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Palawan Sun Skink

    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

Philippine Long-tailed Macaque

Philippine Long-tailed Macaque photo by Jojo De Peralta
     The Philippine Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis philippensis) is endemic to the Philippines where it is found in all major Philippine group of islands. Their distribution in Palawan, both in location and elevation is fairly wide. They occur in mangrove areas, second growth forests in the lowland up to some of the highest mountain peaks in the province. However, it is now listed as Near Threatened because of population decline due to hunting and habitat loss. They are adaptable to some degree in modified habitat and can inhabit disturbed forests near settlements, and this makes them vulnerable to hunting or trapping. The Philippine Long-tailed Macaque in Palawan is still regarded as an agricultural pest and hunted or trapped as bushmeat.

Philippine Long-tailed Macaque photo by Jojo De Peralta
Philippine Long-tailed Macaque
     Long-tailed macaques are named for their extraordinary long tail that is usually longer than their body. These macaques have reddish-brown coat, the males are much taller and heavier than the female and have larger canine teeth. They sleep in trees and are particular about choosing their roosting sites. Roosting sites in mangroves areas are in places where there are tall trees, usually near the water. In the mountains, roosting sites are usually near rivers and streams and sometimes in clusters of tall trees on hilltops or ridges. They roost in groups and usually use the same trees when sleeping. This is a social species and often roosts, move around and forages with large group that includes several adult males guarding the group.

Philippine Long-tailed Macaque photo by Jojo De Peralta
Philippine Long-tailed Macaque
     This species is frugivorous. In Palawan, their diet consists mostly of fruits. If fruits are not available, the Philippine Long-tailed Macaques focus on other food sources including flowers, seeds, stems and leaves, mushrooms, insects and different kinds of invertebrates. It is also known to raid birds and honeybee nests. When in mangrove areas, they feeds on crabs, shellfishes, fishes, shrimps and even frogs. They are also seen eating woodworm, a marine bivalve molluscs in the family Teredinidae common in mangrove areas. Macaques inhabiting disturbed areas near human settlements are treated as nuisance and agricultural pests because they often raid gardens and farm crops. They feed on coconuts and almost all kinds of fruits from planted fruit trees, rice, corn, some vegetables and root crops. They have also been known to enter human dwellings and steal food if there is no one there to scare or deter them.

Philippine Long-tailed Macaque photo by Jojo De Peralta
Philippine Long-tailed Macaque
     The Philippine Long-tailed Macaque is an early riser and has been seen foraging in the feeding sites before sun up. They usually spend the morning hours feeding and the midday resting, then start foraging again late in the afternoon. These macaques are primarily arboreal and excellent climbers. It is swift on the ground and can move fast on the forest canopy by leaping distances between trees using their long tails for balance. When cornered, it hides above thick layers of leaves or vines and will stay hidden for some time or until the threat is gone. They are also excellent swimmers, they can jump into the water and swim away to safety.
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