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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...

Nepenthes palawanensis

Nepenthes palawanensis photo by Jojo De Peralta
     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 photo by Jojo De Peralta
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 two days hike south-east of where this species grows. The pitcher plants we have seen growing at Sultan Peak have small pitchers similar to Nepenthes philippinensis and not this species.
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