Caraga identified as major amphibians, reptiles research site

Caraga Region is comprised of the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Island with the regional capital at Butuan City.

The study, titled; The amphibians and reptiles of Mindanao Island, southern Philippines, II: Herpetofauna of northeast Mindanao and adjacent islands, was conducted by an international team of Herpetologists, consisting of scientists from Butuan City’s Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU), the University of Kansas, the University of Oklahoma, the National Museum of the Philippines and Silliman University, with assistance from the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“After an intensive five-year study, the team came to the ground-breaking conclusion that Caraga Region in the Northeastern tip of Mindanao has the single highest species count of frogs, lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocodiles than in any similarly sized region in the country known to date,” said Dr. Marites B. Sanguila, Herpetologist and director for the Biodiversity Informatics and Research Center at FSUU.

Sanguila pointed out that the study was the result of several expeditions to “four mountain ranges in Northeastern Mindanao, namely Mount Hilong-hilong mountain range, Mount Magdiwata Range, Mount Lomot and Mount Balatukan, together with adjacent islands like in Camiguin and Dinagat Islands. We then added analyses of the distribution of species documented in museums around the world. The multi-institution effort culminated with the conclusion that Caraga Region is home to around 126 species of amphibians and reptiles,” said Sanguila.

The research findings pointed out the high diversity of amphibians and reptiles, which includes 40 species of frogs, one kind of caecilian – a secretive eel-like amphibian, 49 types of lizards, 35 varieties of snakes, a native freshwater turtle and crocodile.

“International collaborative biodiversity inventories are a great way to promote student training and faculty research development. In this research, we followed the example of the life-long collaboration between Dr. Angel Alcala, from the Silliman University, and Dr. Walter Brown, from California Academy of Sciences in the 1970s. We then invited our counterparts from the United States to join in the effort to synthesize information on the amphibian and reptile biodiversity in Caraga. The results have unfolded in ways we could not have predicted, and generated opportunities for students on both sides of the Pacific,” she said.

Dr. Rafe M. Brown, professor at the Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in University of Kansas, expressed his optimism: “The amount of data gathered and validated on this study is a cause for celebration.

“For me the most exciting part of about this research is that by doing this intensive study, we were able to fully document high levels of overlapping of species and their geographical distribution.

“It’s amazing to find out that the entire number of amphibians and reptiles are more than any other place in Mindanao combined. For example if we do a survey in other part of Mindanao like in Mount Kitanglad, we will get around 80 to 95 specie or as high as 100 species in other areas but in Caraga Region we’ve got 126,” said Brown.

Brown, who started doing his biodiversity research work in the Philippines in 1991, pointed out the uniqueness of the biodiversity in Caraga Region.

“What so exciting is that, here in Caraga, we were able to identify species that are only known either in Samar, Leyte or in Bohol. This signifies two faunas, one from Eastern Visayas and another from Mindanao, overlapping on one region, a mixture of bio-diversity, its really incredible,” said Brown. 

Brown recommended future research and study: “We’ve basically just scratched the surface. I’m sure more will be discovered. We hope more research study will come along in the future that will shed light into additional new species and I guarantee additional discovery, for scientists and even students.”

Sanguila and Brown cited other scientists who made the research possible; namely Dr. Camelon D. Siler, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma; Dr. Arvin C. Diesmos, Philippine National Museum and Kerry A. Cobb, University of Kansas.

The scientists acknowledged the early studies and efforts made by Alcala together with Brown in the 1970’s that served as database for their study together with those from Dr. Edward Taylor, who became known as the father of Philippine Herpetology did the first assessment in the 1920’s.

Toward Conservation and Preservation
Rev. Fr. John Young, president of FSUU commented on the significance of the research towards the efforts on conservation and preservation.

“This research is significant for the academe here in FSUU, because it is one of the main thrusts of the university. We are very much concerned about environmental issues and climate change and part of that is bio-diversity.

“We all know how much biodiversity is threatened here in Caraga Region by activities like mining and logging. Biodiversity research is very important also in establishing the question of what do we really have here in Caraga? Having a better picture and what is at risk and what has been lost and what we can try to protect,” said Young, “and creating better conservation interventions towards better preservation of our fragile eco-system.”

The full research, titled The Amphibians and Reptiles of Mindanao Island, Southern Philippines, II: the Herpetofauna of Northeast Mindanao and Adjacent Islands, can be read in the web site: Zookeys.Pensoft.Net.