live less - up to 15 years. Less

The Luzon bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba luzonica ) is one of a number of species of ground dove in the genus Gallicolumba that are called "bleeding-hearts". The native name in Tagalog is punay. It is also known as paloma de punalada 'stabbed pigeon'. The Luzon Bleeding-heart is the species in which the "blood" feature is most pronounced, with the reddish hue extending down the belly, furthering the illusion of blood having run down the bird's ...
breast. Less

The tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) is a small hoofed mammal native to the Philippines. It 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. Less

The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is a critically endangered species of eagle. It is considered the largest of the extant eagles in the world in terms of length and wing surface area. 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. Killing a Philippine eagle is punishable under Philippine law ...
by up to 12 years in prison and heavy fines. Less

The Philippine cobra (Naja philippinensis ) also called philippine spitting cobra or northern Philippine cobra, is a stocky, highly venomous species of spitting cobra native to the northern regions of the Philippines. The Philippine cobra is called ulupong in Tagalog, carasaen in Ilocano, and agwáson or banákon in Cebuano. Less

The Philippine pangolin or Palawan pangolin (Manis culionensis ), also locally known as balintong, is a pangolin species endemic to the Palawan province of the Philippines. Its habitat includes primary and secondary forests, as well as surrounding grasslands. This species is moderately common within its limited range, but is at risk due to heavy hunting because of its valued scales and meat. This species is distinguished from the closely related ...
Sunda pangolin by its smaller body-to-tail ratio, smaller scales, and a shorter head. It is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, and Critically Endangered by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD). Less

Siebenrockiella leytensis is a species of freshwater turtle endemic to the Philippines. It is classified as critically endangered. It is known as the Philippine forest turtle, the Philippine pond turtle, the Palawan turtle, or the Leyte pond turtle. Despite the latter common name, it does not occur in the island of Leyte but is instead native to the Palawan island group. It is locally known as bakoko in Cuyonon.Philippine forest turtles are ...
readily recognizable by their ginkgo-shaped vertebral scutes and a pale white to yellow line traversing across its head behind the ears. The previous characteristic has earned it the nickname of 'bowtie turtle'.Philippine forest turtles are classified under the subgenus Panyaenemys. Together with the smiling terrapin (Siebenrockiella crassicollis ), it is one of the two species in the genus Siebenrockiella. Less

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. Less

The Visayan spotted deer (Rusa alfredi ), also known as the Visayan deer, the Philippine spotted deer or Prince Alfred's deer, is a nocturnal and endangered species of deer located primarily in the rainforests of the Visayan islands of Panay and Negros though it once roamed other islands such as Cebu, Guimaras, Leyte, Masbate, and Samar. It is one of three endemic deer species in the Philippines, although it was not recognized as a separate ...
species until 1983. An estimated 2,500 mature individuals survived worldwide as of 1996, according to the IUCN, although it is uncertain of how many of them still survive in the wild. The diet of the deer, which consists of a variety of different types of grasses, leaves, and buds within the forest, is the primary indicator of its habitat. Since 1991 the range of the species has severely decreased and is now almost co-extensive with that of the Visayan warty pig.In April 2009 an expedition team of British and Filipino mountaineers and scientists discovered evidence of two separate groups of deer in the North Negros Natural Park. These signs (scat and feeding sites) are believed to be the first scientific evidence of the deer's activity for over 25 years. It is estimated that an estimated 300 animals survive on the island of Negros. Conservation efforts are currently underway with the intention of preserving the remaining population of the species but are poorly funded and supported.In 2012, the Negros Interior Biodiversity Expedition camera trapped the centre of the North Negros Natural Park and gained the first photos take in the wild of the species. Less

The windowpane oyster (Placuna placenta ) is a bivalve marine mollusk in the family of Placunidae. They are edible, but valued more for their shells (and the rather small pearls). The shells have been used for thousands of years as a glass substitute because of their durability and translucence. More recently, they have been used in the manufacture of decorative items such as chandeliers and lampshades; in this use, the shell is known as capiz ...
shell (kapis ). Capiz shells are also used as raw materials for glue, chalk and varnish.Distribution extends from the shallows of the Gulf of Aden to around the Philippines, where it is abundant in the eponymous province of Capiz. The mollusks are found in muddy or sandy shores, in bays, coves and lagoons to a depth of about 100 m (330 ft). Populations have been in decline because of destructive methods of fishing and gathering such as trawling, dredging, blast fishing and surface-supplied diving. In the Philippines, fisheries are now regulated through permits, quotas, size limits and protected habitats. In spite of this, resources continue to be depleted.The nearly flat shells of the capiz can grow to over 150 mm (5.9 in) in diameter, reaching maturity between 70 to 100 mm (2.8 to 3.9 in). The shell is secured by a V-shaped ligament. Males and females are distinguished by the color of the gonads. Fertilization is external and larvae are free-swimming like plankton for 14 days or attached to surfaces via byssal thread during metamorphosis, eventually settling on the bottom. They consume plankton filtered from the water passing through their slightly opened shell; the shell closes if the bivalve is above water during low tide. Less

The red-vented cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia ), also known as the Philippine cockatoo and locally katala, abukay, agay or kalangay, is a critically endangered species of cockatoo that is endemic to the Philippines though pressured by various environmental degradation and illegal pet trades, the population of the Philippine cockatoo is somehow growing owing to Katala Organization.It is roughly the size and shape of the Tanimbar corella, but is ...
easily distinguished by the red feathers around the vent. It is threatened by habitat loss and the cage-bird trade. Less

Dolabella auricularia, also known as the wedge sea hare, is a species of large sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares. Less

The Philippine dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx melanurus ) is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae that is endemic to the Philippines found in the islands of Luzon, Polillo Islands, Catanduanes, Basilan, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. Less

The Palawan peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron napoleonis ) is a medium-sized (up to 50 cm long) bird in the family Phasianidae.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. Less

The Palawan stink badger (Mydaus marchei ), pantot or tuldo in the Batak language, is a carnivoran of the western Philippines named for its resemblance to badgers, its powerful smell, and the largest island to which it is native, Palawan. Like all stink badgers, the Palawan stink badger was once thought to share a more recent common ancestor with badgers than with skunks. Recent genetic evidence, however, has led to their re-classification as ...
one of the Mephitidae, the skunk family of mammals. Less

The Philippine warty pig (Sus philippensis ) is one of four known species in the pig genus (Sus ) endemic to the Philippines. It has multiple native common names, but it is most widely known as baboy damo ("bush pig") in Tagalog. Less

The Samar cobra (Naja samarensis) is a highly venomous species of spitting cobra native to the Philippines. Less

The Philippine eagle-owl (Bubo philippensis ) is a vulnerable species of owl belonging to the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is found in lowland forests on the islands of Catanduanes, Samar, Bohol, Mindanao, Luzon, Leyte and possibly Sibuyan. The Philippine eagle-owl feeds on rodents and amphibians. Due to their reliance on living in large lowland forests, forest conservation is important in order to maintain ...
populations of the Philippine eagle-owl, which is becoming increasingly vulnerable to going extinct. The Philippine eagle-owl was previously listed as endangered, but due to destruction of lowland habitat and possible hunting, the eagle-owl has since been adjusted to the vulnerability of extinction. Less

The rufous hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax ), also known as the Philippine hornbill and locally as kalaw (pronounced KAH-lau), is a large species of hornbill endemic to the Philippines (the largest hornbill in the country). The are referred by locals as the "clock-of-the-mountains" due to its large booming call which typically occur of every hour. It occurs in moist tropical lowland forest. They are now considered to be a threatened species and its ...
reasons for decline being habitat destruction. hunting and poaching for the illegal pet trade.It is illegal to hunt, capture or possess rufous hornbills under Philippine Law RA 9147. Less

The Philippine sailfin lizard, crested lizard, sail-fin lizard, sailfin water lizard, soa-soa water lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus ) or its native name ibid is an oviparous lizard endemic to several of the islands that make up the Philippines and is also found in New Guinea and some parts of Eastern Indonesia. The Philippine Sailfin Lizard is a protected species in its native country of the Philippines as it is a target for exotic pet collectors ...
and sought after in the international pet trade. This is largely because these lizards have unique dorsal crests (otherwise known as sailfins) that give the organism a structure similar to a sail, and the Philippine Sailfin Lizard also has very bright coloration patterns that make them attractive to the eye. The pustulatus species is unique within the Hydrosaurus genus because of the confusion for the past several decades of classifying these organisms amongst other lizards within their same genus in their habitat. They are also very talented swimmers, and smaller juvenile lizards can run on top of water due to their bodily structure. The genus Hydrosaurus means water dragon, which reflects the aforementioned abilities lizards have in water. The Philippine sailfin lizard usually lies close to bodies of water, stays in tree branches, and runs across the ground to get around their habitat. They utilize their sailfins/scales to do territorial displays in the presence of a competitor or a predator. In terms of their reproduction, they utilize sexual reproduction and breed one time each year, but they can produce multiple clutches of eggs with between 2 and 8 eggs. These eggs are buried into the soil for a period of two months before hatchlings are produced. Philippine sailfin lizards are heavily studied by herpetologists and other scientists, as they are unique amongst other reptile lizards with regard to their coloration and form. Less

The Philippine hanging parrot (Loriculus philippensis ), also commonly known as the colasisi from its local Tagalog name "kulasisi", is a small psittaculid parrot species endemic to the Philippines. It includes about eleven subspecies, at least one of which might represent a distinct species, although further research is needed. While it is listed as Least Concern in IUCN, some subspecies, such as L. p. chyrsonotus of Cebu and L. p. ...
siquijorensis of Siquijor, may already be extinct. The species is threatened by habitat loss, but a bigger threat is trapping for the illegal wildlife trade; wild-caught birds are often sold as pets in streets and online selling groups. Philippine hanging parrots are mainly green with areas of red, orange, yellow, and blue on the head and breast varying between subspecies. Males have a red breast patch, except for the population living on Camiguin, where both males and females (like females of the other subspecies) lack red on the breast. They make nests in tree holes and, unusually for a parrot, the female takes nesting material back to the nest. Less

The Palawan bearded pig (Sus ahoenobarbus ) is a pig species in the genus Sus endemic to the Philippines, where it occurs on the archipelago of islands formed by Balabac, Palawan, and the Calamian Islands. It is 1 to 1.6 m (3.3 to 5.2 ft) in length, about 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and weigh up to 150 kg (330 lb). Less

Trimeresurus flavomaculatus (Philippine pit viper) is a venomous pit viper species endemic to the Philippines. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. Less

The Palawan bearcat (Arctictis binturong whitei ), also commonly known as the Palawan binturong, is a subspecies of the binturong, a mammal in the family Viverridae. It is endemic to the island of Palawan in the Philippines. Less

The Philippine duck (Anas luzonica ) is a large dabbling duck of the genus Anas. Its native name is papan. It is endemic to the Philippines. As few as 5,000 may remain. Overhunting and habitat loss have contributed to its decline.It eats shrimp, fish, insects, and vegetation, and it frequents all types of wetlands. Less

The Calamian deer (Axis calamianensis ), also known as Calamian hog deer, is an endangered species of deer found only in the Calamian Islands of Palawan province in the Philippines. It is one of three species of deer native to the Philippines, the other being the Philippine sambar (Rusa marianna ) and the Visayan spotted deer (Rusa alfredi ). Less

The Philippine naked-backed fruit bat or Philippine bare-backed fruit bat (Dobsonia chapmani ) is a megabat that mostly lives on Negros Island. Two small populations were also found on Cebu Island in the Philippines. Like other bare-backed fruit bats, its wings meet along the midline of their bodies, making it a very agile flier. It roosted in caves, in areas where little light penetrated the gloom. It was so abundant once that it left piles of ...
guano, which were used by miners as fertilizer.By the mid-1980s, the lowland forest was replaced by sugar cane plantations and the bat vanished. In 1996 the species was declared extinct by the IUCN, as none had been sighted since 1964, but the bat was rediscovered in 2000. The species now survives in very small numbers. The bat lives in caves and comes out at night to eat fruits from local rainforests. After the forests were cut down to make way for sugar plantations the bat population dropped drastically, and the few remaining ones are still hunted for their meat. Now the bats reside in the few areas of remaining forest, and if these are cut down, the species is likely to go extinct. The forest where the bats live in Cebu is protected in that it cannot be cut down, but there are no conservation measures on Negros. Less

The Gray's monitor (Varanus olivaceus ) is a large (180 cm, >9 kg) monitor lizard known only from lowland dipterocarp forest in southern Luzon, Catanduanes, and Polillo Island, all islands in the Philippines. It is also known as Gray's monitor lizard, butaan, and ornate monitor. It belongs to the subgenus Philippinosaurus. It is largely arboreal and extremely shy. The Northern Sierra Madre monitor lizard was thought to be of same species with G ...
ray's monitor until a research concluded in 2010 that northern populations of Gray's monitor was a distinct species, now known as V. bitatawa. Less

Walden's hornbill (Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni ) locally called dulungan, also known as the Visayan wrinkled hornbill, rufous-headed hornbill or writhed-billed hornbill, is a critically endangered species of hornbill living in the rainforests on the islands of Negros and Panay in the Philippines. It is closely related to the writhed hornbill, but can be recognized by the yellow throat and ocular skin in the male, and the blue throat and ocular skin ...
in the female (both throat and ocular skin are deep orange or red in both sexes of the writhed hornbill). Its binomial name commemorates the Scottish ornithologist Viscount Walden.It is considered one of the Western Visayas Big 5 which includes the Negros bleeding-heart pigeon, Visayan spotted deer, Visayan hornbill and the Visayan warty pig. Less

The northern Luzon giant cloud rat (Phloeomys pallidus ) or northern Luzon slender-tailed cloud rat, also known as bu-ot in Filipino, is a large species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is only found in Luzon, the Philippines. Less

The Philippine serpent eagle (Spilornis holospilus ) is an eagle found in the major islands of the Philippines. It is sometimes treated as a race of the crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela ). This species is usually found in forest clearings, open woodlands, and sometimes in cultivated lands with scattered trees. It is endemic to the Philippines. The species is found on most part of the major islands, except for Palawan. Less

The Mindanao bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba crinigera ), also known as Bartlett's bleeding heart dove, Barlett's bleeding heart pigeon and the hair-breasted bleeding heart, is a species of bird in the pigeon family. It is endemic to the Philippines on the islands of Mindanao, Basilan, Samar, Leyte and Bohol. It is so named because of a red blotch on its breast. The generic name derives from a fusion of the Latin gallus ("chicken") and columba ...
("pigeon"). Less

The ornate monitor (Varanus niloticus ornatus ) is a monitor lizard that is native to West and Middle Africa. Comprehensive molecular analyses of the group have demonstrated that animals previously assigned to "Varanus ornatus " do not constitute a valid taxon and are actually polymorphisms of two different species; Varanus stellatus (west African Nile monitor) and Varanus niloticus (Nile monitor). Consequently, Varanus ornatus is considered a ...
synonym of Varanus niloticus and "ornate monitor" is an informal term for forest forms of either species (V. niloticus or V. stellatus ).Until 1997, the ornate monitor was considered a subspecies of the Nile monitor. It was subsequently described as a separate species on the basis of reduced number of ocelli rows on the body, a light coloured tongue and a more massive build. More recent work based on a large sample size using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences indicates that Varanus ornatus is not a valid species and that animals with the diagnostic appearance belong either of two sister species of Nile monitor. Animals described as ornate monitor lizards are native to closed canopy forests in West and Middle Africa. Less

The Sulu hornbill (Anthracoceros montani ), or Montano's hornbill, is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to the Sulu archipelago in the Philippines, with the remaining populations in Tawi-Tawi with it believed to be hunted to extinction on Jolo. Its natural habitat is tropical moist forests. It is threatened by habitat loss as well as potential harvesting for food. Its diet includes fruit, insects, and small ...
lizards.In 2019 it was reported that only 27 mature individual hornbills are still believed to be alive in the wild a making it one of the most endangered animals in the world. Less

The Mindoro bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba platenae ), also referred to as kulo-kulo, la-do, manatad, manuk-manuk, punay, and puñalada by the Mangyan, is a species of ground dove native solely to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. It is critically endangered and threatened by habitat loss largely motivated by marble extraction. Due to its biological line and its survival status, it has been listed as an EDGE species by the Zoological ...
Society of London.Because it is one of the rarest birds in the world and has an elusive nature, often hiding in the underbrush of forests, there is little known about its remaining populations. Less

The Palawan hornbill (Anthracoceros marchei ) is a large forest bird endemic to the Philippines. It is one of the 11 endemic hornbills in the country. It is only found in Palawan and nearby islands of Balabac, Busuanga, Calauit, Culion and Coron. It is locally known as 'talusi' in the language Cuyunon, It is threatened by habitat loss, hunting and trapping for the cage-bird trade. Less

The Cebu flowerpecker (Dicaeum quadricolor ) is a small passerine bird. It is endemic to Cebu Island in the Philippines. Feared to have become extinct early in the 20th century, it was rediscovered in 1992 in a small patch of limestone forest in the Central Cebu Protected Landscape. It has since been found at three other sites, namely the Nug-as forest of Alcoy, Mount Lantoy of Argao and the forests of Dalaguete. This four-colored bird normally ...
grows to 11 or 12 centimeters. The male is characterized by a large, triangular, scarlet to vermilion coat stain. In the female, the top is brown. The Cebu flowerpecker consumes small fruits and mistletoe plants and is generally active in the mornings to avoid competition with more aggressive birds. Despite attempts to protect its habitat it remains critically endangered due to illegal logging. Less

The Philippine pied fantail (Rhipidura nigritorquis ) is a species of bird in the family Rhipiduridae. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Malaysian pied fantail.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Less