A girl holds a baby sea turtle in her palm. (Photo: Los Muertos Crew/Pexels) The year 2019 saw the emergence of the Internet phenomenon known as VSCO girls (or VSCO kids). Named after VSCO -- a photo-editing app that the Guardian described as "a kind of Instagram 2.0" -- these Gen ...
April 12, 2026 | 5 mins read
ย Ariptyelus ikalahani. (Photos: L - Elizabeth Huber; R - Agnieszka Anna Pierwola) In March 2026, the description of Ariptyelus ikalahani, a new spittlebug species from the Philippines, was published by Vinton Thompson, Elorde S. Crispolon, Jr., and Sheryl A. Yap in The Pan-Pacific Entomologist. ๐ผ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ก๐ช๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ Distribution/habitat: Santa Rosa, Santa Fe, Nueva ...
April 1, 2026 | 1 min read
Amorphophallus calladoi. (Photo: John Rey Callado) In February 2026, the description of Amorphophallus calladoi, a new endemic species of herbaceous plant from the Philippines, was published by Rene Alfred Anton B. Bustamante, Maverick N. Tamayo, John Paul Collantes, and Pieter B. Pelser in the journal Phytotaxa. ๐ผ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ช๐จ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ค๐ (Araceae) Distribution/habitat: Aurora and ...
March 31, 2026 | 1 min read
Begonia occidentalis. (Photos: Bobby Alaman - L; lower R; Donnafe Ancheta - upper R) In March 2026, the description of Begonia occidentalis, a new species of flowering plant from the Philippines, was published by Mark Arcebal K. Naive, Bobby B. Alaman, Grace V. Villanueva, Melbert James G. Baul, and Donnafe J. ...
March 27, 2026 | 2 mins read
Luperosaurus alvarezi. (Photo: Camila G. Meneses & Rafe M. Brown) In March 2026, the description ofย Luperosaurus alvarezi, a new species of fringed forest gecko from the Philippines, was published in PeerJย by Camila G. Menesesโ and Rafe M. Brown. ๐๐ช๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐ช๐ง๐ช๐จ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฏ๐ Distribution/habitat: Sibuyan Island, Romblon Province, central Philippines Endemic: Yes Distinctive ...
March 26, 2026 | 2 mins read
Clerodendrum kelliโa newly described, Critically Endangered species found only in Nueva Ecija, Philippinesโ shown in photographs highlighting its overall habit (a), distinctive leaves (b), and flowers with immature fruits (c-d). (Photo credit: Tobias et al., 2025) The indigenous Bugkalot people of Nueva Ecija call it kelli: a plant with white, ...
March 2, 2026 | 2 mins read
Photo: Davao Crocodile Park & Zoo After more than seven years of healing and treatment under the care of Davao Crocodile Park & Zoo (DCPZ), four rescued black palm cockatoos (Probosciger aterrimus) have now fully recovered. The birds were rescued during a major operation in 2018, led by the Department of ...
February 21, 2026 | 2 mins read
Photo: Bantay BUKID Tawan-Tawan Panigan Cluster Climate change is real, and it cannot be solved by mere tree-planting activities that end up only as photo documentation. It demands real solutions, not ghost projects.ย When development is framed solely for the benefit of the economy at the expense of the environment, ...
February 20, 2026 | 3 mins read
G.R.R. Martin/TIME/Colossal Biosciences/The New Yorker โขU.S.-based Colossal Biosciences claimed that it resurrected the dire wolf, a canid that went extinct over 10,000 years ago, through de-extinction technology. โขMany scientists criticized the company's announcement, noting that it produced gray wolves with edited genes, not true ...
April 22, 2025 | 9 mins read
Podontia rustiai. (Photo: Orlando Calcetas & Charles Staines) Announced in July 2024, the description of a new species of leaf beetle (or flea beetle) from the Philippines was published in the Philippine Journal of Science. Podontia rustiai ๐. ๐ณ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ข๐ช is similar in appearance to ๐. ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ท๐ข from Borneo, but with key differences in the structures ...
November 2, 2024 | 1 min read
Alloscopus arborealis. (Photo: Alviola, et al via Zootaxa) In January 2024, the description of a new species of springtail from the Philippines was published in Zootaxa. ๐ผ๐ก๐ก๐ค๐จ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ช๐จ ๐๐ง๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐จ Distribution/habitat: Mt. Makiling (Luzon, Philippines) About the species: As entomologist Dr. Aimee Lynn Barrion-Dupo wrote in a Facebook post: โSpringtails are soft-bodied arthropods with ...
October 29, 2024 | 1 min read
Nepenthes kampalili. (Photo: Noel E. Lagunday) In April 2024, the description of a new species of pitcher plant from the Philippines (based on a specimen collected in August 2021) was published in Phytotaxa. ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ Distribution/habitat: Mt. Kampalili (Mindanao, Philippines) About the species: Named after the place where it was discovered, ๐. ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ญ๐ช grows solely ...
October 28, 2024 | 1 min read
Tarsomys orientalis. (Image: Velizar Simeonovski) In May 2024, the Philippine Eagle Foundation announced the description of a new rodent species from the Philippines (based on a specimen collected in May 2007), which was published in the Journal of Mammalogy. Tarsomys orientalis (Kampalili moss mouse) Distribution/habitat: Mt. Kampalili (Mindanao, Philippines) Endemic: Yes ...
October 16, 2024 | 2 mins read
Bulbophyllum bokodense. (Photo: Liezel M. Magtoto) In August 2024, the Philippine Taxonomic Initiative announced the description of a new species of orchid (based on a specimen collected in July 2021) from the Philippines, which was published in Phytotaxa. ๐ฝ๐ช๐ก๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ก๐ก๐ช๐ข ๐๐ค๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ Distribution/habitat: Mossy forest areas of Mt. Purgatory-Mangisi Traverse, Upper Agno River Basin Resource ...
October 14, 2024 | 2 mins read
Vaccinium fallax, V. gamay, and V. vomicum. (Photos: Peter W. Fritsch; John Rey Callado; Maverick N. Tamayo) In May 2024, the Asian Blueberry Project announced the description of 3 new blueberry (Vaccinium) species from the Philippines, which were published in Phytotaxa. ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ช๐ข ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ญ Distribution/habitat: Mt. Apo Natural Park (MANP), Mindanao Island Endemic: Yes ...
October 12, 2024 | 2 mins read
Vinpietri cahatianae and Vinpietri yapae. (Photos: Laurent Fauvre) In March 2024, descriptions of two new insect species from the Philippines, as well as the proposal of a new genus, were published in Annales Zoologici. New Genus - ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐ง๐ The newly named genus ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฆ๐ต๐ณ๐ช belongs to the hemipteran family Cercopidae, which includes the insects ...
October 10, 2024 | 2 mins read
Psychotria pendens. (Photo: Raab Bustamante) In May 2024, the description of a new species of flowering plant from the Philippines was published in Phytotaxa. ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ Distribution/habitat: Mt. Victoria, Palawan (all samples collected January 2022) Endemic: Unspecified (but likely/possible) Distinctive traits: This evergreen shrub or small tree grows 1 to 4 m high, coexisting ...
October 8, 2024 | 2 mins read
Emmelichthys papillatus (Papillated redbait (English); Rebentador pula (Tagalog)). Photo: Kagoshima University Museum In March 2024, the description of a new species of fish from the Philippines was published in ZooKeys. ๐ฝ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ช๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐จ Distribution/habitat: Likely the Visayas region of the Philippines (holotype purchased in 2016 from Panay; paratypes purchased in 2013 from Cebu) Endemic: Unspecified; ...
October 6, 2024 | 2 mins read
Phantagma garciai and P. maarati. (Photos: Laurent Fauvre - P. garciai; Maxime Le Cesne - P. maarati) In March 2024, descriptions of two new insect species from the Philippines, as well as the proposal of a new genus, were published in Annales Zoologici. New Genus - ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ The newly named genus ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ข belongs ...
October 4, 2024 | 2 mins read
Begonia tanauanensis. (Photo: Danilo N. Tandang) In March 2024, the description of a new species of flowering plant from the Philippines was published in Phytotaxa. ๐ฝ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ช๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐จ Distribution/habitat: Tanauan City, Batangas, southern Luzon, Philippines Endemic: Yes Distinctive traits: ๐. ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ถ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ด has a few similarities with a ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ช๐ข species from eastern Luzon, ๐. ๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ช. Both plants have light ...
October 2, 2024 | 2 mins read
Metabacetus (Trogloabacetus) baltazarae and M. (T.) desideratus. (Photos: Milton Norman Medina & Alexander Anichtchenko) In March 2024, descriptions of two new cave beetle species from the Philippines and a new subgenus were published in Zootaxa. New Subgenus - ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ก๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐จ (under ๐๐ฆ๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ด) The researchers describe ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ด beetles as a โtransitional formโ of sorts between the ...
September 30, 2024 | 2 mins read
Kweba magbabaya and Kweba diwata. (Photos: Milton Norman Medina & Alexander Anichtchenko) In March 2024, descriptions of two new cave beetle species from the Philippines, as well as the proposal of a new genus, were published in Zootaxa. New Genus - ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ Beetles under the new genus ๐๐ธ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข are similar in appearance to ...
September 28, 2024 | 2 mins read
Begonia matahom. (Photos: Freddie A. Blasco, Grecebio Jonathan D. Alejandro, Danilo N. Tandang, and Rosario R. Rubite) In March 2024, the description of a new species of flowering plant from the Philippines was published in Webbia: Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography. ๐ฝ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ Distribution/habitat: Lanuza, Surigao del Sur, Philippines Endemic: Yes ...
September 26, 2024 | 1 min read
Argostemma mirae. (Photos: Freddie Blasco, Grecebio Jonathan Alejandro, and Danilo Tandang) In March 2024, the description of a new species of flowering plant from the Philippines was published in Phytotaxa. ๐ผ๐ง๐๐ค๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ข๐ ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ Distribution/habitat: Mindanao (Tago, Surigao del Sur) Endemic: Yes Distinctive traits: ๐. ๐ฎ๐ช๐ณ๐ข๐ฆ resembles ๐. ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ง๐ญ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฎ in having branching and pubescent stems, oblanceolate leaves, pubescent ...
September 24, 2024 | 1 min read
Saurauia decolorata. Photos: Darin Penneys (L), Shiella Mae Olimpos (R) In July 2024, the description of a new species of tropical kiwi from the Philippines was published in Phytotaxa. ๐๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ช๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ก๐ค๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป/๐ต๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐: Mt. Pantaron Range, Bukidnon, and Mt. Balatukan Natural Park, Misamis Oriental ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐: ๐. ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ข shares certain characteristics with two other endemic ๐๐ข๐ถ๐ณ๐ข๐ถ๐ช๐ข species. Like ๐. ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข and ๐. ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ฏ๐ด, the ...
September 23, 2024 | 2 mins read
Begonia matahom. (Photos: Freddie A. Blasco, Grecebio Jonathan D. Alejandro, Danilo N. Tandang, and Rosario R. Rubite via Taiwania) In March 2024, the description of a new species of flowering plant from the Philippines was published in Taiwania: International Journal of Biodiversity. ๐ฝ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ค๐ข Distribution/habitat: Mt. Tingtingan, Sitio Tingtingan, Badong, Tago, Surigao ...
September 22, 2024 | 1 min read
Bityle oriens. (Photos: Milton Norman Medina, Amy Ponce, and Jhonnel Villegas) In February 2024, the description of a new longhorn beetle species from the Philippines was published in the Philippine Journal of Science. ๐ฝ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐จ Distribution/habitat: Mindanao (Municipality of Boston, Davao Oriental) Endemic: Possible/likely, as Philippine Cerambycidae (long-horned) species are โmostly ...
September 21, 2024 | 1 min read
Syzygium crystalliferum. (Photos: Leonardo C. Udasco Jr. - leaves, flowers, tree; Jayson Mansibang - fruit) In February 2024, the description of a new tree species from the Philippines was published in the Nordic Journal of Botany. ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐๐ช๐ข ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐๐ง๐ช๐ข Distribution/habitat: Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, Luzon (specimens collected in 2021) Endemic: Unknown/unconfirmed; known only from ...
September 19, 2024 | 2 mins read
Coeleumenes rusticanus. (Photo: Marco Selis via Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Venezia, Italy) In February 2024, the description of a new potter wasp species from the Philippines was published in Zootaxa. ๐พ๐ค๐๐ก๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ง๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ช๐จ Distribution/habitat: Mindanao (Davao, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur) Endemic: Possible Distinctive traits: ๐. ๐ณ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด sports a black and ochre pattern ...
September 17, 2024 | 1 min read
Tricondyla johnsoni. (Photo: Alexander Anichtchenko & Jรผrgen Wiesner) In January 2024, the description of a new tiger beetle species from the Philippines was published in Zootaxa. ๐๐ง๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ฎ๐ก๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐ Distribution/habitat: Mindanao (Davao, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, and Misamis Oriental); specimens obtained in 2019 Endemic: Possible Distinctive traits: ๐. ๐ซ๐ฐ๐ฉ๐ฏ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ช resembles another tiger beetle species found ...
September 15, 2024 | 1 min read
Churaumiastra hoshi. (Photos: Oliver Gomez and Christopher Mah) In January 2024, the description of a new sea star species from the Philippines was published in Zootaxa. ๐พ๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ช๐ข๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐จ๐๐ Distribution/habitat: Philippines (Balut Island and Aliguay Island, Mindanao); Japan (Okinawa Island); Australia (Ashmore Reef) Endemic: No Distinctive traits: ๐. ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช is an โextremely rareโ species of ...
September 8, 2024 | 2 mins read
Ophiorrhiza ravifolia. (Photos: Mark Arcebal K. Naive) In January 2024, the description of a new plant species from the Philippines was published in the Nordic Journal of Botany. ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค๐ก๐๐ Distribution/habitat: Naga-Kabasalan Protected Landscape, Zamboanga Sibugay (discovered in June 2023) Endemic: Yes Distinctive traits: ๐. ๐ณ๐ข๐ท๐ช๐ง๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ข has strong physical similarities to two other ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฐ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฉ๐ช๐ป๐ข species, ๐. ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ด๐ค๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด and ๐. ๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ๐ต๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ช๐ญ๐ฐ๐ด๐ข (...
September 6, 2024 | 2 mins read
Eumacrocyrtus robertfoxi and Enoplocyrtus angelalcalai. (Photos: Analyn A. Cabras) In February 2024, descriptions of two new weevil species from the Philippines were published in ZooKeys. ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ฉ๐ช๐จ ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ญ๐ Distribution/habitat: Zambales, Luzon Island (holotype discovered in 1947) Endemic: Yes Distinctive traits: With a body length of 13.5 mm (close to the average size of a fingernail), ๐. ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ต๐ง๐ฐ๐น๐ช ...
September 4, 2024 | 2 mins read
"Horridus," a Triceratops skeleton on display at Australia's Melbourne Museum. Photo: Mikael Angelo Franciscoย Mass extinction is an extremely rare yet profound event characterized by the loss of a significant portion of the Earth's speciesโbacteria, fungi, plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebratesโacross a wide geographic area. While ...
September 3, 2024 | 3 mins read
Bulbophyllum barcelonae and B. pelseri. (Photos: Jayson Mansibang, John Paul Collantes, Raab Bustamante, and Leonardo Udasco) In January 2024, the Philippine Taxonomic Initiative announced the publication of two new species descriptions from the Philippines in the Nordic Journal of Botany. ๐ฝ๐ช๐ก๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ก๐ก๐ช๐ข ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ Distribution/habitat: Mossy forest areas of the PantabanganโCarranglan Watershed Forest ...
September 2, 2024 | 2 mins read
Photo: Shenna Kate Torres One of the Sustainable Development Goals created by the United Nations is to "end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture." Aquaculture, the practice of farming aquatic animals and plants such as fish and seaweed, plays a critical role in achieving food ...
June 11, 2024 | 3 mins read
Photo: Craig Soroรฑo โข At a recent public forum facilitated by the UP Diliman College of Science, professors discussed the geopolitical and ecological situation in the West Philippine Sea, as well as marine conservation strategies. โข During the forum, the speakers touched upon climate change-related risks, oil spills and other threats, ...
June 1, 2024 | 6 mins read
Serafettin รnye/Pexels Humans and cats have had a long-standing connection since time immemorial. Across millennia, cat domestication has turned the furry felines into pest control machines and even beloved companions to humans. However, this mutually beneficial relationship also has its dark side. In the Philippines, for instance, cats are ...
April 1, 2024 | 2 mins read
Dr. Aimee Lynn Barrion-Dupo Inside a small, stuffy cave in Batangas, researchers found a species of spider that has never been recorded in the Philippines beforeโa discovery with potential impacts on environmental policy and local tourism. A stoneโs throw away from the southeastern shoreline of Lobo, Batangas, is ...
March 8, 2024 | 8 mins read
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity By Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim (Press release) On March 3, we join the global annual observance of World Wildlife Day with the theme, "Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation." The use of digital technology has been pivotal in the growth of economies ...
March 2, 2024 | 3 mins read
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity By Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim Dragons feature prominently in mythology, folklore, and many cultures across the world. These magical creatures are often described as huge, winged, serpent-like, and fire-breathing beasts. Though these mystical beings inhabit the realm of fantasy, there are real-life "dragons" that are ...
February 9, 2024 | 5 mins read
Dr. Aimee Lynn Barrion-Dupo/UP Los Baรฑos By Dr. Aimee Lynn Barrion-Dupo Cave biologists have long believed that life between caves and forest ecosystems are intricately connected, with the former harboring species with specific needs provided only by the complex and minimally understood forest-cave connection. Recently, the Department of ...
January 8, 2024 | 2 mins read
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May 31, 2023 | 18 mins read
Dr. Miguel David de Leon โขA newly described flowering plant,ย Hoya medusa, has a combination of characteristics unlike any other species in its genus. โขThough there is still much to learn about H. medusa, it's highly likely that the plant is endemic to Luzon. โขThe description of this unique and ...
March 23, 2023 | 4 mins read
Terry Gosliner ยฉ 2020 California Academy of Sciences โขThe California Academy of Sciences has released its 2021 list of newly described species. โขThe new species include 14 beetles, 12 sea slugs, nine ants, seven fish, six scorpions, five sea stars, five flowering plants, four sharks, three spiders, two sea pens, one moss, one pygmy pipehorse, ...
December 24, 2021 | 3 mins read
Genetic Literacy Project โขThe Golden Rice project, which started in the 1990s, is a long time coming.ย โขGolden Rice aims to help reduce Vitamin A deficiency, particularly in Southeast Asian countries where rice is a main staple.ย โขDespite its humanitarian intentions, golden rice has taken center stage in many debates ...
April 1, 2021 | 4 mins read
โขBased on specimens from Cebu, theย Conus imperialisย cone snail may be using its venom not to incapacitate its prey, but to lure itโa move the researchers nicknamed "the King's Gambit." โขTwo of the snail's chemicals,ย conazolium A and genuanine, were incredibly close mimics of the pheromones that initiated ...
March 15, 2021 | 4 mins read
Rafe M. Brown When Dr. Jose Rizal was in political exile in Dapitan, he spent a considerable amount of time studying nature. He collected numerous specimens of reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, plants, and shells, many of which he sent to the Ethnographic Museum in Dresden, Germany for proper identification. One ...
December 30, 2020 | 2 mins read
Kia Krarup Hansen; Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsรธ Inspired by Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, a team of researchers from the Netherlands and Norway conducted a small but fun study in 2012: They wanted to find out why the famous fictional figure would have a shiny scarlet sniffer ...
December 28, 2020 | 2 mins read
Carmelo Lรณpez Abad Did you know that the Philippines is among the 17 megadiverse countries in the world? Megadiversityย refers to the presence of great biodiversity; for a country to be considered megadiverse, it must haveย (1) at least 5,000 endemic plants and (2) a marine ecosystem within its borders. The fact that ...
December 26, 2020 | 3 mins read
Terry Gosliner ยฉ 2020 California Academy of Sciences โขThe California Academy of Sciences has released its 2020 list of newly described species. โขThe new species include 101 ants, 22 crickets, 15 fishes, 11 geckos, 11 sea slugs, 11 flowering plants, eight beetles, eight fossil echinoderms, seven spiders, five snakes, two skinks, two aphids, two eels, one moss, one frog, ...
December 23, 2020 | 4 mins read
Getty Images The mistletoe is an enduring icon of Christmas love, and it's a time-honored tradition for couples to stand under this Yuletide decorative staple and kiss one another. Far from being just an excuse to lock lips, though, the evergreen plant actually has both an interesting etymology and an ...
December 22, 2020 | 2 mins read
Thomas Marent/Minden Pictures/Corbis It's nighttime, and you're exploring a patch of forest in Sulu. Up ahead, you notice a peculiar creature: a big-eyed, round-headed fuzzball that looks like a three-way cross between a tarsier, a sloth, and a teddy bear. You approach the adorable little animal, and against ...
December 21, 2020 | 2 mins read
San Diego Zoo Timeless Yuletide tunes and tales have cemented the mystical, almost mythical place of the reindeer (๐๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ด) in popular culture. And while these uncanny ungulates can't actually make their noses glow on the same level of brightness as Rudolph's, they do have something else that they could show off ...
December 19, 2020 | 2 mins read
Wikimedia Commons Unlike humans, sea turtles aren't born male or female based on chromosomes. Rather, they follow temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), a type of environmental sex determination followed by crocodilians as well. Sea turtle sex is determined post-fertilization, at a particularly thermosensitive stage of embryonic development. The temperature of the ...
December 18, 2020 | 2 mins read
Rey Sta. Ana/orientalbirdimages.org On December 16, 1896, Scottish ornithologist William Robert Ogilvie-Grant presented a majestic, newly described bird species at the 39th meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club. Natives from Samar claimed that it "prey[ed] chiefly on the Green Monkeys" (possibly referring to macaques). Both Ogilvie-Grant and British naturalist ...
December 16, 2020 | 2 mins read
pandasinternational.org At first glance, the giant panda (๐๐ช๐ญ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ค๐ข) might seem like it's living the dream. This iconic Chinese bear spends about 10 to 16 hours looking for food and eating, and the rest of its day resting and not really moving around a lot. There's a lot more to this situation than ...
December 15, 2020 | 2 mins read
Lipton Despite what internet memes featuring green anthropomorphic amphibians would have us believe, here's the real tea: Frogs are generally known to absorb water through their skin instead of drinking it. A frog's skin is permeable, particularly near its belly and thighs, allowing it to absorb water from its environment ...
December 13, 2020 | 1 min read
iStock Aside from being colorful cartoon characters, Perry the Platypus and Knuckles the Echidna have one more thing in common: They're representations of the monotremes, an extremely small and rather strange group of animals. Much like other mammals, monotremes possess a single-boned mandible (lower jaw), three bones in the middle ...
December 8, 2020 | 2 mins read
Gregg Yan/Wikimedia Commons They're scaly, they're small, and they can curl up into a ball: Indeed, pangolins are curious little fellows. In a way, they're what you'd get if you combined an anteater, an armadillo, and a skunk. Pangolins are covered with scales made of keratinโyes, just like ...
December 6, 2020 | 2 mins read
Roaring Earth Have you ever seen an animal that's almost entirely white, even though they're typically much more colorful? What you saw was certainly a beautiful natural oddity--but perhaps not the type you're thinking of. If an animal suffers from leucism, the cells that would produce its natural color are ...
December 4, 2020 | 1 min read
UPLB Museum of Natural History First discovered in 2011 during an expedition in Northern Luzon, Phyllium bonifacioi is the tenth species under the genus Phyllium (said to be the largest and most widespread group in the leaf insect family, Phylliidae) found in the Philippines. The insect was named by University of ...
November 30, 2020 | 1 min read
National Geographic Creative/Alamy Stock Photo In the early 1980s, the Swedish navy was extremely wary of Soviet activity around the Swedish coast and under their waters. Each year, Swedish military reports indicated a "typical sound" from an unidentified source that popped up on their readings. It was a peculiar ...
November 25, 2020 | 2 mins read
Hemera/Thinkstock With a flower that reaches up to 3.3 ft (1 m) in diameter and weighs up to 24 lbs (11 kg), Rafflesia arnoldiiย produces the world's largest individual blossom. Endemic to the forests of Indonesia, this plant is famous not just for its size, but also for its smell. It emits a ...
November 24, 2020 | 1 min read
Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island (Southย Carolina) The discovery of two-headed animals in nature often makes local news headlines. There's just something about the sheer novelty of seeing a turtle or snake with two heads that fascinates us to no end. Throughout the history of the natural world, researchers, ...
November 8, 2020 | 2 mins read
Wikimedia Commons Meet the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), a unique creature that looks somewhat like a cross between an iguana and a dinosaur. It's the last extant representative of its order - and it has a third eye, sort of. This little fellow may look like a lizard, but it's not. ...
November 7, 2020 | 1 min read
carrotmuseum.co.uk These days, when we think of carrots, orange is the first color that comes to mind. Interestingly enough, this wasn't always the case. Based on historical records, the first carrots domesticated for consumption in Asia and Europe were purple and yellow; this was from around the 10th ...
November 6, 2020 | 2 mins read
W. J. Pilsak/Wikimedia Commons Based on a technicality, the world's largest living organism is a gigantic honey fungus colony in the United States. The colony's entirety occupies about 2,385 acres of soil; that's roughly equivalent to 22,104 basketball courts! In 1998, scientists looked into the mysterious deaths of a large number of ...
October 23, 2020 | 1 min read
Ted Center/USDA In 1901, a strange aquatic plant was brought into Thailand from Indonesia by Thai royalty, captivated by its peculiar beauty. Locally known asย phak tob java, its lavender flowers and rounded leaves made it a decorative fixture in many palaces and mansions. Things likely would have remained that ...
October 5, 2020 | 2 mins read
Getty Images Fact: Hummingbirds are the only birds known to be capable of flying backwards for any length of time or distanceย without relying on the wind. Hummingbirds (family Trochilidae) are very much like living helicopters. They can fly forward, backward, left, right, diagonally, and even upside down. They can ...
October 3, 2020 | 1 min read
Lisa Fotios/Pexels Ever heard about how a misplaced decimal point made cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar choose spinach (๐๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ค๐ช๐ข ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ข) as the source of his famous character Popeye's strength? Popularized by Dr. Terence Hamblin in 1981, the story goes like this: In 1870, German chemist Erich von Wolff made a mistake in his notes ...
October 1, 2020 | 2 mins read
BSP/Design Systemat The Philippines is home to a vast assortment of unique and interesting wildlife, from the crescent-horned tamarawย to the peculiar Mindanao flying dragon. Travel all over the country's many islands, and you'll find them nesting atop towering treesย or swimming around the many nooks and crannies of ...
September 2, 2020 | 5 mins read
Petr Kratochvil/CC0 Strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are edible fruits that people all over the world enjoy in a variety of ways. They're also not actually berries, as any botanist would tell you (likely after a heavy sigh and a montage of flashbacks in their head about the delicious disaster ...
September 1, 2020 | 2 mins read
Gregg Yan We all learned about the tamaraw somewhere down the line during elementary school. But unless your teacher had quite the knack for biology (or you were fascinated by all things bovine), you probably donโt remember much about it. In fact, some folks even confuse it with the ...
August 26, 2020 | 3 mins read
Yathin S. Krishnappa/CC BY-SA 4.0 Popular myth would have you believe that ostriches (genus Struthio) bury their heads in the sand to camouflage themselves from predators. This isn't true, of course; if they did that, they wouldn't be able to breathe. Experts say that this misconception stemmed from either their ...
August 4, 2020 | 2 mins read
Concord Monitor/Associated Press You've probably seen this in the form of a meme or a furious political status update from a friend: Supposedly, a group of baboons is called a "congress." However, as amusing as it may sound, it's actually not true. In a 2012 article, fact-checking site PolitiFactย investigated ...
July 11, 2020 | 2 mins read
Boursnell/Country Life Magazine As weird as it may sound, this article only exists because of a low-quality photo of someoneโs dog on Facebook. To be more precise, the seeds of this story were planted when a random post on my news feed caught my attention. A friend had ...
May 15, 2020 | 8 mins read
Taon-taong ipinagdiriwang ng mgaย bird-watcherย at dalub-ibon ang World Migratory Bird Dayย upang mas mabigyang-pansin ang mga ibongย migratoryย (o mga ibong lumilipad papunta sa ibang dako ng mundo sa tuwing taglamig) at ang kahalagan ng pag-protekta sa kanila. Sa totoo lang, lingid sa kaalaman ng maraming mga Pinoy na ...
May 9, 2020 | 3 mins read
Droves of marine researchers and travel-ready thalassophiles are drawn to the Philippines every year, and with good reason. The vast waters of the archipelago contain countless natural riches, rife for exploration and sightseeing. Unsurprisingly, they also serve as a haven for many species that, quite frankly, just want to be ...
April 15, 2020 | 3 mins read
On January 6, 2000, forest rangers in Spain's Ordesa National Park found the corpse of Celia, the last Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica), under a fallen tree. However, biologists were eventually able to bring her species back from extinction three years later. For a few minutes, anyway. A subspecies of Iberian wild ...
January 6, 2020 | 2 mins read
Shutterstock (Updated on January 3, 2021) Despite what its name and appearance may suggest, the binturong orย Palawan bearcat (Arctictis binturong) is neither a bear nor a cat. It's a member of the family Viverridaeโthe same family civets belong toโand is the sole member of its genus. Oh, and it ...
January 3, 2020 | 2 mins read
The recently released report of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUNC) on the worldwide state of pangolins is, in a word, bleak. The Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis) in particular was reclassified from โendangeredโ to โcritically endangered,โ with its population expected to fall by a staggering 80% in the very ...
December 27, 2019 | 2 mins read
โขThe California Academy of Sciences has released its 2019 list of newly described species. โขThe species include 17 fish, 15 geckos, eight flowering plants, six sea slugs, five arachnids, four eels, three ants, three skinks, two skates, two wasps, two mosses, two corals, and two lizards. โขFive of the 71 speciesโ โthree fish and ...
December 10, 2019 | 3 mins read
โขNext to habitat destruction, invasive species are the biggest causes of worldwide biodiversity loss. โขThe Philippines is the 36th most invaded country in the world, and has the most invasive species in Southeast Asia. โขInternational cooperation and intensive information campaigns are critical in addressing this silent but serious issue. As ...
December 6, 2019 | 7 mins read
โขTheย Center for Conservation Innovation PH Inc.ย (CCIPH) developed a mobile app for engaging citizens in biodiversity monitoring efforts. โขDesigned for non-scientists, theย Biodiversity and Threats Monitoring App (BioMon) allows users to report animal sightings, making data collection more efficient. โขThe organization aims to develop the crowdsourcing app further to ...
November 5, 2019 | 3 mins read
With more than 4,000 species worldwide, cockroaches, which first popped up on the planet over 280 million years ago, are capable of some pretty incredible feats. They can run up to 5.5 kilometers per hour, can hold their breath for 40 minutes, and even survive without a head for a week! All of these ...
October 22, 2019 | 2 mins read
FlipFact of the Day:ย Invertebrates such as spiders have an open circulatory system, which means that the oxygen-carrying fluid running through it is in contact with its muscles and its other internal fluids. This blood analogue is called hemolymph, and instead of the iron-carrying hemogoblin that we find in our ...
July 5, 2019 | 1 min read
Rich Lindie FlipFact of the Day: As the kids these days would say, the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) has a romantic life that can be described as #relationshipgoals. The stories are true: It is, in fact, a monogamous, loyal partner by nature. Upon reaching sexual maturity (which takes about 5 to 7 ...
July 4, 2019 | 1 min read
FlipFact of the Day:ย The Philippine tarsier's Latin name was changed from Tarsius syrichta to Carlito syrichta in honor of "Tarsier Man" Carlito Pizarras. Formerly a local hunter, Pizarras became a strong advocate for the species' conservation, and now works as the field supervisor of the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary. Today's ...
July 1, 2019 | 1 min read
โขScientists from the Philippines and the U.S.A. discovered two new rodent speciesย in the mountains of Camarines Sur and Aurora. โขThe new species,ย Rhynchomys labo and Rhynchomys mingan, belong to a group of mammals called tweezer-beaked hopping rats. โขThe researchers hope that this discovery will emphasize the need ...
June 6, 2019 | 3 mins read
(Updated on January 14, 2020)ย One would only need to take a single glance at the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) to understand why it is the Philippines' national bird. Strong, swift, and strikingly beautiful, it is quite a sight to behold, especially when it takes flight. The Philippine eagle became the country's ...
June 4, 2019 | 4 mins read
โขA newly published study suggests that conservation efforts for the Asian elephant should consider indicators other than population count. โขPopulationย size and distribution statistics may fail to show a species' impending collapse in time for it to be prevented. โขThus, monitoring fertility and mortality rates across sexes and ages could ...
May 18, 2019 | 3 mins read
โขA species goes extinct when all its living members perish, and becomes functionally extinct when its members can no longer reproduce. โขA number of "extinct" species recently reappeared, such as theย Fernandina giant tortoise, Lord Howe tree lobsters, crest-tailed mulgara, and Wallace's giant bee. โขThis emphasizes the need for stronger ...
May 2, 2019 | 3 mins read
โขResearchers from foreign countries recently discovered four new species of fish in Philippine waters. โขA pair of Japanese scientists found a new sardine species, possibly endemic, in Manila Bay. โขMeanwhile, a team of researchers from the United States discovered three newย Chromisย species in Batangas and Mindoro. It is no ...
April 5, 2019 | 3 mins read
โขAn audit of Australia's animal havens revealed that they have already saved 13 mammals from extinction due to predators such as feral cats and foxes. โขScientists and conservationists worked together to conduct the country-wide audit. โขExperts recommend establishing more conservation havens and stronger collaboration efforts to prevent more extinctions in the ...
March 6, 2019 | 2 mins read
โขFor the first time in 127 years, researchers described a new masteriine spider species from the Philippines. โขThe researchers named the spiderย Masteria urdujae, in honor of the legendary warrior princess Urduja. โขDespite its small size, the cave-dwelling, possibly vulnerableย M. urdujaeย may play a significant role in its ecosystem. A ...
February 17, 2019 | 4 mins read
โขThe plesiosaur-like Loch Ness monster has fascinated the world ever since an alleged photo of it surfaced in 1934. โขA group of scientists are in the middle of conducting a thorough analysis of the freshwater lake to verify the existence of "Nessie." โขThe Philippines has had its fair share of "sea ...
February 4, 2019 | 3 mins read
โขEach year, concerned organizations conduct the Asian Waterbird Census in Cagayan province, in line with a global monitoring program. โขThe 2019 count saw 27 species of birds in the Buguey wetlands and 15 species in Palaui Island, including a few rare species. โขWhile the sightings increased in variety, they decreased in number. The ...
January 29, 2019 | 2 mins read
โขThe axolotl (or Mexican salamander) can perfectly regrow virtually any lost body part. โขA pair of scientists from the University of Kentucky have reportedly succeeded in reconstructing the axolotl genome. โขAccording to experts, this could significantly advance medical science and produce enhanced recovery and treatment options for the critically ill. (...
January 28, 2019 | 3 mins read
โข After 10 years of searching, scientists may have finally found a suitable mate for Romeo, a rare Sehuencas water frog (Telmatobius yuracare). โข A recent expedition to the Bolivian mountain cloud forests yielded five more individuals: three males and two females. โข One of the females, aptly named Juliet, is being prepped for ...
January 18, 2019 | 2 mins read
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