Reptiles

Philippine Freshwater Crocodile

One of the world’s and Philippines’s most endangered reptile species is the Philippine freshwater crocodile. According to National Geographic, there are only around 250 estimated to be left in the  wild. The main cause for the endangerment of this species is unsustainable fishing. Source: NationalGeographic.com

Other causes for the dwindling numbers of this species is hunting for their meat and more importantly, habitat destruction for agricultural purposes to accommodate rapidly expanding human growth. Source: Philippine Crocodile

Crocodiles have very important roles in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. The presence of crocodiles in the water actually increase the yield of fish, as crocodiles were observed to feed on ailing fish in a significantly higher proportion than healthy fish, thus helping to improve the fish stock in rivers. Also, they prey mostly on common fish in the rivers, helping to keep these fish populations stable. In addition to that, crocodile droppings are also nutritious to the fish and contain critically important chemicals. The endangerment of these species may mean that other aquatic species are also affected. (Van der Ploeg, Cauillan-Cureg, Van Weerd & Persoon, 2011)