SAGIP SARIHAY #6
Species: Crocodylus mindorensis Schmidt, 1935 (Philippine Crocodile)
Words by Mark Nhel Peralta
Artwork by Eda Cumbao
Description
Crocodylus mindorensis or Philippine crocodile, is a freshwater crocodile endemic to the Philippines. This species is golden-brown dorsally which darkens as it matures, with transverse black markings, and is white ventrally. It has a broad snout and has a heavy dorsal armor consisting of thick bony plates. Compared to other crocodilian species, the Philippine crocodiles are relatively small in which mature males and females can reach up to 2.1 m and 1.3 m, respectively. Females can lay from seven up to 33 eggs, with incubation periods of 65 to 78 days in the wild, while 77 to 85 days in captivity. Philippine crocodile is carnivorous and preys on aquatic invertebrates, fish, small mammals, water birds, or other reptiles (Law, 2015)
Locality
The Philippine crocodile used to occur on larger islands of the Philippines, however, wild population is now reduced to the localities of Dalupiri Island in Northern Luzon, Ligawasan marsh, and Lake Sebu in Southern Mindanao (van Weerd et al., 2016).
Threats
Indiscriminate killing, due to either illegal hunting or fear, and habitat destruction significantly contributed to the declining population of the Philippine crocodiles in the wild (Manalo & Alcala, 2014).
Solutions to Address Endangerment
Since 2004, the Philippine crocodile has been nationally protected by law under the Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Act. In fact, killing a Philippine crocodile is punishable by law, with a minimum penalty of six years imprisonment and/or a fine of P100,000 (Van der Ploeg et al., 2011; van Weerd et al., 2016). Several organizations have also been established to facilitate in situ conservation action plans, which include the reintroduction of the species and conservation breeding in semi-wild areas with no supplementary feeding, and ex situ conservation through captive breeding programs. Two of the pioneering breeding facilities established in the Philippines are the Silliman University Environmental Centre (SUEC) and Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centre (PWRCC) (Manalo & Alcala, 2014). Information dissemination is also vital for the conservation of the species. The Mabuwaya Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 2003, has been dedicated to such endeavors by communicating with the local communities living near crocodile habitats in Northern Luzon, and provide information on the ecology and conservation of the Philippine crocodile (Van der Ploeg et al., 2011).
References
Crocodylus mindorensis Schmidt, 1935 in GBIF Secretariat (2019). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei. Accessed via GBIF.org on March 14, 2021.
Law, J. 2015. “Crocodylus mindorensis” (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 14, 2021 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Crocodylus_mindorensis/
Manalo, R. I., & Alcala, A. C. (2014). Conservation of the Philippine crocodile Crocodylus mindorensis (Schmidt 1935): in situ and ex situ measures. International Zoo Yearbook, 49(1), 113–124. doi:10.1111/izy.12080
Van der Ploeg, J., Cauilan-Cureg, M., van Weerd, M., & De Groot, W. T. (2011). Assessing the effectiveness of environmental education: mobilizing public support for Philippine crocodile conservation. Conservation Letters, 4(4), 313–323. doi:10.1111/j.1755–263x.2011.00181.x
Van der Ploeg, J., Cauillan-Cureg, M., van Weerd, M., & Persoon, G. (2011). “Why must we protect crocodiles?” Explaining the value of the Philippine crocodile to rural communities. Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences, 8(4), 287–298. doi:10.1080/1943815x.2011.610804
van Weerd, M., C. Pomaro, C., de Leon, J., Antolin, R. & Mercado, V. 2016. Crocodylus mindorensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T5672A3048281. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T5672A3048281.en.
