Palawan Wild Frontier

     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

     Our endemic Chestnut-breasted Malkoha in Palawan ( Phaenicophaeus curvirostris harringtoni ) is a large species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It measures around 18 inches and it's one of the most attractive large species of birds inhabiting our forest.      The P. c. harringtoni has a beautiful metallic emerald green back and wing feathers, the underparts are mostly chestnut colored like the feathers on its belly and undertail coverts. The tail is mostly chestnut except for the upper- half part of central tail feathers which are metallic emerald green. Its throat, sides of the neck and breast are rufous.       Its head feather or crown is the same color of its upper back which is dark-olive gray. The featherless  face is red to maroon in color . It has greenish bill and the legs are bluish gray. Chestnut-breasted Malkoha     This dazzling bird inhabits the mainland and several smaller islands of Palawan (Balabac, Busuanga, Calauit, Culion, Dumara

     Palawan has several mountain peaks harboring large and unique species of pitcher plants that became popular around the world because of their size and beauty. The Nepenthes palawanensis is probably not the most beautiful, but it is the largest known species of pitcher plants growing in Palawan. A large pitcher of Nepenthes palawanensis measures around 35 cm in height, and with a capacity of 1.5 to 2 liters of water. Some healthy mature plants in October can produce pitchers that can hold up to around 2.5 liters of water. Nepenthes palawanensis      The Nepenthes palawanensis is endemic to End Peak, a mountain peak in the municipality of Narra, where it grows at elevations of 1100–1236 masl on an exposed and bushy ridge near the peak. It is said to inhabit the Sultan peak, but this is only due to navigation error. The team who discovered this pitcher plant has mistaken the End Peak for the Sultan Peak, the highest point of Sultan Range, which is more than t

     The genus Cyclemys is found in Southeast Asia and its members are typically referred to as 'leaf turtles' due to the serrated hind end border of its carapace that is akin to plant leaves. This is much more distinct in the juveniles and may offer some protection against predators that may attempt to bite or swallow the spiky shelled hatchlings. In the Philippines, the Cyclemys dentata Gray, 1831 is restricted to the Palawan group of islands, the Sulu archipelago, and Tawi-Tawi. Asian Leaf Turtle      The adults of this species are largely active at night, but can be seen walking on the forest floor near streams and rivers in the morning or late in the afternoon. Juveniles tend to be more active during the daytime and were observed feeding in the wild during the day. When resting, adult individuals can be found under the thick vegetation growing near the water and under large rocks or crevices of boulders on the banks of streams or rivers. Juvenile Asian Leaf

     The Hoya imbricata is one of the Myrmecophile plants, or plants that have symbiotic relationship with ants. It is an epiphytic plant with long vines that climb or cling to tree trunks and branches. This Hoya produces a network of roots all along the length of the stems, which are located beneath the leaves that stick firmly on a bark surface. Mature plants can grow several yards in length and will branch and re-branch, producing intricate networks of overlapping leaves and vines blanketing the trunks or branches of their host plants. Hoya imbricata      The woody vines bear large succulent plate-like leaves, which clasp the tree bark surface upon which they grow. The leaves provide dome-like enclosures between the leaf and the bark. Ants colonize the spaces beneath these leaves. This space is protected to the outside elements and it makes great places where ants can build their homes. In return, the ants nourish the plant with significant carbon dioxide and nutrients fr

     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