ANIMALS

There are many different types of animals which are similar and different to each other in many aspects. Members
of a particular group of animal share a particular characteristic that is common to all the members of the group.
This is the feature that defines the group.
Biologists arrange organisms into groups on the basis of traits which they share with other animals and the genetic
relationship with each other. This orderly form of classification of animals is the basis of taxonomy. Modern
taxonomy is based on physical characteristics and genetic characteristics. Systematics is the field of study that
focuses on evolutionary relationships between living organisms.

Carlous Linnaeus (1707-1778), a Swedish botanist was the inventor of modern scientific classification. He designed
his system of classification so that each animal and plant he described had only one name and this name would not
be shard with any other organism.
The system most scientist use put each living thing into seven groups or taxons. They are organized from most
general to most specific category. These categories in the hierarchical system are from higher and most inclusive
to lower to more specific are kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species .
Animal Kingdom
Kingdom is the highest primary division in which all objects are placed. All animals are part of the Animal Kingdom.
Phylum - Each kingdom is divided into smaller units called phyla. Example, chordates are a phylum with members
possessing the nerve cord.
Class - The chordates are further divided into classes such as Mammalia, Birds, Reptilia, Amphibians. Members of
each class have a characteristics that they share with the members of the same class but are not found in
members of other classes.
Family - Classes are further divided into families. Families contain more than one genus.
Genus - Families are sub-divided into genera. Animals that share the same genus are very similar and probably
evolved from the same common ancestor.
Species - Species is the most fundamental and contains single type of animal.
Animals are classified into two principal groups invertebrates (with-out backbone) and vertebrates (with
backbone). Backbone is the observable feature which defines whether the animal is vertebrate or invertebrate.
Sponges, star fish, Obelia, worms, spiders, insects are the sub-groups of the invertebrate group, they do not have
a backbone.
Fishes, birds, frogs, snakes and mammals have a backbone and are the sub-group of the vertebrate group.
EXOTIC ANIMALS
7, 492 species of plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals currently in existence, Philippines is one of the
richest biodiversity hot spots ever known.

Purple Crabs
With a purple carapace (shell) and reddish claws, these Palawan crustaceans can easily stand out if placed side by
side with other crabs. It was last year that four new species of purple crabs were discovered in remote areas of
Palawan yet the world of biology couldnt get enough of these colorful creatures. Among the four, Insulanon

magnum (53 mm x 41.8 mm) reigned as the biggest while Insulanom porculum (33.1 mm x 25.1 mm) was declared the
smallest. The other two species are Insulamon johannchristiani andInsulamon palawense.
Flying Dragon
ompared to the mythical fire-emitting monster, flying dragons or Draco lizards (Draco volans) are smaller and less
dangerous. They usually eat tiny insects and use their elongated ribs to aid in flying or gliding. Flying dragons use
their ability to navigate the forest air to find mates, locate preys, and protect their territories.

Stripe-faced Flying Fox

Also known in the scientific world as the Mindoro stripe-faced fruit bat (Styloctenium mindorensis), this unusual
creature was one of the Philippines newest discoveries. When explorer Jacob Esselstyn heard vivid descriptions
from the locals of Batong Buhay in Occidental Mindoro, he was skeptical at first. But not long after that, the
discovery of the flying foxwhich turned out to be endemic to Mindoroled to a formal description of the animal
published in the August 2007 issue of the Journal of Mammalogy.
Palawan Bearded Pig
Looking at their distinct white beards, one will immediately notice that Palawan bearded pigs ( Sus ahoenobarbus)
are not your ordinary baboy ramo. Aside from the white hairs covering most of their face, Palawan bearded pigs
also feature longer snouts and canine-like teeth. These gentle animals are endemic in the Philippines particularly
in the islands of Calamian, Balabac, and Palawan
Sea Pen

Sea pen has a stunning resemblance to classic quill pens, hence the name. But these soft corals of the
order Pennatulacea can also be seen in the shape of an umbrella or even a golf club. Like other coral species, sea
pens also feature individual polyps with eight tentacles for catching planktons. They bury themselves under a wide
array of substratesmud, sand, or solid rockand easily detach once they decide to look for a new home.

Sea Pancake
At first glance, this bottom-dwelling sea creature can remind us of our favorite home-made pancake drizzled with
cheese and chocolate syrup. But behind its harmless look, this sea slug (scientifically known as nudibranch) hides a
fierce appetite. Popularly known ashigh-fashioned models of the sea, nudibranchs get their captivating colors
from the creatures they eat. Sea pancakes, for example, are just as carnivorous as other speciesfeeding on a
variety of animals ranging from barnacles, sea anemones, sponges, hydroids, and even other nudibranchs.

Fast fact: Found in the Philippines Verde Island Passage, the pancake-shaped nudibranch shown above is only one
of the 800 species inhabiting in the country. Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites which means they can either be male
or female in any occasion. Special tentacles on their headscalled rhinophoreshelp sea pancakes to move, smell,
and taste their prey.

Claw Lobster

The name implies a humongous sea monster but with a size of 10 cm (think: prawn), a terrible claw lobster certainly
wont break your neck. This new species of marine creature was first discovered off Luzon islands in 2007 and
later earned the scientific nameDinochelus ausubeli. The genus Dinochelus literally means terrible claw while
the species name was named after Jesse Ausubel, renowned sponsor of the Census of Marine Life.

Cantors Giant Soft-shelled Turtle

Whenever we hear turtle, the sluggish image of pawikan easily come to our minds. Yet with its distinct shell
(carapace) and odd behavior, Cantors giant soft-shell turtle ( Pelochelys cantorii) is born to stand out. Named after
a Danish zoologist, Theodore Edward Cantor, this freshwater turtle can grow up to 6 ft (2 m) and usually spends
most of its life hidden in the sands of Philippines and other Asian countries. Theyre mostly carnivorousfeeding on
mollusks, fish, and crustaceans.

Fast fact: Cantors giant soft-shell turtle are rarely found perhaps due to its solitary and motionless lifestyle. In
the Philippines, one of the most recent Cantors ever found was a juvenile turtle captured by a fisherman along
Addalam River, Cabarroguis, Quirino, Isabela. It was later confirmed to be a young Cantors giant soft-shell turtle
after the specimen was sent to Chicago in 2001.Image source
Inflatable Shark
Although not as formidable as other species, inflatable sharks (known locally as bubble sharks) made it to our list
due to its fascinating feature. As their name suggests,inflatable sharks have the ability to puff up by pumping
water into their bellies. As a result, these shrimp-eating sharks can instantly increase their size and scare away
predators.

Fast fact: Inflatable sharks are one of the new species of marine creatures discovered inPhilippines Verde Island
Passagea strait that separates Luzon from Mindoro and widely known for its rich marine biodiversity. Unlike
other swell sharks, the new species found in the Philippines have lighter spots or camouflaged color patterns.

Philippine Tube-nosed Fruit Bat

With laterally pointed, tube-like nostrils, this winged creature is one of the strangest-looking bats you can ever
find. Philippine tube-nosed fruit bats (Nyctimene rabori) are critically-endangered animals gliding in the air
of Sibuyan, Negros, and Cebu rainforests. Despite their distinct and alien-like faces, Philippine tube-nosed bats
have been known to only feed on wild figs and insects.

PLANTS

Plant Kingdom (or Plantae )

Virtually all other living creatures
depend on plants to survive.
Through photosynthesis, plants
convert energy from sunlight into food
stored as carbohydrates. Because
animals cannot get energy directly
from the sun, they must eat plants (or
other animals that have had a
vegetarian meal) to survive. Plants also
provide the oxygen humans and animals
breathe, because plants use carbon
dioxide for photosynthesis and release
oxygen into the atmosphere.

Non-Vascular Plants
Mosses and allies, or related species (Bryophyta and allies)
Mosses or bryophyta are non-vascular. They are an important foundation plant for the forest ecosystem and they
help prevent erosion by carpeting the forest floor. All bryophyte species reproduce by spores not seeds, never
have flowers, and are found growing on the ground, on rocks, and on other plants.
Originally grouped as a single division or phylum, the 24,000 bryophyte species are now grouped in three divisions:
Mosses (Bryophyta), Liverworts(Hepatophyta), and Hornworts (Anthocerotophyta). Also included among the nonvascular plants is Chlorophyta , a kind of fresh-water algae.
Vascular Plants with Spores
Ferns and allies (Pteridophyta and allies)
Unlike mosses, ferns and related species have a vascular system, but like mosses, they reproduce from spores
rather than seeds. The ferns are the most plentiful plant division in this group, with 12,000 species. Other
divisions (the fern allies) include Club mosses or Lycopods (Lycopodiophyta) with 1,000
species, Horsetails (Equisetophyta) with 40 species, and Whisk ferns (Psilophyta) with 3 species.
Vascular Plants with Seeds
Conifers and allies (Coniferophyta and allies)
Conifers and allies (Coniferophyta and allies) Conifers reproduce from seeds, but unlike plants like blueberry
bushes or flowers where the fruit or flower surrounds the seed, conifer seeds (usually cones) are naked. In
addition to having cones, conifers are trees or shrubs that never have flowers and that have needle-like leaves.
Included among conifers are about 600 species including pines, firs, spruces, cedars, junipers, and yew. The conifer
allies include three small divisions with fewer than 200 species all together: Ginko (Ginkophyta) made up of a single
species, the maidenhair tree; the palm-likeCycads (Cycadophyta), and herb-like plants that bear
cones (Gnetophyta) such as Mormon tea.

Flowering Plants (Magnoliophyta)

The vast majority of plants (around 230,000) belong to this category, including most trees, shrubs, vines, flowers,
fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Plants in this category are also called angiosperms. They differ from conifers
because they grow their seeds inside an ovary, which is embedded in a flower or fruit.

RARE/EXOTIC/ AMAZING PLANTS

Rat-Eating Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes attenboroughii)

Plants that eat rats, slimy alien-looking fungi, leaves that dance all by themselves and flowers that smell like the
rotting corpse of a horse: all of these wonders of nature are among the most rare, exotic and unusual plant species
in the world. Some are astonishingly beautiful despite the foul odors they emit, while others look like they emerged
from the mind of a horror writer, but theyre all fascinating examples of the diversity of Earths flora.
Even the most benign of pitcher plants is strange and amazing, but the species discovered in August 2009 may just
be the weirdest carnivorous plant yet. Its believed to be the largest meat-eating plant in the world, and is capable
of digesting rats. Scientists found it on Mount Victoria in the Philippines and named it after famed nature
broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.

Parachute Flower (Ceropegia woodii)

It looks like an artists rendering of extraterrestrial flora come to life: a bizarre flower with fused petals and
what looks like a hairy lollipop coming out of it. The flower forms a tube lined with small hairs that point downward,
so that insects attracted to the plants foul smell get trapped inside. The flower doesnt consume the flies, though
it holds onto them until its hairs wither, and when the insects escape, theyre covered in the flowers pollen.

Stinkhorn Mushroom (Mutinus Caninus)

Stinkhorn mushrooms pop up out of the ground in all their creepy, stinking glory, distributing their spores through
the malodorous, muddy-looking slime found at their tips. This particular variety, mutinus caninus, is so named
because it resembles a certain unmentionable body part of dogs.

Dancing Plant (Desmodium Gyrans)

The dancing plant, also known as the telegraph plant, actually moves its leaves in jerky motions when exposed to
direct sunlight, warmth or vibration hence their reaction to music. Its leaflets, each of which is equipped with a
hinge at the base that allows it to move, rotate along an elliptical path. This plant is famous for being a favorite of
Charles Darwin, and is featured in depth in his book The Power of Movement in Plants.

Pelican Flower (Aristolochia grandiflora)

These flowers are almost beautiful in their strangeness, with big inflated chambers instead of petals and intricate,
colorful patterns of veins. But dont get too close, or you wont be able to get the dead mouse smell out of your

nose for hours. No, this plant isnt a carnivorous rat-eater like the Nepenthes attenboroughii it just uses a
decaying rodent smell to attract pollinators.

Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica) Makahiya

You might say this pretty little plant with its starry pink blossoms and fern-like leaves is shy. Reach out and touch
it, or even just blow on it, and its leaves will close up as if startled or protecting themselves. When its disturbed,
the stems release chemicals that force water out of the cells, which makes the leaves appear collapsed. Its not
known exactly why the plant has evolved to possess this trait, but scientists think it may be to scare off predators.

Hydnora africana
This plant isnt just unattractive, rising out of the ground like the head of a blind sea snake and opening its jaws to
the world. It smells like feces, too. A parasitic plant that attaches itself to the roots of other species, Hydnora
africana emits its pungent odor to attract carrion beetles and dung beetles, its natural pollinators.

Cycad (Encephalartos woodii)

Its one of the rarest plants in the world: a tall palm with dark, glossy leaves, once found only on a single southfacing slope on the edge of the Ngoye forest in Southern Africa. Its extinct in the wild and produces no seeds
the only plants ever found were males. People have begun crossing it with its closest relative to produce pups that,
after 3 generations, are almost pure E. woodii again.

Dead Horse Arum Lily (Helicodiceros muscivorus)

H. muscivorus is a giant flower bearing the distinct scent of rotting meat, meant to draw in female blowflies which
it captures inside its swollen cavity and holds there through its first night after flowering. It releases the flies,
now covered in pollen, the following day to move on to neighboring H. muscivorus plants.

Flypaper Plant (Pinguicula gigantea)

Call them opportunists, but butterworts also known as flypaper plants will grab hold of anything that lands on
their leaves and immediately start digesting it. The upper surface of the plant is covered in sticky digestive
enzymes to trap victims like mosquitoes and gnats, but it can also absorb nutrients from pollen.

Welwitschia mirabilis
If this desert plant looks like it came straight out of the age of dinosaurs, thats because it did. Two succulent
leaves continuously grow from the short, thick trunk, splitting over time into strap-shaped sections. The leaves can
reach twelve feet in length. These odd plants are considered living fossils and can live up to 2,000 years.

Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum)

Its the biggest flower in the world, and also the smelliest. The corpse flower, indigenous to the tropical forests of
Sumatra, emits a pungent odor reminiscent of rotting flesh. Its central, phallus-shaped spadix warms to human
body temperature during bloom to attract pollinators. The leaf structure of the flower can reach up to 20 feet tall
and 16 feet wide.

Waterwheel Plant (Aldrovanda Vesiculosa)

Wollemi pines have been around for at least 200 million years, but werent known to science until 2004, when a field
officer at Wollemi National Park in Australia noticed what he thought was an unusual specimen. Fewer than 100
trees are known to be growing in the wild, but a propo

Snowdonia Hawkweed
It may not be smelly, oversized or weird looking, but Snowdonia Hawkweed may just be the rarest plant in the
world. Botanists thought it had gone extinct decades ago, but in 2002 it wasrediscovered growing on a mountain
slope in Wales. "We were literally capering about for joy on the mountain ledges like lunatics when we found it,"
said Tim Rich, head of vascular plants at the National Museums and Galleries of Wales.