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PALAWAN WILD FRONTIER

Showcasing Palawan's amazing places and wildlife.

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PALAWAN SUN SKINK

July 20, 2023
    Leaves, twigs, and barks that have fallen to the ground make up leaf litter,
and it's home to a wide variety of plants and animals. Most of the tiny animals
found in the leaf litter are invertebrates. They are important food source for
toads, skinks, and other small amphibians and reptiles that rely on the shelter
and moisture provided by the leaf litter. One of the many creatures living in
the leaf litter habitats of Palawan is the Palawan Sun Skink ( Eutropis
sahulinghangganan ), a newly described species of skink endemic to Palawan. The
name Eutropis sahulinghangganan derives from the Tagalog "sa huling" or "sa huli
ng" (meaning in the last), and "hangganan" (meaning frontier). Palawan Sun Skink
    The Palawan Sun Skink inhabits thick coastal forests, mangroves, as well as
secondary forests and primary forests up in the mountains. I have seen this
skink near the peak of Mount Beaufort at elevations of around 1000 masl, but the
population of thi
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PHILIPPINE EMERALD TREE SKINK

July 18, 2023
    Of the 12 kinds of skink occurring in Palawan, the Philippine Emerald Tree
Skink (Lamprolepis smaragdina philippinica) is one of the most common. This
tree-dwelling skink is endemic to the Philippines and is associated with major
faunal regions in the Philippines as well as many small and isolated islands
throughout the archipelago. In Palawan, they're found anywhere from coconut
plantations and mangrove areas on the coast to the hills at the base of the
mountains. Philippine Emerald Tree Skink     The Philippine Emerald Tree Skink
is a lowland species, and it prefers to live around the edges of the woods with
lots of sunlight than the inner parts of the forest with thick canopies. It
occurs in heavily disturbed habitats as well as residential and agricultural
areas. It is not unusual to see this skink around houses in rural areas and
sometimes seen entering human dwellings when hunting for food. In coastal areas
and coconut plantations, we often see this skink moving around on
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PALAWAN PANGOLIN

July 07, 2023
    There's no other creature in the Palawan forest more hunted than the Palawan
Pangolin. This critically endangered pangolin species is endemic to Palawan, and
due to the exaggeration of its medicinal value, pangolins in Palawan ( Manis
culionensis ) are facing extinction caused by illegal trade. Rumors about its
medicinal healing power are making pangolin scales in demand on the black
market, and its populations have experienced drastic declines caused by
poaching. Our Pangolins are already suffering from disappearing lowland habitats
due to the conversion of lowland forests to farming, charcoal making, and
residential use. The illegal poaching activities are pushing this species deeper
toward extinction. Palawan Pangolin     Palawan pangolins mainly live in trees
and are excellent climbers. They have powerful limbs and can use their tail when
climbing. Its tail is strong enough to support its weight. They spend the
daytime hiding or sleeping on a tree and only go down to the fo
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NEPENTHES MIRA - THE WONDERFUL PITCHER PLANT OF PALAWAN

June 26, 2023
    Nepenthes mira is another highland pitcher plant from the island of Palawan
in the Philippines, it was described by Matthew Jebb and Martin Cheek in 1998.
The name "mira" derives from the Latin word "mirus" meaning "wonderful", it has
some of the most beautiful colorations of any pitcher plant species in Palawan.
This plant is endemic to Palawan where it grows in the mossy forest around the
peak area of Cleopatra's Needle at elevations of around 1550 meters above sea
level. Nepenthes mira pitcher size in habitat Nepenthes mira      The Nepenthes
mira has been categorized as "Vulnerable" (VU) by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The distribution of this plant is not as wide as
the Nepenthes deaniana and there may be less than 1000 mature plants confined
around the summit area of Mount Cleopatra, but its remote location, lack of
threats from habitat destruction and over-collection does not justify giving it
anyth
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PALAWAN GECKO

June 25, 2023
     Palawan Gecko or Palawan Narrow-disked Gecko (Gekko palawanensis) is a
medium size gecko endemic to Palawan. Their favored habitats include forested
areas with large rock piles or outcroppings,  rocky escarpments or walls, tree
hallows, and old hollowed logs on the forest floor. They spend a lot of time
outside in the evening, and will only retreat to ground hides during the day.
Palawan Gecko     It shares the same type of habitat with the Palawan Bent-toed
Gecko , but unlike its slightly bigger cousin who prefers ambush hunting, this
Gekko is more of a  stalk and pounce hunter. We were lucky to observe them
hunting a few times while camping in the mountain at night. It's fun to watch as
they slowly stalk moths and other insects attracted to our camp light, then
leaping the last several inches to make the snag. Palawan Gecko     This species
prefers heavily forested habitats to second growths in urban areas. Lowland
habitats are degrading in Palawan, and the Palawan Gecko ha
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NEPENTHES DEANIANA

June 23, 2023
        Nepenthes deaniana is another interesting pitcher plant endemic to
Palawan. It was first discovered growing in a mossy forest around 1200 meters
above sea level on the eastern side of Thumb Peak, an ultramafic mountain peak
in Puerto Princesa. Our recent explorations around the region showed that it's
also growing at Mount Beaufort, Mount Stavely, and other lesser peaks of Stavely
Range and Pulgar Range. Nepenthes deaniana flower Nepenthes deaniana    This
Nepenthes deaniana was found and photographed six years ago (August 2016) when
trail breaking on the ridge of Stavely Range. It was the first time that we saw
this species outside the Thumb Peak area. We saw Nepenthes philippinensis on the
way up and were surprised to find big pitchers in the mossy forest. At first, we
thought it was Nepenthes mira because it looks similar to the pitchers that we
have seen in Cleopatra's Needle, but it turned out to be Nepenthes deaniana.
Nepenthes deaniana habitat    This photo of
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PALAWAN MANGROVE SNAKE

June 12, 2020
    The Boiga dendrophila multicincta (Boulenger, 1896) is a large colubrid
snake endemic to Palawan. It prefers humid habitats and always seen in woody
areas close to bodies of water. This snake primarily occurs in lowland forests,
mostly mangrove and riverine habitats, but is also found near mountain streams
in the foothills up to old growth forest above 1000 masl. It is commonly seen
resting on tree branches overhanging on bodies of water during the day and on
the ground hunting for food at night. With its long body, this snake can move
swiftly on trees and is also an adept swimmer. It is known to prey on birds and
other small arboreal animals, but it seems to spend more time hunting on the
ground where food is abundant. Palawan Mangrove Snake     The Palawan Mangrove
Snake, also called Palawan Yellow-ringed Cat Snake is mildly venomous. But
despite being considered not life-threatening to humans, locals fear this snake
for its unpredictable and irritable behavior. They look
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DROSERA ULTRAMAFICA

May 28, 2020
     The Drosera ultramafica is a high montane forest species of sundews that
grow on ultramafic soil in Mount Mantalingahan, Mount Victoria and Schom-Carp
Peak. Sundews are uncommon here and many hikers, like me, found this plant
fascinating. This attractive carnivorous plant has an unusual way to capture
preys. The upper surface of the leaves is covered with flexible glandular hairs
or trichomes. The tip or the secretory head of each of these hairs are coated
with transparent and sticky substance that looks similar to glistening droplet
of dews. Crawling and flying insects are trapped upon touching these, and
eventually engulfed in a web of sticky hairs as they struggle to escape. The
enzymes secreted by the plant dissolve the prey, and its nutrients are absorbed
by the plant through the leaf surfaces. This plant can also be found in Malaysia
and Indonesia, but the Drosera ultramafica in the Philippines occurs only in
Palawan.
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SILKY OWL BUTTERFLY

May 08, 2020
 Silky Owl Butterfly     The Silky Owl butterfly in Palawan ( Taenaris
horsfieldii plateni ) is an uncommon forest-dwelling butterfly well known due to
the spots on its hind wings similar to a pair of staring eyes. The yellow “eyes”
with central black, bluish, and white pupil areas visible when resting are
considered part of their defensive colour patterns that are supposed to warn or
scare predators. Despite being large (80 mm) compared to most shaded
forest-dwelling butterflies in Palawan, this species is surprisingly hard to
find. They are secretive and often frequent in the well-shaded understory of the
dense forest.  Silky Owl Butterfly     The Silky Owl in the Philippines occurs
only in Palawan. It inhabits dense forests at low to medium elevations and seems
to be absent in ultramafic forests on mountain ridges and peaks. They are very
adept at weaving through the undergrowth when flying in dense vegetation but are
mostly reluctant to fly great distances. This butterfly species d
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PALAWAN WATER MONITOR

April 01, 2020
      The Palawan Water Monitor, Varanus palawanensis Koch, Gaulke & Böhme 2010,
is a species of monitor lizard commonly found in Palawan. This species is
semi-aquatic and inhabits a variety of natural habitats from coastal forest,
mangroves, rural areas as well as secondary and primary forests. It is commonly
found in the lowland, but also present at elevations above 1000 masl although
rarely seen. The Palawan Water Monitor population is more copious in the
mangroves, wetlands and riparian forest compared to old-growth forest habitats
in the mountains. Palawan Water Monitor     This water monitor is carnivorous
and not known to feed on fruits in the wild. It is one of the most efficient
predators in Palawan and is intelligent and skillful hunter in both land and
water. The dark color blends well on the forest floor and it helps when stalking
for preys. It is known to use its tail to stun preys, but the water monitor’s
primary weapon when hunting for food is
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EYED CYCLOPS BUTTERFLY

March 21, 2020
     The Erites argentina ochreana Staudinger 1889 in the Philippines occurs
only in Palawan and although widespread in distribution, it is usually not easy
to find. This Eyed Cyclops is a deep forest species inhabiting forests with
thick canopies and second growths overgrown by palms and Dinochloa bamboos. It
prefers shaded, moist and dense forest habitats and cannot be seen flying in
grasslands, residential and agricultural areas. Its occurrence ranges from
shaded forests near sea level up to the mountain slopes around 500 masl. It is
rarely seen in mangrove areas and seems to be absent in old-growth forests and
mossy forests high up in the mountains. Eyed Cyclops Butterfly      The Eyed
Cyclops is furtive in nature. It likes to sit on a leaf for several minutes
without moving and usually very active only on the forest floor in the morning
and late afternoon. They usually fly close to the ground, following the openings
between trees and low vegetations on the f
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POPULAR POSTS FROM THIS BLOG


PALAWAN SPITTING COBRA

November 26, 2019
      The Palawan Spitting Cobra (Naja sumatrana miolepis) is a spitting cobra
that can be found in Palawan. This species is a medium sized, ground dwelling
venomous snake. The scales are smooth and unlike some of the most beautiful
cobras in Asia, this species has no impressive hood marks. The head is
elliptical and depressed, the eyes are medium in size with round pupils, the
snout is rounded and the nostrils are large. Juveniles tend to be of different
colour than the adult. They can grow up to around 1.5 meters, but spitting
cobras over a meter in length are seldom seen and photographed in Palawan .
Palawan Spitting Cobra hood mark       It can be seen resting during the day
under heavy thickets of grass, stacks of woods and cavities under rocks or soil.
Abandoned mice dens are favorite hideouts in grasslands, farms and rice fields.
Although it usually hunts for food at night, this species can be seen moving
around on the forest floor at sporadic times during the day. Locals a
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TWO-LINED CORAL SNAKE

February 08, 2020
     The Two-lined Coral Snake ( Calliophis bilineatus ) is a small, brightly
colored venomous snake of the family Elapidae. It is endemic to Palawan and
several of its smaller islands adjacent to mainland. This snake occurs on a wide
range of elevation from second growth forest in sea level to mossy forests high
up in the mountains where it is largely active during the day. I have been doing
night spotting and photography for many years, but I have not seen one during
nighttime. This snake spend most of its time burrowed underground, under stacks
of woods and leaf piles or cavities under rocks. It has a unique defense
behavior compared to other venomous snakes in Palawan. It usually flees when
threatened, but when cornered, it will flip on its back and play dead. Other
technique to fool attackers is by hiding its head while raising and flicking its
red tails. The predator usually finds the colorful moving tail an irresistible
target and would go for it, leaving the true
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NEPENTHES PHILIPPINENSIS

March 04, 2020
     A Pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant which have a modified prey-trapping
leaves that features a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid. There are
several endemic tropical pitcher plants growing in Palawan, the most common is
the Nepenthes philippinensis .        This species has long, scrambling vines
and are often climbers, accessing the canopy of their habitats using tendrils
that stretches out and twines around any suitable support. It produces more
pitchers and flowers on a single plant compared to all known species of
nepenthes in Palawan. There are several color variants, but the lower pitchers
are usually reddish and the upper pitchers or traps are green or yellowish.    
   This lowland species is widespread in Palawan and can be found thriving in
soils with low nutrient availability and high concentrations of heavy metals
like nickel and chromium. Like all carnivorous plants, this pitcher plant can
grow in locations where the soil is too poor in mine
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SCHULTZ’S PIT VIPER - A SPECTACULAR VENOMOUS SNAKE ENDEMIC TO PALAWAN

November 21, 2019
     I have heard it said that Palawan has more snakes in the wild than anywhere
else in the country. Maybe true, but there are species of snakes commonly seen
in other places that are scarce in Palawan rainforest. We have enough vipers in
the wild though.  Trimeresurus schultzei Griffin 1909 commonly known as the
Schultz’s Pit Viper is one of the most spectacular snakes that can be found
here. This snake is endemic to Palawan and its surrounding small islands.
Schultz’s Pit Viper       The Schultz’s Pit Viper is primarily arboreal species.
They’re capable, but rarely navigate and hunt on the ground. They’re slow and
less camouflaged on the ground and therefore more vulnerable on the forest
floor. Using its prehensile tail to hold onto branches , it prefers to perch on
trees where its green color acts as camouflage while waiting for prey. It is an
ambush hunting snake relying on its camouflage to catch food. The heat-sensing
loreal pits are used to locate warm-bl
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BANDED KEEL-THROATED PITVIPER

November 24, 2019
    The Banded Keel-throated Pitviper Tropidolaemus subannulatus (Gray, 1842) is
said to be the most common pit viper in the Philippines. This venomous pit viper
species is also native to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Like the Schultz’s
Pit Viper , this species is primarily arboreal and an ambush-hunting venomous
snake. It is active at night, but also seen moving around during the day,
especially in the rainy season. Banded Keel-throated Pitviper     The Banded
Keel-throated Pitviper and the Shultz’s Pit Viper are both spectacular venomous
pit viper that can be found in Palawan. They can be told apart from the shape of
the head and the scales on the head. The scales of the head and chin of Banded
Keel-throated Pitviper are strongly keeled, a closer look will show that the
second upper labial is separated from the scale forming anterior border of
facial pit. Shultz’s Pit Viper head and scales however looks smoother and the
second upper labial is fused to the scale bordering the se
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PALAWAN MANGROVE SNAKE

June 12, 2020
    The Boiga dendrophila multicincta (Boulenger, 1896) is a large colubrid
snake endemic to Palawan. It prefers humid habitats and always seen in woody
areas close to bodies of water. This snake primarily occurs in lowland forests,
mostly mangrove and riverine habitats, but is also found near mountain streams
in the foothills up to old growth forest above 1000 masl. It is commonly seen
resting on tree branches overhanging on bodies of water during the day and on
the ground hunting for food at night. With its long body, this snake can move
swiftly on trees and is also an adept swimmer. It is known to prey on birds and
other small arboreal animals, but it seems to spend more time hunting on the
ground where food is abundant. Palawan Mangrove Snake     The Palawan Mangrove
Snake, also called Palawan Yellow-ringed Cat Snake is mildly venomous. But
despite being considered not life-threatening to humans, locals fear this snake
for its unpredictable and irritable behavior. They look
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Magandang Gabi!
March 19, 2024
Tuesday
10 : 16 : 56 PM


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