"Animals in thePhilippines"

 

 

The Carabao, the "National Animal"

The National Animal of the Philippines is the carabao, the Asian Water Buffalo!

If you travel through the countryside, you sure will discover the carabao. 

The carabao (water buffalo) is still a very important draught-animal on the

rice-fields. The carabao is also used for pulling activities in the forest. If not working, the water buffalo  can be seen while it is resting, many times in a place of water and mud. That's a standard activity of the animal too!

The Paragos

 

The farmers often use the "Paragos", a wooden apparatus, to flatten the land for farming. 

By standing on it, the pressure is enough to flatten the land in a sufficient way. Some farms  have already machinery. This is especially in low lying regions. Using tractors is more efficient, because it is a much faster way of working. However, not so many farmers will financially be able to invest in machinery. Most farmers are too poor for mechanization. At times, they rent the tractors of those who have it.

The preference to use the carabao is still common, especially in upland regions.

In the waters of the Philippines

there are more than 2000 different kinds of fish. Added to that figure, the country counts about 200 different kinds of reptiles and 25000 different insects. The smallest monkey and the biggest fish in the world, they both live in the Philippines! Spectacular is the colourful underwater-world. Every year many tourists come to the Philippines to one of the islands, where scuba diving brings them to this amazing underwater-world.  

The Philippines can show you what a typical tropical country can offer in species of animals. Of course, not all animals are rare or specific for the Philippines. That is for sure if you take the carabao, the cocks or the lizards. 

 

Mga Tokó, as the people in de Visayas call the small lizards, are living in houses and other buildings in every tropical country.