A blur of movement. A flash of fur. The glint of eyes in the dark.

Deep in the mountains of Palawan, scientists are capturing what few people ever see: the secret lives of the Philippines’ rarest species.

The mountains and islands of the Philippine archipelago harbor extraordinary numbers of species found nowhere else on Earth. Yet nearly a quarter of the country’s vertebrates are on the brink of extinction.

A recent Conservation International expedition to the rugged highlands of Mount Mantalingahan offers signs of hope: the area is still pulsing with rare wildlife.

“Every species we encounter here tells a story about the resilience and uniqueness of Palawan’s ecosystems,” said Erickson Tabayag of Conservation International–Philippines. “These sightings remind us why protecting Mount Mantalingahan is essential for the future of conservation in the Philippines.”

Tabayag and his team, including staff from the Mount Mantalingahan Protected Area and Indigenous guides from the Mantraverse Eco-Guide Association, spent weeks trekking through steep, remote terrain to retrieve data from dozens of camera traps. Along the way, they snapped photos of the wildlife they encountered. Here are some of the rare and remarkable species they’ve found so far.

Palawan eastern frog (Alcalus mariae)

This river-dwelling amphibian is an “indicator species,” meaning it’s sensitive to environmental changes and signals the health of its ecosystem. Found only on Palawan, it’s rarely seen — but Tabayag’s team documented six individuals along a mountain stream, one of the few field records ever made.

Palawan striped babbler (Zosterornis hypogrammicus)

This small, high-elevation bird lives only in Palawan’s mountain forests above 1,000 meters. “Their distinct calls and active foraging behavior made them relatively easy to detect,” Tabayag said.

Palawan soft-furred mountain rat (Palawanomys furvus)

Among the least-known mammals in the Philippines, this species has never been recorded outside Palawan’s mountains. “We couldn’t believe that one literally walked right by our campsite,” Tabayag recalled. “It wandered near our kitchen area, scavenging for vegetable scraps.

Other frogs The team also spotted the well-camouflaged Palawan horned frog (Pelobatrachus ligayae) and the Palawan shrub frog (Philautus longicrus), seen in both mossy-green and pale color forms — evidence of the island’s extraordinary amphibian diversity.

Other birds Highlights included the Palawan scops owl (Otus fuliginosus), a nocturnal species with a haunting call, and the Philippine mountain warbler (Phylloscopus nigrorum), a small, active songbird that helps control insect population.

Dazzling invertebrates Among the expedition’s most eye-catching finds were a hammerhead planarian (Diversibipalium cf. catenatum), a day-flying moth (Milionia cf. fulgida) shimmering with blue and orange, a tussock moth (Lymantria sp.) and a slender stick insect (Family Lonchodidae) perfectly disguised among twigs. “These encounters remind us how invertebrates, though often overlooked, are vital to forest health,” Tabayag said.

Spectacular flora Mount Mantalingahan’s unique soils have given rise to an astonishing variety of plants, including carnivorous species found nowhere else: the Mantalingahan pitcher plant (Nepenthes mantalingajanensis), the ultramafic sundew (Drosera ultramafica), and the delicate bladderwort (Utricularia cf. striatula), whose flowers resemble sunny-side-up eggs. The team also documented vivid orchids such as Coelogyne palawanensis, Spathoglottis palawanensis, and the helmet orchid (Corybas circinatus), named for its hood-like bloom.

These discoveries highlight Mount Mantalingahan as one of Palawan’s last great strongholds for wildlife. But this is only the beginning of a broader biodiversity monitoring program. With thousands of images still awaiting review, Tabayag and his team believe there are many more discoveries to come.

“Each photo offers another reason to protect this remarkable refuge,” Tabayag said.

Will McCarry is the content director at Conservation International. Want to read more stories like this?  Sign up for email updates. Also, please consider supporting our critical work.