Fauna of the Philippine Rainforest
Although at first glance, the Philippine Rainforests bear a striking resemblance to those found on mainland Asia, on closer inspection it becomes very apparent that, whilst the flora is virtually the same, the fauna on the other hand, is completely different. A few of the most striking differences are the lack of large predatory cats, a lack of primates, with the exception of course of the Tarsier of Bohol, and of course there is also a distinct lack of the larger mammals e.g. Elephants, Rhinoceros & Tapir.
The reason for these differences in the diversity of species, is quite simply due to the fact that the Philippine Islands, being volcanic in origin, had never been connected to mainland Asia via land bridges, therefore any species found in the Philippines had to originally have crossed ocean straits in order to reach the Islands, either by flying, swimming or on rafts of storm damaged trees.
Any creatures that did make this journey found the islands to be lacking in many of the larger predators and so would then have been reluctant to leave. This obviously created a limited gene pool & over time, caused the evolution of new & isolated species. Island isolation can be equally responsible for dwarfing of species as it can for producing giants like the Galapagos Tortoise, Komodo Dragon or the Golden Crown Fruit Bat & of course the Philippine Eagle.
Whilst there is a distinct lack of large predators in the Philippines, there are still enough to cause one to exercise due caution when hiking, trekking or swimming. The Philippines, whilst being home to the Reticulated-Python (The Longest Snake in The World) & The King Cobra (The Largest Venomous Snake in The World), is also home to the Saltwater Crocodile & the Tiger Shark, both ferocious predators & known man killers. Add to this the numerous species of venomous snakes both on land & in the sea and it is quite apparent that the Philippines does indeed have its fair share of creatures to be avoided.
Flora of the Philippine Rainforest
The rainforests boasts an array of flora, including several types of orchids, and rafflesia. The narra is considered as the most important type of hardwood. The rain forests offer prime habitat for more than 530 species of birds, including the Philippine eagle, 800 species of orchids, and some 8,500 species of flowering plants.
Orchids - With some 800 to 1,000 species of orchids, the Philippines has one of the richest orchid floras in the world. Philippine orchids come in an amazing array of shapes, sizes and colors. Most grow only in old-growth mature forest, often on branches of huge trees dozens of meters above the forest floor.
The Philippines’ major crops include rice, corn, sugarcane, coconut, abaca, and tobacco. Rice is the most important source of food along with corn. The coconut, mango, watermelon, and other native fruits are an important source of Philippine income.
