The Museum of Natural History: Naturally Historical

 Okay fine, we get it. The title isn't so BOOM! Just cause it's about Natural History, doesn't mean it isn't cool! and..

The Museum of Natural History wasn’t just your typical museum.

No, it was more awesome than that. 

Well, for starters, after we ate a heavy lunch in such a crowded bus filled with absolutely nothing but antics and misbehavior, expectations were running through our heads.We knew that the Philippines was rich in extraordinary animals and plants, extinct or endangered.The discoveries were great and memorable and have found a place in history, forgotten or not. Well, what would you expect? Well, at first, we expected things like preserved animals and a really good assortment of things we can go crazy about. But sadly, that was not to be true. We have forgotten, that this museum was called, Museum of Natural History. That just means one thing, well, two; One, It's history, it's old, fragile and dead, (well ,most) yet interesting. Two, it's natural. It's real, meaning, we can't touch anything.

We couldn’t touch ANYTHING (Grabby hands)! It was sad, because the displays were AWESOME, everything from stuffed snakes to animal fetuses (You got that right, baby animals that weren't born yet),  insects, from the bones of a whale, minerals, rocks, fungi, bacteria , locusts; yup, you name it! We also met quite a lot of organisms along the way. 

Like the Bayawak, the Philippine Crocodile (Don’t worry, it didn’t bite. Remember? It's history..) and the grass owl. All of them dead and preserved but still, awesome just the same. Then we came across the tapeworms and the bacteria; such as the Bacillus and the ring worms, you know, the parasites eating away the nutrients you try so hard to get. Hahaha, just kidding, but no seriously, they eat the nutrients you have in there.


Anyway, here are some of the interesting organisms we encountered during our stay inside the walls of Museum of Natural History.

The Bayawak, Philippine crocodile

 This is Crocodylus mindorensis, or commonly pertained to as the Bayawak or the Philippine crocodile. Here's a little bit of information you need, just to know him a lot better. Crikey!

The bayawak is a carnivorous consumer that mostly hides in lush places and tree trunks.They have a relatively broad snout and thick bony plates on its back (heavy dorsal armor).They may look fierce as you may say,but their lives are badly threatened by our inhuman acts. That's why its time for us to go into action, let us help preserve their species by doing what we can!


Moving on, here is its taxonomic classification:

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Crocodilia Family: Crocodylidae  Genus: Crocodylus Species: C. mindorensis

This, my friend, is the nocturnal 
Tyto longimembris, or commonly known as The Eastern Grass Owl.  It is found in tall grasslands and in swampy countries.  

It is a consumer and is a specialist in hunting small rodents. This amazing creature stands from 12.5 inches to 15 inches and can weigh up to 450 grams.
Its taxonomic classification:
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves  Order: Stringiformes  Family: Tytonideae Genus: Tyto Species: T. longimembris

 Rainbows are pretty awesome, and so is this  Erythrura viridifacies or the Green-faced Parrotfinch. How we wonder how colorful the sky will be if it stretches its wings  and fly. 


The Green-faced Parrotfinch is a rather small consumer that is endemic to the Philippines. It is closely associated with floewering or seeding bamboos, which are a key dietary component.

Taxonomic classification:
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Estrildidae Genus: Erythrura Species: E. viridifacies
What a creation isn't it? From its cute black eyes to its beautiful wings full of vivid colors. 

Now let's talk about the smaller and the simpler living things. What about, Protists? Mentioned before by Wasabi, I'm sure you are familiar with them. Meet another dangerous friend of ours, Paramecium.
The Paramecium is an oval, slipper shaped micro-organism . It is unicellular, it has a cilia covered body, and is found in fresh water habitats. The Paramecium feeds on bacteria, algae, yeasts and small cells,however, it is being preyed by Didinium.
Taxonomic Classification: 
Kingdom: Protista  Phylum: Ciliophora Class: Cilatea Order: Peniculida Family: Parameciidea Genus: Paramecium

The Wonderful Orange Shelf Fungi 

You might not be able to recognize the picture in the left, that's why we will introduce you to this captivating organism. Dear reader, meet Polyporus sanguineus.

The Orange Shelf Fungi (Polyporus sanguineus) is a kind of fungi that eats dead logs and decomposes the dead. It belongs to a kind of fungi called  Shelf fungi, meaning it makes shelves or brackets to produce spores above the ground. Their spores make them different from all the other fungi. 

Its Taxonomic Classification: 

Kingdom: Fungi Phylum: Basiodiomycota Class: Basidiomycetes Order: Polyporales Family: Polyporaceae Genus: Polyporus Species: P. sanguineus

The cocci-shaped archaen

Finally, we are down to this strange-looking creature, Caldisphaera lagunensis. 

 Caldisphaera lagunensis is an anaerobic archaen. it grows on a temperature from 70-80 degrees Celsius. It is resistant to antibiotics and grows on a low sanity. Its growth is stimulated by the presence of sulfur.  Although it is small, this organism utilizes starch, glycogen, gelatin, beef extract, yeast extract, and peptone as carbon and energy sources. 


This organism is endemic to the Philippines. It is isolated in one of the hot springs in Laguna ("The Mud Spring").


Taxonomic Classification: 


Kingdom:ArchaeaPhylum:  Crenarchaeota  Class: Thermoprotei Order: Caldisphaerales  Family: Curculionoidea Genus: Caldisphaera Species:  C. lagunensis



These are just 6 out of all the many wonders found in the museum, and millions more are to be seen wandering all over the world. But remember, dear reader, as we always say, protect their lives,for they  are like treasures, precious and priceless. And just to let you guys know, once you visit the Museum of Natural History, trust us, you won't be bored. Because for us, it is probably even one of the best sites we've been to. 


Now, who's hungry for some lunch? Cause, fellow adventurer, you'll just have to wait till' our next adventure to the...


Internationational Rice Research Institute or IRRI. Don't forget your side dishes and appetizers, cause this is a good one!


Till' next time! 

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/199/450183727_bf86bad861.jpg

http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/ArchOLD-7/1188651562.jpg

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=8685

http://www.avianweb.com/images/birds/finches/pintailedparrotfinch.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGT3uXChhBmubEIlgU9jTP28Nc9L9H1eaRHiScTLpS2ZWCxV7KOUi9QGksRkTBbxmZFyJmQayE34uJ6BIZl1Z9qg4fU8IrwvXBg16oyIli3NGScADaw9ZCZFFWHiTL3EpR-v8zibvmSGVt/s400/Paramecium.jpg