CAGAYAN, Philippines – A team of researchers and scientists from the University of the Philippines-Los Banos has found four “intriguing” inside the two caves of Santa Teresita town in this province, north of Manila,on Sunday, February 26.
Nida dela Cruz, municipal environment and natural resources officer, said researchers found a microscopic snail inside the Bangalao Cave and want to know whether the snail is a new specie or a new record.
A new specie is a specie with no known data while a new record means it has been identified in books but has not been found yet.
In Sinangraban Caves, a one inch long fish similar to a sword fish has been discovered.
“A lizard bigger than a house lizard was likewise discovered,” Dela Cruz said.
The photos and description of the species including an insectivorous bat species will be submitted to the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Aparri for transport permit outside of the province. This means the species will be subjected to series of studies so as to determine them.
Earlier, the team of researchers were issued permit to collect specimens found within the study area.
Meanwhile, some 120 students and teachers attended a one day and a half biodiversity conservation seminar conducted by the Biodiversity Management Bureau.
Ten researchers from various research agencies arrived in Sta. Teresita on Sunday to conduct a study on the various species in the area as part of the town’s conservation and protection efforts for its biodiversity. –Northernforum.net
