Cloud Rat

The endemic Dinagat cloud rat (Crateromys australis) is found only on Dinagat Island, further proof of the Philippines' importance in global biodiversity. 

·         Rabor also discovered an endemic insectivore on the island related to hedgehogs, the endangered Dinagat moonrat (Podogymnura aureospinula). 

Country or region: Dinagat Island

Number of species: 218

Number of globally threatened species: 7

Number of introduced species: 1

·         The Philippine tree shrew (Urogale everetti), in the order Scandentia, which is found on Mindanao, Dinagat, and Siargao Islands, represents an endemic, monotypic genus. Worldwide there are sixteen species of tree shrew, a diurnal animal that resembles a squirrel but whose dentition, circulatory system, and large braincase are more like those of primates (Nowak 1999a). This species is considered vulnerable (IUCN 2000).

                   Endemic and Near-Endemic Mammal Species.

Captive Breeding

Captive breeding of an endangered species may ensure their survival when wild populations are severely threatened. It guards against the extinction of a species and, in the case of amphibians, can be both cost-effective and achievable. Captive breeding should not be regarded as a last-resort conservation action – the IUCN (World Conservation Union, part of the United Nations) endorses captive breeding as a proactive conservation measure and recommends it as a vital conservation action for all Critically Endangered species. A captive breeding colony is maintained outside of its natural habitat, giving rise to individuals that are sheltered from problems associated with their wild situation. This can be located within the species’ range, or in a foreign country that has the facilities to support a captive breeding programme for that species. Individuals may subsequently be released into the wild when the factors threatening them have been mitigated.

Species

SPECIES FOUND IN DINAGAT ISLANDS

• ·         Dinagat tarsiers

Meet the Dinagat tarsier, the newest Philippine tarsier species.

The University of the Philippines announced this following genetic tests by a multi-country team of scientists.

"The tarsier found on Dinagat Island is distinct from its relatives in the Bohol-Samar-Leyte and Zamboanga-Mindanao phylogeographic clusters,"the university said on its website

Citing an examination of mitochondrial data, the researchers found "definitive evidence" that the Dinagat tarsier is a different species.