Wild Animals of the Philippines Quiz

Answer: Pithecophaga jefferyi (monkey-eating eagle)

Prior to 1995, the national bird of the Philippines was Passer montanus, the Eurasian tree sparrow. In 1995, then-President Fidel Ramos declared the endemic (and highly endangered) Pithecophaga jefferyi as the country's national bird. The Philippine eagle, as it is commonly called, is one of the largest birds in the world, second only to the harpy eagle of South America.

It is also known as the monkey-eating eagle for its penchant for eating primate flesh.

Answer: Oreochromis sp. (tilapia)

There are actually 5 major species of tilapia that have been imported into the Philippines. Oreochromis mossambicus, O. aureus, O. niloticus, O. hornorum and O. zillii. Members of the ubiquitous cichlid family, they are tough organisms that are capable of tolerating a wide range of salinities and pollution levels. These factors, combined with a very generalist diet have helped the tilapia successfully invade most waterways in the Philippines.

It has been postulated that the invasion of Philippine waterways ny tilapia has resulted in widespread displacement and even extinction of local fish species.

Answer: Bubalus mindorensis (tamaraw)

The tamaraw is a small, forest-dwelling relative of the common Asian water buffalo. It can only be found in the jungles on the island of Mindoro, several hundred kilometers south of Manila.

This island is home to many endemic Philippine species, including a sizeable communist rebel faction. In 2005, a pitched firefight between government and rebel forces resulted in the death of around 30 tamaraws.

As of 2005, IUCN has estimated the number of tamaraws in the wild to be less than 200.

Answer: Crocodylus mindorensis (Philippine crocodile)

Crocodylus mindorensis, the Philippine freshwater crocodile, is the smaller of two crocodilian species that are native to the Philippines. The other, C. porosus, is primarily found in saltwater swamps and estuaries, and is the largest living crocodilian in the world. C. mindorensis not only has a more limited range (it can be found on the island of Mindoro) but is extremely endangered.

As of 2005, there are less than 200 individuals living in the wild.

Answer: Chanos chanos (milkfish)

Chanos chanos, the milkfish. Adults in the wild have been known to reach lengths of more than six feet. Quite a catch, compared to the 1 and 2-footers one will normally see in a Philippine market.

C. chanos is actually one of the saltwater foodfish species that is actively farmed in huge fish pens - essentially areas of bays/rivers/estuaries that have been enclosed by giant nets and bamboo stakes. Vast areas of once-prime mangrove swamps and estuaries have been converted into fish pens by environmentally-blind businessmen. The wastes produced by these highly-stocked pens have resulted in a number of "fish kills" over the years.

Answer: Passer montanus (maya)

Traditionally, the term "maya" has been applied to many different small birds from the Order Passeriformes. The actual maya that was the Philippines' national bird though, was the Eurasian tree sparrow. This was considered odd, since the bird was not endemic or even native to the archipelago. In 1995, the monkey-eating eagle, an endemic species, was rechristened as the country's national bird.

Passer montanus itself is a common pest throughout the world, where its distribution is more-or-less worldwide. It is associated with urban habitats and can often be found nesting in holes in buildings, within ceilings and even the insides of airconditioning units.

Answer: Clarias macrocephalus (broadhead walking catfish)

The intruding walking catfish species are C. batrachus and C. gariepinus, which are non-native members of the family Claridae.

The native species, Clarias macrocephalus, is a smaller, more vulnerable species of walking catfish. C. macrocephalus, unlike the other two species mentioned, is the only clarid native to the Philippines.

Answer: None, both species can be found in the Philippines.

None. Both of these animals, along with a host of several other native African species, can be found living wild on the island of Calauit. Calauit, a small island on the Northern tip of the province of Palawan, has been turned into somewhat of a nature preserve. African animals including giraffes, eland, oryx, and ibexes can be found sharing the pseudo-African savannah with native species such as Calamian deer.

Answer: Urodela / Caudata (salamanders & newts)

There are no native salamanders & newts in the Philippines.

Anurans comprise the bulk of Philippine amphibian fauna, ranging from the Asian tree-frog (Polypedates leucomystax) to the notorious cane toad (Bufo marinus). The Philippines is also home to several endangered frogs of the genus Platymantis.

Believe it or not, there are three endemic species of caecilians in the Philippines.

Answer: Natator depressus (flatback sea turtle)

The species that can be found in the Philippines are Caretta caretta (loggerhead turtle), Chelonia mydas (green turtle), Dermochelys coriacea (leatherback turtle), Eretmochelys imbricata (hawksbill turtle) and Lepidochelys olivacea (olive ridley turtle). All these species are considered threatened species, because of egg-collecting and poaching.

Natator depressus, the flatback sea turtle, is indigenous to Northwestern Australia.