Hello Ross and Kurt and All,
this is sensible matter to me. I'm working on a book together with
now 20 other authors in order to make the point of what we exactly
now about marine gastropods from the Philippines. 4 years of
intensive field experience and a little roaming around in literature
(still to finish) brings us to the following situation for the
Philippines:
Land and freshwater:
- virtually nothing has been done as far as I'm aware of, for about
80 years. Since Semper, Möllendorf, Hidalgo and Bartsch few things
moved. There was one active collector who collected a little in the
northern Islands in the seventies. I acquired the stocks from
Dayritt, about 100 species collected before 1960. Today, Bouchet from
the MNHN works together on projects with students from the San Carlos
University in Cebu. I collected a week in Siquijor and got probably a
60 % coverage of what is found there. I collected one week in Tablas
Island and got a 5 % coverage of what lives there. A couple of Manila
collectors explored a few square kilometers of the south of Palawan.
Occasionally one of the larger species arrives in the trade, but
these are almost accidents. Then there are the occasional collectors
who travel here and explore a few square kilometers. Last but not
least we got a couple of students working on small areas and doing
their job in conchology with the available literature here. After
their thesis they find no malacological job here and try to get out
of the country. That's it.
The biggest problems are:
1. The temperature - try to go up a mountain on a jungle path when
it's over 30° C. I did it a few times, it's killing.
2. There are 7000+ Islands, many very big, many without any western
comfort, and all need months to explore in depth and traveling to get
there.
3. Endemic shells are only where the original vegetation is still
present. When you see palm trees forget about the shells. So, the
areas where people are not are the unaccessible areas. These are in
general in the mountains, or in valleys on mountain slopes.
4. The big attractive ones are usually high in the trees and come
down only when very wet.
5. There are rebels in half of the country. It is strongly advised
not to go as a "white" person in southern Mindanao, but also
collecting in Bohol and Cebu Islands in the mountains represents a
true risk.
So: courage is the word. It's very hot, very jungle, very high,
occasionally very dangerous. Several times I climbed up hundreds of
meters on mountain slope to find only pieces of shells eaten by the
birds. The beauties are in the leaves at 10 m plus above the ground.
I no longer do that.
The Philippinos do not collect these shells any more for the same
reason: a month ago I found a dead big Amphidromus on the beach in
southern Leyte. I showed the shell around and told the people to get
them, pointing out the place where they live. 2 $ a piece and none of
the 20 people moved. One of them suggested he will do it, but not for
less than 10 $ a piece. I understand him, because me, I'll not go up
there and tear my clothes and skin apart for 10 $ a piece. And
because I cannot spend 1000 $ for 100 Amphidromus because there are
not 100 buyers, we know the species only from the figures in
Bartsch.... and the few types in a museum.
The big collections from the end of the last century have been made
in a time where shells were expensive - the financial motivation
brought all this material and the knowledge of the very existence of
these species to us. Bartsch collected in Mindoro - it is very
interesting to read his experiences there and one must admire the
courage of these conchologists traveling on horseback and following
the streams through difficult country.
Much of the freshwater is still OK, but then again, apparently nobody
has the time to explore in depth. There is a small booklet on the
subject I'm aware of.
So, 7000 Islands are waiting for the brave here and for sure hundreds
of new species to discover, even very big ones. From the ones we know
of, distribution maps to be made... and the collected material is
best preserved in alcohol - there is almost none available to science.
Next email on the marine shells.
Mabuhay from Mactan island, the Philippines.
Guido T. Poppe
Conchology, Inc.
Cebu Light Industrial Park,
Basak, Lapu-Lapu City,
Cebu, Philippines 6015
Phone #: +63 32 495 9990
Fax #: +63 32 495 9991
Websites: www.conchology.be
www.poppe-images.com
www.mambele.be
Email: [log in to unmask]
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