Information on species richness and community structure is invaluable for guiding conservation and management of biodiversity, but is rarely available in the megadiverse biodiversity conservation hotspot of Philippines – particularly for amphibians and reptiles. This study provides the first report and characterisation of amphibians and reptile communities across primary habitat types of the Victoria-Anepahan Mountain Range on Palawan Island along the western edge of the archipelago. A total of 41 amphibian and reptile species were recorded throughout our sampling sites (n = 27 species) or in targeted habitat searches (14 species). A species richness estimator predicted that 35 species may be present in our sampling sites, suggesting that a significant proportion of secretive species may continue to be unrecorded, especially for reptiles. Higher species richness was found in secondary growth than in mixed-use agricultural areas or even pristine forest. The low species richness recorded from pristine forest types may be due to these forests now being restricted to higher elevations where species diversity has been documented to decrease. Our results also show that complex community structures (species assemblages) are to be equally expected in both secondary growth and pristine forests. Together, our results show how species richness and community assemblages may vary across habitats, highlighting that old growth forest does not always support higher species richness, particularly in high elevations.

Abstract. Despite extensive surveys conducted in the past, many remote areas in the Philippines remain unexplored and many species are unknown to science. The Mount Hamiguitan Range (MHR) is among these areas, containing large remaining forests tracts. In this study, we report new records of amphibians and reptiles from MHR and propose removing two species from the previously listed species from this mountain range. We used standardized techniques to sample populations of amphibians and reptiles in fragmented forests of Mt. Hamiguitan. Our survey resulted in 16 new records of species (four frogs, three lizards and nine snakes). Combining our results with previous studies, the known species diversity from the MHR is now increased to a total of 61 taxa. Our results highlight the underestimated diversity of herpetofauna of Mt. Hamiguitan, and we discuss the importance of repeated surveys for determining species occurrences and assessing their conservation status.

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The municipality of Santa Ignacia in the Province of Tarlac is highly dependent on groundwater as its major water supply for various purposes, but there is inconsistency in monitoring groundwater quality in the area which may impact the health of consumers. This study presented the preliminary assessment of groundwater quality through the application of spatial mapping. Out of 6,815 wells in the municipality, groundwater samples were collected from 274 hand pump wells. The measurements of selected groundwater quality parameters such as pH, conductivity, nitrate, nitrite, and iron of groundwater samples were determined on-site. The geographical coordinates of sampled wells and measurements of groundwater quality parameters were used in Geographic Information System software, QGIS, to construct the spatial distribution and spatial variation maps. The values of measured parameters were interpolated using the inverse distance weighted technique to predict the parameters at other sites in Santa Ignacia. Spatial variation maps revealed that the groundwater quality parameters varied in the municipality. All measured parameters, except the nitrite content, were within the acceptable limits set by the World Health Organization for drinking water. The high level of nitrite content in groundwater may be attributed to the application of fertilizers during agricultural activities. The nitrite content of groundwater, which exceeded the permissible limit, may cause long-term public health problems. Hence, an upscale evaluation and monitoring of groundwater quality and existing anthropological activities in the municipality are highly recommended. The identification of other possible source(s) of nitrite is necessary to lessen possible contamination risk and to protect the groundwater sources in the municipality. The results of this preliminary study would be useful in prospect studies of groundwater quality in the study area and in other provinces in the Philippines.

Snakes of the genus Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 are rarely observed and infrequently collected in the Philippines. Here we report the rediscovery and first documentation of Oligodon perkinsi (Taylor, 1925) after nearly 60 years. Our observation extends the species distribution to Busuanga, an island located north of Culion (type locality) and on the western side of the archipelago.

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The Philippine mouse deer (Tragulus nigricans) is an endangered ungulate species, endemic to the Balabac Islands in the Palawan Faunal Region of the western Philippines. Despite its conservation importance, it has received little attention from local authorities and conservation biologists, with limited studies conducted on the species. Here we provide a preliminary report on the species distribution, population and conservation status, based on our recently completed surveys. We used a combination of line transect distance sampling, opportunistic searching on targeted habitats, and informal community interviews to assess the species’ status. We recorded a total of 25 sightings of mouse deer during our transect surveys. All records, including recent sightings of mouse deer, were from two islands, mainland Balabac and Bugsuk. No mouse deer were recorded on other islands that we surveyed, suggesting that the populations have been markedly reduced due to a nearly complete conversion of natural habitat, such as Ramos Island, or perhaps some islands are too small to permanently support populations. Our analyses revealed that the species occurs at low density (0.219 ± 0.084/ha), particularly on Balabac. The mean population estimate based on Bayesian analysis is 2525 (95% Highest Density Interval, 1635–3461). However, this number is highly uncertain because of the low probability, highlighting the need for more information on the species’ population. Several conservation efforts are being implemented now, but more intensive in situ conservation programs would benefit the species, along with other threatened endemics found in the region.