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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...

Palawan Water Monitor

Palawan Water Monitor photo by Jojo De Peralta
      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 photo by Jojo De Peralta
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 its powerful jaw and sharp teeth. Preys caught between its jaws has a small chance of escape, a violent shaking movements of the head is used to mutilate the prey grasped by the razor-sharp teeth.

Palawan Water Monitor photo by Jojo De Peralta
Palawan Water Monitor

     The Palawan Water Monitors can defend themselves against most predators on the forest floor and there are very few predators in the wild big enough to prey on this species. They have powerful jaws and many sharp teeth that can give gashing bites, strong sharp claws that can pierce skins and long tails that can be slash like a whip. When agitated, this water monitor can emit a loud low hiss or almost a low growl as a warning against predators.

Palawan Water Monitor photo by Jojo De Peralta
Palawan Water Monitor

      The Varanus palawanensis preys on insects, arachnids, myriapods, small reptiles, birds, and young mammals found in nests. It also feeds on eggs, and their strong sense of smell makes them a threat to ground-nesting birds. Young water monitors are good climbers and often prey on eggs and hatchlings found in cavities and exposed bird nests on trees. It also feeds on carrions found on the forest floor. A water monitor inhabiting in rural areas are primarily considered a pest of poultry.

Palawan Water Monitor photo by Jojo De Peralta
Palawan Water Monitor

    The Palawan Water Monitor is often seen in the morning and late afternoon swimming slowly along the edge of a body of water in its territory. Apart from fishes, amphibians, mollusks and crustaceans, this monitor lizard also preys on water birds. When it senses that a wader or aquatic bird is moving towards its direction, it will freeze with its body partly submerge in the water and will wait until the unsuspecting prey is near enough not to escape an attack.

Palawan Water Monitor photo by Jojo De Peralta
Palawan Water Monitor

     Their aquatic habits provide them with a measure of safety. When being chase by predators, it can jump into the water and swim away to safety. An adult Palawan Water Monitor is capable of staying underwater for a few minutes. They are excellent swimmers, using their long tails to steer through water while keeping their feet close to the body. Adults and juveniles seen sun basking on branches overhanging rivers and swamps often jump into the water when disturbed.

Palawan Water Monitor photo by Jojo De Peralta
Palawan Water Monitor caught by a trap

     Hunting still occurs in many areas in Palawan, with national protective laws being ignored. Apart from prosecution as poultry pest in rural areas, the Palawan Water Monitor is often hunted and trapped for its meat. The meat is said to taste like chicken meat and a water monitor meat cooked in spices and coconut milk is treated as delicacy in many areas in Palawan. Skin trade is rare in Palawan, but many locals and tribes use the skin for accessories and other things like decorations on knife and bolo sheaths, belts, pouches and percussion musical instruments.

Palawan Water Monitor photo by Jojo De Peralta
Palawan Water Monitor

    The Varanus palawanensis is active during the day. Young adults often rest in tree hollows and on top of large branches at night. Large individuals favor thick vegetations or large ground and rock cavities if it is available. It inhabits all mountain range in Palawan and is present in all protected areas in the province, but direct utilization of this species and destruction of habitats have caused population declines in some areas, particularly on the eastern coast of Palawan.
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