Last 12 October 2017, a dead snake was sighted in the Molawin Creek located inside the Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG). A group of students went to the Molawin Creek in MBG to conduct their laboratory exercise on Bio 150 under Dr. Daniel Edison M. Husana, when they saw a dead snake in the creek. The snake was identified as the Smooth-scaled Mountain Rat Snake or Ptyas luzonensis, an endemic to the Philippines. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Ptyas luzonensis is considered a threatened species. It is well-known in the islands of Negros, Catanduanes, Luzon, Panay and Polilio. It is usually found in the lowlands, between 250 and 1000 meters above sea level (masl).
Mr. Marvin Jay R. Sarmiento, an avid naturalist performed the taxidermy of the snake with the help of his wife Ms. Princes C. Sarmiento. The Smooth-scaled Mountain Rat Snake will join the animals featured in the Rainforest Biodiversity Diorama in the MBG lobby. The diorama shows the typical forest fauna and flora inside the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve ASEAN Heritage Park (MMFR AHP).
AALimpiada
