Over 270 wildlife species endemic to Philippines discovered

Philippine sailfin lizards rest inside a terrarium at the National Wildlife Research and Rescue Center in Quezon City, the Philippines, June 8, 2012. The five lizards were returned to the Philippines by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD) after they were confiscated from smugglers. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

More than 270 wildlife species endemic to the Philippines have been found for the past 25 years, a senior official said Thursday.

With these "new discoveries", Environment Secretary Ramon Paje urged stakeholders to accelerate conservation efforts to fight threats of their extinction from both human and nature itself.

He said these discoveries of sorts are a testament that the Philippines is richly endowed with unique biodiversity that only underscores the need for stepped up protection.

"These endemic species are our living jewels. They are irreplaceable and unique components of our awesome environmental heritage," Paje said in a briefing.

The term "new discovery", he said, refers to the discovery of these species in their natural habitats and not as new life forms.

The Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) has included in its list of new discoveries 29 new species of rodents found across the country; three new species of bats from Mindoro and Abra; four bird species from the provinces of Cagayan, Cebu and Camiguin; and 44 reptile and 29 amphibian species from Luzon, Negros-Panay, Greater Mindanao and Sulu.

Over 160 new plant species have also been recorded, including some species of the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia.