The Philippine sailfin lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus), locally known as ibid, calls the lower Solana River as its home but conservation experts said its population was dwindling rapidly because of hunting. ADVERTISEMENTTo protect the lizard, the Protected Area Management and Biodiversity Conservation Section (PAMBCS) of the DENR recommended the declaration of parts of this town’s river, where the lizards live, as a critical habitat. Noro said the provincial government of Misamis and the local government of this town have been “very supportive” of the move. The provincial government had initiated the bid to declare the lizard habitat as critical, according to Noro. ADVERTISEMENTDonato Bojo, zoology technician of the regional PAMBCS office, said he was confident that the sailfin lizard habitat would be declared as a protected area in the next few months.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 11, 2018 21:22 UTC