Map

Nature

Across the Philippines

Nature from 10 provinces. Tap a province name to open its full page.

Benguet Cordillera Administrative Region
★
Draft — for verification

This nature section is a first draft prepared for editorial and factual review before publishing. Species facts, conservation status, and local sightings should be confirmed against current sources.

Benguet sits high in the Cordillera, where cool mountain forest and pine ridges create a different world from the lowlands. Its wildlife is adapted to cold nights and high elevation.

Luzon Cloud Rat
Phloeomys pallidus
Least Concern (protected)
A large, furry tree rat found only on Luzon. Despite the name it is gentle, slow, and lives in mountain forest, feeding on leaves at night. It is nothing like a common city rat.
Field note: These animals are harmless and important to the forest. Discourage hunting — some are lost to the wildlife trade.
Luzon Pygmy Fruit Bat
Otopteropus cartilagonodus
Least Concern
A tiny fruit bat found only on Luzon, including the Cordillera. It helps pollinate plants and spread seeds through the mountain forest.
Cordillera Pine Forest
Highland ecosystem
Watershed / Protected
The Benguet pine (Pinus kesiya) forms the open mountain forests around Baguio and beyond. These watersheds feed rivers and shelter birds and small mammals, but face pressure from clearing and fire.
Field note: Fire risk is high in the dry months. Field crews should never leave open flames on pine slopes.
Bohol Central Visayas
★
Draft — for verification

This nature section is a first draft prepared for editorial and factual review before publishing. Species facts, conservation status, and local sightings should be confirmed against current sources.

Bohol is one of the richest wildlife islands in the Visayas. Its forests, karst hills, and surrounding reefs hold species found nowhere else, and the province has built much of its identity and tourism around protecting them.

Philippine Tarsier
Carlito syrichta
Endangered
One of the smallest primates in the world, with eyes larger than its brain and the ability to turn its head almost fully around. Nocturnal and extremely sensitive to stress. The Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella protects them in a natural forest setting rather than in cages.
Field note: Do not use flash photography and keep voices low near sanctuary areas. Loud noise and handling can harm these animals badly.
Visayan Tarictic Hornbill
Penelopides panini
Endangered
A noisy, fruit-eating hornbill of Visayan forests. It nests in tree holes and helps spread forest seeds. Loss of large old trees has made it rare across the region.
Field note: Old-growth forest patches near Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape are the best place to hear them at dawn.
Chocolate Hills Grassland Life
Mixed species
Managed Landscape
The famous 1,268 hills are not just scenery. Their grassland slopes and surrounding forest support snakes, raptors, and small mammals. The site is a protected area, so development and burning are controlled.
Camiguin Northern Mindanao
★
Draft — for verification

This nature section is a first draft prepared for editorial and factual review before publishing. Species facts, conservation status, and local sightings should be confirmed against current sources.

Camiguin is a small volcanic island north of Mindanao, known for having more volcanoes than towns. Its young volcanic soil, forests, and warm seas shelter a surprising range of life for such a small place.

Camiguin Hawk-Owl
Ninox leventisi
Vulnerable
A small owl found only on Camiguin. It was recognized as its own species fairly recently. Its whole world is this single island, so protecting island forest protects the species.
Field note: Night field work near forest may reveal its call. Avoid clearing the last forest patches, which are its only home.
Camiguin Forest Mouse
Apomys camiguinensis
Endemic
A small forest mouse found only on Camiguin, living in the mountain forest around the volcanoes. It is part of the island's unique set of species.
Giant Clams of Camiguin
Tridacna species
Vulnerable
The waters around White Island and the sunken cemetery hold giant clams and living coral. Local marine sanctuaries protect them and help reefs recover.
Field note: Do not stand on or touch coral and clams while snorkeling. Anchor only on sand or use mooring buoys.
Davao del Sur Davao Region
★
Draft — for verification

This nature section is a first draft prepared for editorial and factual review before publishing. Species facts, conservation status, and local sightings should be confirmed against current sources.

Davao del Sur sits at the foot of Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippines. The mountain and its forests are home to the national bird and to species that live only at high elevation.

Philippine Eagle
Pithecophaga jefferyi
Critically Endangered
The national bird and one of the largest eagles in the world. It needs vast forest to hunt and raises only one chick every two years. Mount Apo is core habitat, and the Philippine Eagle Center near Davao City breeds and protects them.
Field note: If field teams spot an eagle or a nest, keep distance and report the location to the Philippine Eagle Foundation. Nesting pairs abandon sites if disturbed.
Apo Myna
Basilornis mirandus
Vulnerable
A glossy black bird with a spiky crest, found only on Mindanao mountains including Mount Apo. It feeds on fruit in the forest canopy.
Mount Apo Forest
Highland ecosystem
Protected / Natural Park
Mount Apo Natural Park protects mossy forest, hot springs, and rare highland plants including the giant Rafflesia flower. It is a protected area and a climbing permit system controls access.
Field note: Climbers and field crews must follow the permit and guide system. Fire risk is high in the dry season.
Isabela Cagayan Valley
★
Draft — for verification

This nature section is a first draft prepared for editorial and factual review before publishing. Species facts, conservation status, and local sightings should be confirmed against current sources.

Isabela holds part of the Sierra Madre, the longest mountain range in the Philippines and the largest remaining block of forest in the country. It is a last refuge for species pushed out elsewhere.

Philippine Eagle
Pithecophaga jefferyi
Critically Endangered
The Sierra Madre forests of Isabela are one of the few places on Luzon where the national bird still nests. It needs unbroken forest across large areas.
Field note: Report any eagle sighting to DENR or the Philippine Eagle Foundation. Do not share exact nest locations publicly, to prevent poaching.
Philippine Crocodile
Crocodylus mindorensis
Critically Endangered
A small freshwater crocodile found only in the Philippines. Communities in Isabela, especially around San Mariano, protect it in local sanctuaries. It is one of the rarest crocodiles in the world.
Field note: This crocodile is small and shy, not a threat like the large saltwater crocodile. Do not kill them — local conservation depends on community protection.
Golden-crowned Flying Fox
Acerodon jubatus
Endangered
One of the largest bats in the world, with a wingspan that can reach over a meter. It roosts in large colonies and spreads forest seeds at night.
Field note: Roost sites should not be disturbed. Noise and hunting can make a whole colony abandon a site.
Negros Occidental Western Visayas
★
Draft — for verification

This nature section is a first draft prepared for editorial and factual review before publishing. Species facts, conservation status, and local sightings should be confirmed against current sources.

Negros Occidental has lost most of its lowland forest to sugar farming, which makes its remaining wildlife especially precious. Several species survive only in the last mountain forests of the island.

Visayan Warty Pig
Sus cebifrons
Critically Endangered
A wild pig found only in the Visayas, with wild tufts of hair on the males. It survives in a few forest patches on Negros. Breeding programs work to save it from extinction.
Visayan Spotted Deer
Rusa alfredi
Endangered
A small, shy deer with white spots, found only in the Visayas. Negros holds one of its last populations. Hunting and forest loss remain serious threats.
Negros Bleeding-heart
Gallicolumba keayi
Critically Endangered
A ground dove with a red chest mark, found only on Negros and Panay. It is one of the rarest birds in the country and needs dense forest floor.
Occidental Mindoro MIMAROPA
★
Draft — for verification

This nature section is a first draft prepared for editorial and factual review before publishing. Species facts, conservation status, and local sightings should be confirmed against current sources.

Occidental Mindoro is the last stronghold of the tamaraw, a dwarf buffalo found only on Mindoro island. The province is central to one of the most closely watched conservation efforts in the Philippines.

Tamaraw
Bubalus mindorensis
Critically Endangered
A small wild buffalo found only on Mindoro. Once numbering in the thousands, it fell to near extinction. Careful protection at Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park has slowly raised numbers again. It is a national symbol of Philippine conservation.
Field note: The core tamaraw zone is strictly protected. Entry needs park permits and trained guides. Never approach a tamaraw — they can charge.
Mindoro Bleeding-heart
Gallicolumba platenae
Critically Endangered
A ground dove with a red mark on its chest that looks like a wound. It lives only in Mindoro lowland forest, which is now mostly cleared. Very few remain.
Mindoro Imperial Pigeon
Ducula mindorensis
Endangered
A large forest pigeon found only in Mindoro mountain forest. It depends on tall fruiting trees and is a sign of healthy forest.
Palawan MIMAROPA
★
Draft — for verification

This nature section is a first draft prepared for editorial and factual review before publishing. Species facts, conservation status, and local sightings should be confirmed against current sources.

Palawan is often called the last ecological frontier of the Philippines. Its long chain of islands, limestone cliffs, and old forests hold a mix of species shared with Borneo and found nowhere else.

Philippine Pangolin
Manis culionensis
Critically Endangered
A scaly, ant-eating mammal found only in Palawan. It rolls into a ball when threatened. Heavy poaching for its scales and meat has pushed it close to extinction. Locally it is called balintong.
Field note: Report any sale of pangolin or their scales to authorities. Trade is illegal and the species is near collapse.
Palawan Peacock-pheasant
Polyplectron napoleonis
Vulnerable
A striking forest bird. The male has metallic blue-green feathers and a crest. It lives only in Palawan forests and is shy and hard to see.
Dugong
Dugong dugon
Vulnerable
A large, gentle sea mammal that grazes on seagrass. Palawan waters, especially around Busuanga, hold some of the last healthy groups in the country.
Field note: Boat crews should slow down over seagrass beds. Propeller strikes are a leading cause of dugong death.
Sorsogon Bicol Region
★
Draft — for verification

This nature section is a first draft prepared for editorial and factual review before publishing. Species facts, conservation status, and local sightings should be confirmed against current sources.

Sorsogon is world famous for its gentle giants. The waters off Donsol host one of the largest seasonal gatherings of whale sharks anywhere, and the province has turned this into a model of community-run eco-tourism.

Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus
Endangered
The largest fish in the world, and completely harmless — it feeds on plankton. Locally called butanding. Donsol sees large numbers between roughly November and June. Strict rules protect them from touching and crowding.
Field note: Never touch or block a whale shark. Keep the required distance. Sunblock should be reef-safe, as chemicals harm plankton and reefs.
Manta Ray
Mobula birostris
Vulnerable
A large, graceful ray sometimes seen in the same rich waters as the whale sharks. It also feeds on plankton and is harmless.
Bulusan Volcano Forest
Highland ecosystem
Natural Park
Bulusan Volcano Natural Park protects lake, forest, and slopes that shelter hornbills, monkeys, and many bird species in southern Sorsogon.
Field note: Bulusan is an active volcano. Check the alert level with PHIVOLCS before any field work near the summit or lake.
Tawi-Tawi BARMM
★
Draft — for verification

This nature section is a first draft prepared for editorial and factual review before publishing. Species facts, conservation status, and local sightings should be confirmed against current sources.

Tawi-Tawi is the southernmost province of the Philippines, a scatter of islands where the country meets the Sulu and Celebes seas. Its marine life is part of the Coral Triangle, the richest sea zone on Earth.

Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Endangered
The Turtle Islands of Tawi-Tawi are one of the most important green sea turtle nesting sites in Southeast Asia. Turtles return each year to lay eggs on the same beaches. The islands are a protected sanctuary shared with Malaysia.
Field note: Never disturb nesting turtles or dig for eggs. Egg collection is controlled by law and by the sanctuary agreement.
Dugong
Dugong dugon
Vulnerable
The seagrass beds of Tawi-Tawi support dugong, the gentle sea mammal that many believe inspired old mermaid stories. Healthy seagrass is the key to their survival.
Field note: Slow boats over seagrass. Report any stranded or hurt dugong to local authorities.
Tawi-Tawi Brown Dove
Phapitreron cinereiceps
Critically Endangered
A forest dove found only in Tawi-Tawi. The island has little forest left, so this bird is now very rare and closely watched.