THE NATURAL WONDERS OF THE PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO

The Philippines is a 343,311 square kilometre nation composed of 7,107 islands excluding the territorial portion it possesses in the West Philippine Sea known as the Kalayaan Group of Islands.

As part of the 17 Megadiverse Countries in the World, the flora and fauna is so much blest by Mother Nature with a total diversity totalling 13,500 to date but scientists presume this could still amplify as more and more species are being found per exploration and discovery! Currently the endemism totals 6,000 and the endemism as percentage of global diversity of higher plants stands today at 2.4%.

There are 201 species mammals of which 116 are endemic; 556 species of aves of which 183 are endemic,  193 species of reptiles, 131 endemic; 63 species of amphibians, 44 are endemic; and 330 species of freshwater fishes.

1,013 species of vertebrates are found in the country of which 474 are endemic; the ratio of endemism is for every 2.14 endemic species there is 1 non-endemic species; thus, the endemism as percentage of global diversity of all vertebrates (except fishes) is a high 1.98%!

Being a Megadiverse Country, the Philippines boasts a total of 31 endemic genera and 52 endemic species of plants belonging to these said genera.

PHILIPPINE ENDEMIC GENERA

FLORA	Number of species	family
A.} FERNS
1.)Tectaridium	2	Aspidianceae
2.)Podosorus	1	Polypodiaceae
3.)Nanothelypteris	4	Thelypteridaceae
B.}ANGIOSPERMS
1.)Clemensiella	1	Asclepiadaceae
2.)Dolichestegia	1	Asclepiadaceae
3.)Quisumbingia	1	Asclepiadaceae
4.)Fenixia	1	Asteraceae
5.)Merittia	1	Asteraceae
6.)Reutealis	1	Euphorbiaceae
7.)Luzonia	1	Fabaceae
8.)Cyrtochloa	7	Graminae
9.)Cyne	2	Loranthaceae
10.)Thaumasianthes	2	Loranthaceae
11.)Astrocalyx	1	Melastomataceae
12.)Carionia	1	Melastomataceae
13.)Amesiella	3	Orchidaceae
14.)Ceratocentron	1	Orchidaceae
15.)Megalotus	1	Orchidaceae
16.)Phragmorchis	1	Orchidaceae
17.)Sarcophyton	2	Orchidaceae
18.)Schwitemania	1	Orchidaceae
19.)Antherostele	4	Rubiaceae
20.)Greeniopsis	6	Rubiaceae
21.)Sulitia	1	Rubiaceae
22.)Villaria	6	Rubiaceae
23.)Swingglea	1	Rutaceae
24.)Gleocarpos	2	Sapindaceae
25.)Gongrospermum	1	Sapindaceae
26.)Psomiocarpa	1	Tectariaceae
27.)Astrothalamus	1	Urtacaceae
28.)Leptosolena	2	Zingiberaceae
29.)Vanoverberghia	1	Zingiberaceae
TOTAL: 32 Genera	62 Species	17 Families

Fauna	Number of species	family
A.)MAMMALIA
1.)Urogale	1	Scandentia Tupaiidae
2.)Cynocephalus	1	Demoptera Cynocephalidae
3.)Podogymnura	2	Erinaceomorpha Erinaceidae
4.)Alionycteris	1	Chiroptera Pteropodidae
5.)Haplonycteris	1	Chiroptera Pteropodidae
6.)Otopteropus	1	Chiroptera Pteropodidae
7.)Ptenochirus	2	Chiroptera Pteropodidae
8.)Abditomys	1	Rodentia Muridae
9.)Anonymomys	1	Rodentia Muridae
10.)Apomys	9	Rodentia Muridae
11.)Archboldomys	2	Rodentia Muridae
12.)Batomys	4	Rodentia Muridae
13.)Bullimus	3	Rodentia Muridae
14.)Carpomys	2	Rodentia Muridae
15.)Chrotomys	4	Rodentia Muridae
16.)Crateromys	4	Rodentia Muridae
17.)Limnomys	2	Rodentia Muridae
18.)Palawanomys	1	Rodentia Muridae
19.)Phloeomys	2	Rodentia Muridae
20.)Rhynchomys	2	Rodentia Muridae
21.)Tarsomys	2	Rodentia Muridae
22.)Tryphomys	1	Rodentia Muridae
Total: 22 Genera	48 Species	5 Families
B.)AVES
1.)Pithecophaga	1	Accipitridae
2.)Phapitreron	3	Columbidae
3.)Dasylophus	1	Cuculidae
4.)Lepidogrammus	1	Cuculidae
5.)Sarcophanops	1	Eurylaimidae
6.)Bolbopsittacus	1	Psittacidae
7.)Rhabdornis	2	Rhabdornitidae
8.)Mimizuku	1	Strigidae
9.)Sarcops	1	Sturnidae
10.)Leonardina	1	Timaliidae
11.)Micromacronus	1	Timaliidae
12.)Hypocrytadius	1	Zosteropidae
Total: 12 Genera	15 Species	10 Families
B.)REPTILIA
1.)Pseudogekko	4	Squamata Sauria Gekkonidae
2.)Parvoscincus	2	Squamata Sauria Scincidae
3.)Cyclocorus	2	Squamata Sauria Colubridae
4.)Hologerrhum	1	Squamata Sauria Colubridae
5.)Myersophis	1	Squamata Sauria Colubridae
6.)Oxyrhabdium	2	Squamata Sauria Colubridae
Total: 6 Genera	12 Species	3Families
B.)FISHES
1.)Cephalakompsus	1	Freshwater Cyprinidae
2.)Mandibularca	1	Freshwater Cyprinidae
3.)Ospatulus	2	Freshwater Cyprinidae
4.)Spratellicypris	1	Freshwater Cyprinidae
5.)Caecogobius	1	Freshwater Gobiidae
6.)Mistichtys	1	Freshwater Gobiidae
7.)Tamanka	2	Freshwater Gobiidae
8.)Parviparma	1	Freshwater Gobiidae
9.)Tukugobius	1	Freshwater Gobiidae
10.)Gulaphallus	5	Freshwater Phallostethidae
11.)Hito	1	Freshwater Siluridae
12.)Altrichthys	2	Seawater Pomacentridae
Total: 12 Genera	19 Species	5Families
Grand Total:84	156	40

THE PHILIPPINES FLORA AND FAUNA

Mammals       201 species   116 endemic

Aves            612               194 endemic 3 introduced

Reptiles       193               131                 114 snakes

 14 venomous

Amphibians  63                 44

Fish Inland 280               65

Insects        21,000

1/3 of 915 butterfly species endemic

110+ of 130 tiger beetle species endemic

PHILIPPINES mountains

Luzon:             101 mountains total

                312,694 feet if placed on top of one another

73 mountains above 5,000ft/1,528 m

                Mostly in Mountain Province (32 mountains)

          

Visayas:         32 mountains total
                141,006 feet if placed on top of one another

                  12 mountains above 5,000ft.

                  Mostly in Negros Occidental (6 mountains)

mindanao:     30 mountains total

                189,053 feet if placed on top of one another

                  26 mountains above 5,000ft.

                  Most;ly in Davao & Bukidnon (7 mountains each)