Ecology

Organisms in the environment

Philippine Crocodile

Crocodylus Mindorensis

Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Reptilia
Order - Crocodilia
Family - Crocodylidae
Genus - Crocodylus
Species - C. Mindorensis

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

The Philippine crocodile is a small crocodile found in freshwater. Their maximum size is usually about 10 feet.

Binturong

Arctictis Binturong

Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Mammalia
Order - Carnivora
Family - Viverridae
Genus - Arctictis
Species - A. Binturong

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Also known as the bearcat, the binturong is a viverrid (part of the civet family). They have a tail as long as their body that they use to help them climb trees and balance.

Palawan Peacock Pheasant

Polyplectron Napoleonis

Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Aves
Order - Galliformes
Family - Phasianidae
Genus - Polyplectron
Species - P. Napoleonis

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

The Palawan Peacock Pheasant is endemic to the philippines, specifically the island of Palawan. Males have beautiful blue eyes on their tail feathers and a crest on the head. Females are all brown with a pale face.

Philippine Mouse Deer

Tragulus Nigricans

Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Mammalia
Order - Artiodactyla
Family - Tragulidae
Genus - Tragulus
Species - T. Nigricans

Conservation Status: Endangered

The Philippine mouse deer, or Pilandok in Filipino, is a very small nocturnal mammal. Though the name has deer in it, they are more closely related to antelope. Fun fact, tragulus means "little goat".

Magellan Birdwing Butterfly

Troides Magellenus

Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Arthropoda
Class - Insecta
Order - Lepidoptera
Family - Papiliondae
Genus - Troides
Species - T. Megallenus

Conservation Status: Least Concern

The Magellan birdwing has a wingspan of up to 7.1 inches. Fun fact, this butterfly was named for Ferdinand Magellan who was killed in the Philippines in 1521.

Atlas Moth

Attacus Atlas

Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Arthropoda
Class - Insecta
Order - Lepidoptera
Family - Saturniidae
Genus - Attacus
Species - A. Atlas

Conservation Status: N/A

Measuring around 10.6 inches in wingspan, the atlas moth is one of the largest insects in the world. Unfortunately, they only have a lifespan of five to seven days.

Corpse Flower

Rafflesia Leonardi

Kingdom - Plantae
Phylum - Spermatophyta
Class - Magnoliopsida
Order - Piperales
Family - Rafflesiaceae
Genus - Rafflesia
Species - R. Leonardi

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

The corpse flower is one of the largest flowers in the world. It comes in various shades of reds and is actually a parasitic flower. The corpse flower got its name because it smells like rotting flesh when in bloom.

Pili Tree

Canarium Ovatum

Kingdom - Plantae
Phylum - Tracheophyta
Class - Magnoliopsida
Order - Sapindales
Family - Burseraceae
Genus - Canarium
Species - C. Ovatum

Conservation Status: Least Concern

These trees are cultivalted in the Philippines for their nuts, the pili nut. It is a large source of protein and fat in the diet of the people.

Split Gill Mushroom

Schizophyllum Commune

Kingdom - Fungi
Phylum - Busidiomycota
Class - Agaricomycetes
Order - Agaricales
Family - Schizophyllaceae
Genus - Schizophyllum
Species - S. Commune

Conservation Status: Least Concern

This mushroom is found all over the world, typically on hardwood trees and fallen rotting tree logs.

Ligbos Mushroom

Termitomyces Cartilaginous

Kingdom - Fungi
Phylum - Busidiomycota
Class - Agaricomycetes
Order - Agaricales
Family - Lyophyllaceae
Genus - Termitomyces
Species - T. Cartilaginous

Conservation Status: N/A

Think of the morel mushroom, the ligbos mushroom is that for the people of the Philippines. There is a season when they spring up and are hunted for.

Niche & Interactions in the Environment

The philippine eagle is the apex predator in its environment. It naturally helps to regulate species population and provides protection to others within its territory.

Pair Hunting

Think of the movie 'Jurassic Park'. Philippine eagles hunt just as how they theorized the velociraptors did. One acts as a decoy for the prey. The prey sees it and tries to figure out how it can get out of there, little does it know the second one is behind it ready to make the kill.

Risks of Hunting

The Philippine eagle puts itself at risk every time it goes out to feed. Prey does tend to fight back, and they can get hurt. An example would be when they are hunting monkeys. You wouldn't think much of it, but they are strong. Scientists have recorded eagles actually being hurt by them while trying to take them down. Because of the eagles large size they have a tendency to go after larger prey. They will even kill deer!

Sharing?

Mutualistic and symbiotic, this would be the terms used for the eagles relationship with the hornbills in their territory. In a sense, they share their food. They take from each other, but neither is harmed.

Sources:Berto. (2021, January 12). Pili: Another "Tree of life". The Philippines Today. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://thephilippinestoday.com/pili-another-tree-of-life/ Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, November 15). Wildlife of the Philippines. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_of_the_Philippines Author links open overlay panelNikki Heherson A. Dagamac a, a, b, c, & AbstractNo profiling of diversity of myxomycetes has ever been conducted in one of the biodiversity hotspot areas in the Philippine archipelago. (2015, October 26). Diversity of plasmodial slime molds (Myxomycetes) in coastal, mountain, and community forests of Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, the Philippines. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2287884X15000783 there, J. N. H. (2023, March 15). Animals in the Philippines. Animals Around The Globe. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/animals-in-the-philippines/ Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, March 14). Philippine mouse-deer. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_mouse-deer Termitomyces cartilaginous. Project Noah. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/1089721911 Category:Termitomyces Cartilagineus. Wikimedia Commons. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Termitomyces_cartilagineus Troides magellenus. GBIF. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.gbif.org/species/10644957 Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, February 22). Schizophyllum Commune. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophyllum_commune Interactions in ecosystems. Philippine Eagle. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2023, from https://savephilippineeagle.weebly.com/interactions-in-ecosystems.html YouTube. (2019, March 19). Philippine eagle: Adaptations for hunting. YouTube. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH9WUvk-_20

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