Smithsonian officially declares Luzon as having “greatest concentration of unique mammals” in the world

Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum and science complex, just declared that Luzon “has the greatest concentration of unique mammals” in the world — even more than Madagascar! 

The Smithsonian’s online magazine recently shared an article originally published on The Conversation, a website for the academic and research community, saying “Luzon is a biological treasure trove.”

A part of The Conversation report reads, “…out of 56 species of mammals (not including bats) on the island, a staggering 52 were found to be endemic. With 93% of its non-flying mammals found nowhere else on Earth, Luzon is a biological treasure trove.”

According to the study by the scientists of Field Museum in Chicago, the size of Luzon makes it unique compared to other islands known for its biodiversity.

“The team puts it down to the island’s size – at more than 40,000 square miles, it’s larger than Cuba or Iceland… With lots of space (in different habitats) and across lots of time, Luzon has given any colonising animals just the right ingredients to adapt and evolve into new species.”

Congratulations, Luzon, for helping make the world a better place by being an awesome home to so many unique species! Let’s not mess this up, okay?



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