MANILA, Philippines—Seven new species of mice have been found by local and US scientists in the mountains of the Philippines, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has said.
The discovery, documented by the respected Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago in its May 2011 journal, showcases the country’s vast, but threatened biodiversity, the DENR said in a statement.
The mice were found in heavily-forested mountain ranges on the main Philippine island of Luzon.
Lawrence Heaney, lead author of the 2011 journal, was quoted as saying they were “wonderful little mice that… actively avoid humans and rarely cause any harm.
“They prefer to eat earthworms and seeds on the forest floor.”
The date of the expedition was not disclosed. Scientists from Philippine and US universities and museums took part, the department said.
The department warned the habitats of many of the new species were not protected areas, making them vulnerable to logging and illegal mining.
Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said the new discoveries were further proof that the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, had some of the greatest diversity in animal and plant species in the world.
The Philippines also had the greatest rates of discoveries of new species, he said in the statement.
Earlier this month, a joint Philippine-American scientific expedition announced that in its exploration in May it had found possibly scores of new species.
They included a new variety of shark, new species of eels, insects, sea slugs and sea urchins although further study is needed to confirm if they are really new to science. –Agence France-Presse
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
“Safety and health at work every day!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations against serious violations of Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government
(NUG) of Myanmar.
Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideos
Monthly Observances:
March – Women’s Role in History Month
April – Month of Planet Earth
Weekly Observances:
Last Week of March: Protection and Gender Fair Treatment of the Girl Child Week
Last Week of April – World Immunization Week
Daily Observances:
Mar 25 – International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transallantic Slave Trade
Mar 27– Earth Hour
Apr 21 – Civil Service Day
Apr 22 – World Earth Day
Apr 28 – World Day for Safety and Health at Work
