Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary
The Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the valley of the Agusan, in the east of the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It was established on 31 October 1996 with the entry into force of Presidential Proclamation 913 in the area of the province of Agusan del Sur. He is considered as the initial component of the National Integrated Protected Areas System of the Philippines. The Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary belongs since 1999 to the six conservation areas of the Philippines were designated as Ramsar sites. Since 2006, the nature reserve is on the short list of the Philippines for inclusion in the World Heritage List of UNESCO.
The nearest towns are Bayugan City and Butuan City. The Agusan marsh is one of the largest contiguous inland delta of the Philippines, this is made possible by the situation in the middle Agusan Basin. It extends from Lumao lake near Talacogon in the north to the village of Veruela in the south.
It is divided into a core area of 14,836 hectares and a buffer zone of 4,360 hectares. The entire area is covered by lakes. It is fed by the Agusan River, which crosses coming from the hills east of Mindanao the area.
The territory of Agusan marshland is part of the climate type IV without pronounced rainy and dry seasons, the rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year. The annual rainfall is 3,600 mm, with an evaporation rate of 1341 mm, specified. The Agusan Marsh is located south of the Pacific TYPHOON. In addition to the Agusan still flow eight other rivers in the area of the march, the Adgaoan, the Umayan, the Biga, the Baolo, the AOAO, the Simulao, the Sulibao and Gibong.
The Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary is divided into mangrove forests ( 49%), bushland ( 14%), alluvial soil with low vegetation ( 7%), rice fields ( 6%) and small villages ( 6%), the resident population is indigenous and belong to the peoples of the Manobo and Higaonon.
The marshland is an important habitat for water birds, wild ducks, herons and egrets. The area also occurrences of rare Old World snake neck bird ( Anhinga melanogaster ), the purple chicken ( Porphyrio porphyro ) and the Philippine eagle, the spotted Fruit Dove ( Ducula carola ) and the Rotrückenfischers ( Ceyx rufidorsa ) have been observed. A total of 102 bird species have been recorded in the reserve.
Furthermore, the Agusan Wildlife Sanctuary is a refuge of reticulated pythons (Python reticulatus ) and the Philippine Cobra (Naja philippinensis ). There live in the reserve, the two occurring in the Philippines crocodile species, the saltwater crocodile ( Crocodylus porosus ) and the Philippine crocodile ( Crocodylus mindorensis ). The marshland has a significant number of Repitilien, such as the Water monitor ( Varanus salvator ) and the kite ornatus Draco and Draco bimaculatus.
A total of nine species of amphibians such as the Pelphryne lighti, Kalophrynus pleurostigma, Kaloula conjunta, Occidozyga laevis Platymantis guentheri, Platymantis dorsalis, Rana grandocula, Rana everetti and Sturois be recorded natator in Agusan Wildlife Sanctuary.
In reserve were 65 butterfly and 16 species of fish found in counts, including indigenous carp and invasive species such as the Niltilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ), the guppy ( Poecilia reticulata ), the Spotted Gourami ( Trichogaster trichopterus ), the pleco Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus and the walking catfish ( Clarias batrachus ).
Walking catfish
Saltwater Crocodile
Bindenwaran