05 Jul Jasaan’s Sailfin Lizards can walk on water! Witness this new found wildlife attraction
Source: Sunstar.com
The Philippines has indeed one of the most diverse biodiversities in the world with many species of plants and animals that could only be seen scattered in the archipelago. One of which animal species is the Philippine Sailfin Lizard which has an amazing ability to walk across the surface of the water.
The sailfin lizard can also be found in Barangay Solana in the municipality of Jasaan, Misamis Oriental is considered to be one of the growing tourist attractions in the municipality.
The increasing popularity of the tailfin lizards in Barangay Solana started when a couple, Alma and Rodolfo Dael, started feeding a pair of the lizards way back 2002 and have since reproduced over the years. A large community of the lizard is taking shelter on the banks of Solana River in the southern parts of the Barangay.
From Cagayan de Oro City, you could either take a ride by bus or by van to the center of Jasaan. From there, you could ride a motorcycle or “habal-habal” to Barangay Solana.
The area is open to the public so everybody has the freedom to watch and feed the animals with friends or family from 7:00 to 9:00 AM and 4:00 to 6:00 PM. It is also a nice place where you could appreciate the efforts of human beings in preserving the natural habitats of some animal species endemic to the Philippines.
The tailfin lizard is also an excellent swimmer apart from its ability to flatten its toes and walk across the surfaces of water so you are sure to be amazed how these little beings would create a nice captured motion in the camera.
Alma in an interview from Sunstar.com said that before the area was not yet popular among visitors, hunters would come to hunt for animals and most of the time, kill them. To stop people from killing the animals, she would usually shout at them or even fight with them. “ I would go out and try to fight the hunters off or shout at them when they are on the other side of the river,” she shared.
As of 2016, requests have been worked out to proclaim the area as a critical habitat with the collaboration of Barangay Solana and the local government.
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