Mt. Pulag Tree-mouse

Mt. Pulag Tree-mouse in Baybayin!

The Mt. Pulag Tree-mouse (Musseromys beneficus) is one of the smallest of all cloud rats, and can only be found on Mt. Pulag. But there is a chance it also lives in other areas in the southern Cordillera 1.

It has rusty-brown fur with a large head compared to its body, and really long whiskers. It loves the mossy forests of Mt. Pulag where it was first found by scientists at around 2,695 meters high! This habitat is also full of canopy vines of the genus Smilax 2 (sounds like a DJ or ska band).

A rare photo of the Mt. Pulag Tree-mouse taken during surveys on Mt. Pulag. Photo by L. Heaney.

Also illustrated along with this little mouse is Dendrobium chrysographatum. A plant with small, pretty red flowers that can be found above 1,600 meters in Mountain Province, Mt. Data, and Benguet, among other areas 3.

Dendrobium chrysographatum

Mouse cousins

Among all the 4 Musseromys species that we know, it is most closely related to the Sierra Madre Tree-mouse (Musseromys anacuao)1. All 4 of them have a common ancestor which existed millions of years ago, most likely in the Cordillera mountain range2.

Phylogenetic tree of the Musseromys genus.
Unlike your family tree which shows relationships between relatives, this is a “phylogenetic tree”: it shows relationships between species! The Mt. Pulag Tree-mouse and the Sierra Madre Tree-mouse are closely-related, despite them living on completely different mountain ranges. There is a good chance that the species split occurred thanks to a “bridge”: the Caraballo Mountain Range. It connects both the Cordillera and the Sierra Madre mountain ranges (special thanks to a comment regarding this on the Facebook page).

The first three Mt. Pulag tree-mice ever found was in 2008. But because Filipinos in these areas still need to grow food and find places to live, the Mt. Pulag tree-mouse and the habitats we share with them are slowly disappearing.

Why is this species important?

  • These forests have a spiritual & direct importance to the people of Benguet. For the indigenous people of Mankayan for example, if springs are destroyed or dirtied, the balance necessary for life would be disturbed 4.
  • It lives in forest where people not only enjoy the outdoors by trekking or hiking, but where people also are dependent on forest resources (i.e bamboo, firewood, medicine). This species is a sign of how healthy the forest is. If the forest is not healthy enough for it, the forest is not healthy enough to sustain human health, and happiness.
  • These forests are ecosystems, or places where life and the physical environment together form connected relationships and sustain each other 5. The forest ecosystem is important because they deliver water to us, and they absorb carbon dioxide and help control our climate 6.
  • These species live on what we call Sky Islands. These are ancient areas of biodiversity high on top of mountains in the Philippines. We may not have temples like the long lost Aztecs or our neighboring Cambodians, but we have a living heritage: our Sky Islands!
Sky island infographic.

How you can help

  • Reach out to local DENR offices in Mountain Province, Benguet, and other provinces in the Cordillera and ask how you can volunteer or assist in existing programs, or even surveys of these areas.
  • Read studies and examples of successful conservation efforts that empower local communities. Use your resources to connect local organizations in the Cordillera with support, funding, training, and more to start or continue local conservation efforts.
  • If you are not from the Cordillera or are too far to visit, research into national forest laws that you can support, like the Forest Resources Bill.
  • Donate or volunteer with local environmental NGOs like the Haribon Foundation, Mabuwaya Foundation, and more.
  • Continue educating yourself and others on the importance of local biodiversity and ecosystems for people, and the planet.
  • Share the infographic below!
Mt. Pulag Tree-mouse artprint and infographic!
Get a high-resolution art print on Society6.

This artwork and research is dedicated to the late Danilo Balete

Danilo Balete was involved in the discovery of more than half of the known small mammals in the Philippines 7. Originally from Bicol, Balete introduced conservation measures on Mt. Isarog with the Haribon Foundation, and later worked on the Philippines mammal project of The Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois in the United States 8.

The species name beneficus is from the Latin for “beneficial”. It is in dedication to the benefactor who funded Balete’s high school and college education, and supported his interest in Philippine wildlife 2.

Danilo Balete passed away in 2017.

“It is extraordinary that so many new species of mammals remain to be discovered in the Philippines… In the past 10 years we’ve published formal descriptions of 10 other species, and other biologists have described five more. And we are nowhere close to the end of our discoveries. The Philippines may have the greatest concentration of unique species of animals of any country in the world.”

Danilo Balete, in an article in the ScienceDaily, “Seven new species of mammals discovered on Luzon, Philippines” (2011).

Cloud Rats of the Philippines

See more art or support my work

  • Get the infographic on an art print.
  • Support my research, work, and the production of visual informational materials for Philippine biodiversity (& more) at my Patreon!

Sources

  1. Heaney, Balete, et al. 2016. Mammals of Luzon Island.
  2. Heaney, Balete et al. 2014. Three New Species of Musseromys (Muridae, Rodentia).
  3. Pelser, Barcelona, et al. 2011 onwards. Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines. www.philippineplants.org.
  4. Forest Watershed Management Mankayan. Benguet.gov.ph. (Last accessed May 7, 2019).
  5. Khan Academy. “What is an ecosystem?” (Last accessed May 7, 2019).
  6. Sciencing.com. “The Importance of the Forest Ecosystem“. (Last accessed May 7, 2019).
  7. J. Alvarez. 2017. “Danny Balete: One of the finest field biologists the Philippines has ever seen.” University of the Philippines Los Baños. (Last accessed May 7, 2019).
  8. E. Gatumbato. 2017. “Danny B, a conservation hero.” The Visayan Daily Star.
  9. Special thanks to Dr. Heaney for taking the time to review and give recommendations to this particular infographic.

Publish date: April 25, 2019. Updated: January 26, 2021.