The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 3 (Central Luzon) has documented the vulnerable Biak-na-Bato Limestone Frog in the Biak-na-Bato National Park, underscoring the ecological importance of the cave and its limestone ecosystems.
Protected Area Management Office staff and Bulacan State University interns recorded the frog species, scientifically known as Platymantis biak, during a recent Biodiversity Monitoring System – Field Diary activity.
The frogs were observed inside the Suklib Kabayo Cave, settled in depressions on a cave pillar about 69 meters from the cave’s main entrance, head of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Baliwag, Bulacan, Dennis Vergara, said in a news release issued on Friday.
DENR-3 Director Ralph Pablo said the discovery stresses the need to preserve forest and cave ecosystems within the protected area.
“The presence of the Biak-na-Bato Limestone Frog within the protected area underscores the ecological importance of our caves and forest ecosystems. This serves as a reminder that our conservation efforts must remain steadfast to ensure the survival of vulnerable and endemic wildlife species,” he said.
The Biak-na-Bato Limestone Frog is a terrestrial amphibian endemic to Luzon, commonly found in secondary-growth forests and limestone cave systems.
The species is currently listed as vulnerable under DENR Administrative Order 2019-09 and classified as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List due to ongoing habitat threats. (PNA)
