Heartbeats Unimaginably So Very Slow

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I never knew before that some animals can have heartbeats unimaginably so very slow. The heart has to pump blood through its intricate system of arteries, veins and valves towards the lungs to remove carbon dioxide and to allow general blood circulation in an animal's body through a major artery, the aorta. This mechanism serves the following functions: provide much needed oxygen, remove carbon dioxide from the blood, distribute nutrients, and remove bodily waste in general.

Among those animals known to have the slowest heartbeat are the blue whales at four heartbeats per minute. It can afford to do so because of its big size. Browsing the internet, I discovered that a relatively smaller animal can even have a slower heartbeat at only two heartbeats per minute. These are the crocodiles.

Find out how crocodiles do it among other facts in a featured article titled "What Animal Has the Slowest Heartbeat Ever".

Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats

Are vampire bats really blood-sucking mammals as its name connotes?

While looking for facts about this mammal, trying to verify if these animals are really blood-sucking like vampires are portrayed on stories and films, I discovered a lot of facts. While these animals are associated with the supernatural and treated with disdain, they serve some purpose to man. They are not blood sucking but may surreptitiously feed on any warm-blooded animal including man.

More on these remarkable animals here.

Palawan Bearcat: Neither Bear Nor Cat

Palawan Bearcats (Arctictis binturong) exist only in Palawan in the Philippines as it is an endemic species. They are, however, neither bear nor cats as people might think because of its name. Locally named binturong, the bearcat belongs to Family Viverridae which includes civets and genets. Civets are small mammals frequenting trees (arboreal)which produce a distinctive musk. Genets, on the other hand, are catlike (but unrelated to cats) and likewise have musk glands. are Genets are superficially cat-like creatures, despite being unrelated to cats.

Notable among the bear cats are their prehensile tail which they also use to communicate. More on these animals here.

Visit Palawaniana for more information on Palawan's wildlife.

Wild Pigs and Pig Bombs

Wild pigs once are abundant in the forests of Palawan. But with an ingenious device, the "pig bomb" as the locals call it, the wild pig population was almost wiped out.

Here's the story.

More on mammals in Palawan here.

Remarkable Family Protecting A Patch of Reef

A family took the pains of protecting a patch of reef (or what's left of it after lots of destructive methods of fishing) in front of their simple home supported by posts piled through the soft sand.

After almost two decades of keeping the reef intact, marine life returned and thrived. Coral colonies grew and new recruits replaced the old ones. Likewise, reef fishes of various kinds lived and fed on the reef.

Family values do matter. More on this story here.

Symbiotic Relationship Between the Mouse Deer and the Python

The Balabac Mouse deer or Pilandok is a major protein source for the native Molbogs of Balabac Island, Palawan. Generally shy, the mouse deer takes refuge in burrows dug under trees. These underground holes become favorite habitats also to pythons, which appear to be ‘friendly’ with the mouse deer. Natives described the relationship mutual. Accordingly, when the mouse deer is hunted with the aid of dogs, and when the mouse deer takes refuge in its hole, the python lies in wait to prey on the dogs. There is a symbiotic relationship between the mouse deer and the python.

More on this story here.

People's Beliefs Determine Their Behavior Towards the Reefs

Once upon a time, when a fisher docked on Marangas Island to rest, a slither of snakes approached him and frightened the hell out of him. He was damn scared he jumped to his boat and paddled with all his might.


That incident went through the grapevine and from then on, nobody dared approached or fish near the island. The people believed that island was enchanted.

Recently, a group of SCUBA divers came to the area and noticed that rocky, but scenic island. Despite warning by the fisher-boat operator that the island is enchanted, the group explored the reef surrounding the island. Many large, tabulate corals were found, virtually untouched. The reefs were conserved because of people's belief that the place is enchanted. People's beliefs determine their behavior towards the reefs.

More on this story here.