7 new forest mice species found in Luzon

MANILA, Philippines - American and Filipino biologists have found 7 new mammal species in Luzon, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Wednesday.

The findings reaffirmed the Philippines' status as one of the world's 17 mega-diverse countries in the world in terms of biodiversity, according  to DENR Secretary Ramon Paje.

He said all of the 7 new species are forest mice that live only in a small part of Luzon.

The discovery increased the number of the Luzon's native mammals, excluding bats,  to 49.

The findings were published in the May 2011 issue of Fieldiana, the peer-reviewed journal of the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH) in Chicago.

The 9 co-authors of the article include biologists from the University of the Philippines, the Philippine National Museum, Conservation International (CI) -Philippines, the Utah Museum of Natural History, and Florida State University.

The species are "wonderful little mice that live in forested regions high in the mountain… often abundant, [yet] they actively avoid humans and rarely cause any harm. They prefer to eat earthworms and seeds on the forest floor," said FMNH's Dr. Lawrence Heaney, project leader and the lead author of the Fieldiana article.

Two of the species live in Mt. Tapulao in Zambales; 2 in Mt. Banahaw; another 2 in the Mingan mountains of Aurora Province; and another in the Sierra Madre mountain range.

"The international community has recognized that our country has among the highest rates of discovery in the world. Filipinos should be aware of such discoveries, to show a collective pride and give a more positive meaning to the expression, 'only in the Philippines,'" Paje said in a press statement.

Need to protect habitat
Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau Director Theresa Mundita Lim said the discovery highlights the need to protect mountain forest habitats. "These animals are part of the rich biological heritage of the Philippines. The forests where they live in are crucial watershed areas for Manila and many other cities," she said.

Danilo Balete, the project's field team leader, said they were excited with the discovery. "It is extraordinary that so many new species of mammals remain to be discovered in the Philippines. In the past 10 years, we've published formal descriptions of 10 other species, while other biologists have described 5 more. And we are nowhere close to the end of our discoveries. The Philippines may have the greatest concentration of unique species of animals of any country in the world," he said.

Dr. Scott Steppan, co-author and head of the laboratory at Florida State University where the DNA of the animals were studied, said scientists should now consider the Philippines as "even better" than the Galapagos Islands. "The Philippines is an ideal place to study the evolution of animal diversity… These animals have been evolving in the Philippine archipelago for millions of years," he said.

Josefa Veluz, a Philippine National Museum biologist and co-author of the study, said the new species found in the Mingan mountains and Mt. Tapulao do not live in protected areas. She cautioned the public on the impact of logging, agricultural expansion, and illegal mining activities on wildlife and watersheds

"Protecting land and marine resources is key to maintaining healthy ecosystems which deliver services such as food, clean water, health, tourism and cultural benefits and a stable climate which are vital to the very survival of every Filipino. Although small in size, these little animals are part of our biodiversity which forms the basic foundation of healthy ecosystems," said Romeo Trono, country executive director of CI-Philippines.

The DENR said the Philippines is considered as one of the world's most threatened hotspots, where increased human activities cause the loss of animals' habitat.