Philippines

An exceptionally rich endemic bird fauna includes the Sulu Hornbill (eBird), the Azure-breasted Pitta (eBird), the Palawan Peacock-pheasant (ARKive WM), the Negros Bleeding-heart (eBird), the Philippine Cockatoo (Katala Foundation), the Philippine Hanging Parrot (WPT), the Calayan Rail (eBird), the Black-hooded Coucal (eBird), the South Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher (eBird), the Celestial Monarch (eBird), the Cebu Flowerpecker (Wikipedia), and the Philippine Leafbird (eBird). Endemic genera include the Guaiabero (Romy Ocon), the Philippine Eagle (eBird), the White-eared Brown Dove (eBird), the Coleto (eBird), the Scale-feathered Malkoha (eBird), and the Mindanao Wattled Broadbill (eBird). The three species of Rhabdornis (Creagrus WM) (iNaturalist) and the Cinnamon Ibon (Creagrus WM) (eBird) have sometimes been considered endemic families.

Mammals found nowhere else include the Philippine Tarsier (ARKive WM), the Philippine Colugo (iNaturalist), the Palawan Pangolin (Pangolin SG), the Mindanao Treeshrew (Field Museum WM), the Mindanao Gymnure (PLAZI), the Palawan Moss Shrew (Mongabay), the Palawan Stink Badger (ARKive WM), the Greater Musky Fruit Bat (iNaturalist), the Golden-capped Flying Fox (iNaturalist), Fischer's Pygmy Fruit Bat (Field Museum WM), the Luzon Fruit Bat (iNaturalist), the Philippine Porcupine (ARKive WM), the Mindanao Squirrel (Joel Sartore), the Mindanao Flying Squirrel (iNaturalist), the Tamaraw (Ultimate Ungulate), the Calamian Deer (ARKive WM), the Philippine Spotted Deer (ARKive WM), the Balabac Chevrotain (BioLib), the Palawan Bearded Pig (ARKive WM), and the Visayan Warty Pig (ARKive WM).

A remarkable adaptive radiation of endemic mice and rats includes 17 genera found nowhere else such as the Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat (Field Museum WM), the Montane Striped Shrew Rat (Field Museum WM), the Luzon Cordillera Hairy-tailed Rat (ARKive WM), the Dusky Long-footed Mouse (Field Museum WM), the Isarog Shrew Mouse (Field Museum WM), the Camiguin Forest Mouse (Field Museum WM), and the Panay Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat (BioLib).

Reptiles exclusive to the Philippines include the Philippine Crocodile (Field Museum WM), the Philippine Pond Turtle (ARKive WM), the Philippine Box Turtle (iNaturalist), the Palawan Cat Snake (fig. 36 at BHL), the Philippine Pitviper (CalPhotos), the Lake Taal Sea Snake (iNaturalist), the Philippine Coral Snake (fig. 92 at BHL), the Luzon King Cobra (fig. 16 at EJT pdf), the Northern Philippine Cobra (CalPhotos), the Philippine Sail-fin Lizard (iNaturalist), the Palawan Flying Lizard (iNaturalist), the Cebu Short-legged Skink (ResearchGate), Jagor's Filipino Skink (iNaturalist), the Polillo False Gecko (Reptile Database), the Gigante Narrow-disked Gecko (Mongabay), and the Northern Sierra Madre Forest Monitor (IISE WM). Five genera of snakes (illustrated at BHL and BHL and BioOne WM) have recently been elevated to an endemic family, the Cyclocoridae.

Amphibians unique to the Philippines include the Mindanao Caecilian (ResearchGate), Mueller's Stream Toad (iNaturalist), the Philippine Toad (CalPhotos), the Palawan Horned Frog (iNaturalist), the Mindanao Litter Frog (ResearchGate), the Philippine Flat-headed Frog (IUCN), the Philippine Narrow-mouthed Frog (ResearchGate), the Palawan Eastern Frog Alcalus mariae (fig. B at BHL), the Polillo Forest Frog (ResearchGate), the Rough-backed Forest Frog (iNaturalist), the Common Forest Tree Frog (ResearchGate), the Giant Visayan Frog (ARKive WM), the Mindanao Flying Frog (ResearchGate), the Spiny Tree Frog (AmphibiaWeb), and the Mindoro Frog (fig. C at BHL).

Notable freshwater fish include the world's smallest commercially fished species, the Sinarapan (FishBase), and the remarkable species flock of barbs from Lake Lanao (although all may now be extinct) including Barbodes tumba (FishBase) and Barbodes lindog (figs. a & b at ResearchGate). Other endemic freshwater fish include a cave-dwelling barb Barbodes pyrpholeos (Species New to Science), the Freshwater Sardinella (FishBase), the Luzon Ricefish (Black Jack's Room WM), the gobies Lentipes palawanirufus (ABS) and Rhinogobius estrellae (ResearchGate), a catfish Pterocryptis taytayensis (FishBase), a halfbeak Dermogenys palawanensis (FishBase), and the Philippine Silver Perch (FishBase). Endemic genera include Gulaphallus (p. 13 of PCSD WM pdf), Parviparma (BOLD), and the gobies Tamanka (fig. 3 at BHL) (GBIF) and Caecogobius (Taylor & Francis pdf).

Endemic marine fish include Alelia's Damselfish (EurekAlert! WM), the Azure Damselfish (iNaturalist), the Deepblackfin Butterflyfish (Species New to Science), the Bluespotted Angelfish (FishBase), the Magma Fairy Wrasse (GBIF), the Slender Tonguefish (ResearchGate), Kurt's Coralblenny (FishBase), Eichler's Dottyback (FishBase), the Blackbarred Dottyback (ResearchGate), the Whitechin Surgeonfish (ResearchGate), the Beautiful Dartfish (FishBase), the Waxy Filefish (iNaturalist), the Batangas Groppo (GBIF), the Scissors Chromis (ZooKeys), the Ruby Dragonet (GBIF), Lana's Sawshark (GBIF), the Philippine Guitarfish (ResearchGate), the Philippine Chimaera (BHL), and the Luzon Hagfish (ResearchGate).

Butterflies known solely from the Philippines include the Golden Birdwing (iNaturalist), the Palawan Birdwing (iNaturalist), the Red-bodied Batwing (iNaturalist), the Pink Rose (Wikipedia), Schaus' Crow (flickr), Lasippa illigera (fig. D at ResearchGate), Cyrestis kudrati (iNaturalist), the Philippine Imperial (flickr), Charaxes amycus (Philippine Lepidoptera), Electra's Tree Nymph (flickr), Lorquin's Satyr (flickr), and Acrophtalmia luzonica (Philippine Lepidoptera). Endemic moths include the Philippine Moon Moth (flickr), an atlas moth Attacus lorquinii (flickr), a lichen moth Xanthetis luzonica (iNaturalist), a looper moth Milionia coronifera (iNaturalist), and an owlet moth Baorisa philippina (flickr).

Other endemic insects include the ants Polyrhachis cyaniventris (flickr) and Cardiocondyla pirata (ResearchGate), the bees Bombus irisanensis (iNaturalist) and Xylocopa ghilianii (iNaturalist), a huge stag beetle Odontolabis alces (iNaturalist), a jewel beetle Coraebosoma violaceum (Salagubang WM), a tiger beetle Calomera mindanaoensis (iNaturalist), a darkling beetle Gauromaia ruffordi (GBIF), the weevils Pachyrrhynchus congestus (iNaturalist) and Metapocyrtus lindabonus (iNaturalist) and Trachelismus protractus (BioLib), the longhorn beetles Doliops metallica (flickr) and Anoplophora asuanga (iNaturalist), cave-dwelling ground beetles Kweba (Zootaxa), the lanternflies Penthicodes astraea (iNaturalist) and Pyrops polillensis (iNaturalist), a jewel bug Poecilocoris donovani (iNaturalist), the Evening Green Cicada (iNaturalist),the Cebu Frill-wing (SunStar Cebu WM), a dragonfly Diplacina bolivari (iNaturalist), the katydids Neophisis montealegrei (GBIF) and Salomona lumadae (GBIF), the grasshoppers Melicodes tenebrosa (iNaturalist) and Misythus echinatus (ResearchGate), a mantis Hierodula mindanensis (iNaturalist), a cave cockroach Nocticola gonzalezi (ResearchGate), a leaf insect Pseudomicrophyllium pusillulum (iNaturalist), and the stick insects Trachyaretaon carmelae (flickr) and Ophicrania palinurus (PhasmaPhils).

Other endemic invertebrates include a jumping spider Mantisatta longicauda (iNaturalist), they orb-weavers Gasteracantha sanguinea (iNaturalist) and Argiope luzonica (iNaturalist), the tarantulas Selenocosmia peerboomi (Birdspiders.com WM) and Orphnaecus philippinus (Tarantupedia), a harvestman Paracrobunus similis (iNaturalist), a cave-dwelling scorpion Chaerilus agnellivanniorum (ScienceDirect), a whip spider Sarax huberi (GBIF), a centipede Scolopendra paradoxa (Species New to Science), a millipede Trigoniulus macropygus (iNaturalist), the freshwater crabs Insulamon palawanense (Mongabay) and Sundathelphusa longipes (iNaturalist), a land planarian Diversibipalium catenatum (iNaturalist), and an earthworm Archipheretima middletoni (ScienceDirect).

Endemic land snails include Calocochlea festiva (iNaturalist), Cyclophorus prietoi (flickr), Helicobulinus sarcinosa (iNaturalist), Chloraea dryope (iNaturalist), and the genera Helicostyla (Schnecken der Welt WM) (ResearchGate) and Luzonocoptis (ZooKeys). Other endemic molluscs include a freshwater snail Torotaia lanaonis (fig. 1 at BHL), a cone snail Conus barbieri (IUCN), the nudibranchs Gymnodoris brunnea (ResearchGate) and Hoplodoris rosans (iNaturalist), and Oliva vicdani (Eddie Hardy).

Endemic invertebrate families include copepod crustaceans in Samarusidae (p. 2 of e-ased.org WM pdf), amphipod crustaceans in Curiotalitridae (GBIF), mites in Aenictequidae (Internet Archive) and Oconnoriidae (IDigBio) (Allen Press), and a marine snail Marisvalvatidae (WoRMS).

Among over 4000 vascular plant species restricted to the Philippines are the Mindanao Giant Pitcher Plant (joachim-nerz.de WM), Rafflesia mira (Parasitic Plants WM), the Kapa-Kapa (Field Museum WM), the Kris Plant (ARKive WM), Alpinia congesta (IUCN), the Jade Vine (iNaturalist), Clerodendrum williamsii (IUCN), Begonia mindorensis (iNaturalist), Lasianthus ridsdalei (p. 306 of FFP pdf), Hoya pubicalyx (iNaturalist), Agalmyla biflora (iNaturalist), Patersonia philippinensis (p. 149 of FFP pdf), Globba aurea (iNaturalist), Ardisia romanii (fig. A on p. 47 of National Red Lists pdf), Alsophila hermannii (fig. 2D at NCR pdf), and several orchids: Pinalia philippinensis (flickr), Coelogyne candoonensis (POWO), Aerides lawrenceae (POWO), and Paphiopedilum fowliei (IUCN).

Trees known only from the Philippines include the Katmon (iNaturalist), the Anubing (1784), the Toog (pinoytrees), the Philippine Teak (sylviatramos.blog), the Cebu Cinnamon (GTC WM), the Red Lauan (ARKive WM), a cycad Cycas wadei (Cycad Pages WM), Palaquium philippense (Phyto Images WM), Lithocarpus jordanae (Phyto Images WM), the Ipot Palm (Palmpedia), the Christmas Palm (PACSOA WM), the Magabuyo (p. 96 of FFP pdf), Rhododendron quadrasianum (iNaturalist), Xanthostemon speciosus (botany.cz), Podocarpus lophatus (Phyto Images WM), and the Queen of Philippines (iNaturalist). Endemic tree genera include the Tabog (UC-Riverside WM), Astrocalyx (ResearchGate), the Philippine Tung (Wikipedia), Antherostele (pinoytrees), Villaria (Phyto Images WM), Greeniopsis (Phyto Images WM), Gongrospermum (BHL), and Gloeocarpus (ARKive WM).

Other endemic vascular plant genera include a bamboo Cyrtochloa (CBG), Leptosolena (IUCN), Fenixia (BHL), Adelmeria (Species New to Science), Merrittia (GBIF), a fern Podosorus (GBIF), and several orchids: Amesiella (IOPSE), the Waling-waling (iNaturalist), Ceratocentron (Malesian Orchid Genera), Megalotus (Malesian Orchid Genera), Phragmorchis (BHL), and Schuitemania (Phyto Images WM).

Endemic lichens include Fissurina nigrolabiata (100 New Lichens) and Ocellularia vizcayensis (100 New Lichens). Endemic fungi include Nidula banahawensis (Semantic Scholar), Cyathus elmeri (GBIF), and Collybia reinakeana (IJPRAS pdf). Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Merrilliobryum fabronioides (GBIF) and Sphagnum apopenneysii (ResearchGate) and the liverworts Drepanolejeunea bakeri (GBIF) and Colura palawanensis (GBIF).

The Philippines comprises its own biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM) and is home to one of the world's top ten coral reef hotspots (Columbia Univ. WM pdf). Important terrestrial ecoregions include the Mindanao Montane Rain Forests (EoE), the Greater Negros-Panay Rain Forests (EoE), and the Luzon Rain Forests (EoE). Important areas for freshwater endemic species include Lake Lanao (ResearchGate) and the Northern Philippine Islands (FEOW WM).