A small island in the Philippines has produced a big reminder, scientists are still finding animals that exist nowhere else.
Scientists have confirmed that Sibuyan Island in Romblon is home to a gecko species found only there, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Mimaropa said, according to The Inquirer.
Published in the peer-reviewed journal PeerJ, the species description says the fringed forest gecko is a distinct evolutionary lineage based on morphological and molecular evidence gathered by researchers Camila G. Meneses and Rafe M. Brown.
The species honors the late Filipino taxonomist and ecologist Dr. James D. V. Alvarez for his contributions to Philippine biodiversity research and conservation.
Researchers based the discovery on specimens collected in Sibuyan’s forests, on an island that includes Mount Guiting-Guiting Natural Park, a protected area regarded as one of the country’s most biologically important.
Sibuyan’s long isolation and large number of unique plants and animals are why it is often called the “Galápagos of Asia,” The Inquirer reported.
DENR Mimaropa said the recent discoveries of Platymantis guiting and Luperosaurus alvarezi suggest the island still holds species that have not yet been described by science.
The Inquirer noted that the Philippines is counted among the world’s megadiverse countries.
The find points to a need for stronger conservation across the Romblon Island Group, researchers said.
Even within a protected area, Sibuyan’s forest ecosystems still face illegal logging, habitat degradation, and other human-driven pressures, The Inquirer reported.
DENR Mimaropa said ongoing biodiversity surveys, scientific studies, and joint conservation efforts are critical to protecting the country’s natural heritage.
The agency also credited “Filipino and international scientists, protected area managers, local government units, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, academic institutions, and conservation partners” with helping make the discovery possible.
DENR Mimaropa said the find “further strengthens Sibuyan Island’s status as one of the Philippines’ premier biodiversity strongholds” and “underscores the need to protect its remaining forests.”
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