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Lake Ngardok
Lake Ngardok is a lake on the Palauan island of Babeldaob, in the State of Melekeok. It is the largest natural freshwater lake in all of the islands of Micronesia. The lake and the marshes surrounding it are a refuge for the endangered saltwater crocodile (ius), and it is an important breeding location for them. The Ngerdorch River serves as a route that connects crocodiles with the sea. The lake is approximately 493 hectares with an ecosystem that provides a habitat for plants, wildlife, and birds, some of which are found only in the Palau Islands. These include the endemic Palau fruit dove (''biib''), Palau fantail (''melimdelebdeb''), Micronesian imperial-pigeon (''belochel''), common moorhens and Pacific black ducks (both called ''debar''), Palau flycatcher (''charmelachull''), and a fruit bat species (''olik''). The Chief Council of Melekeok State has established the Ngardok Nature Reserve to protect the watershed's slow degradation process, because the importance of the f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melekeok
Melekeok is a state of the Republic of Palau located on the central east coast of Babeldaob Island. The seat of government of the country, Ngerulmud, is located in the state. The state consists of long beaches, hills, steep ridges, rivers, and the largest and only natural freshwater lake in the Republic of Palau and Micronesia, Lake Ngardok. Political system The state of Melekeok, with population of less than 300, has an elected chief executive, governor. The state also has a legislature elected every four years. The state population elects one of the members in the House of Delegates of Palau. Geography Melekeok, located on the central east coast of Babeldaob, includes long stretches of sandy beaches and the broad Ngerdorch River valley which begins at Lake Ngardok, Lake Ngerdok, the largest fresh water lake in Palau. Melekeok extends from the lagoon on the east coast to the Rael Kedam, the central divide on Babeldaob Island, and situated between Ngiwal on the north and by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Micronesian Imperial-pigeon
The Micronesian imperial pigeon (''Ducula oceanica''), also known as the Micronesian pigeon, and Belochel is a species of bird in the family Columbidae (doves). It is found in Palau, the Caroline Islands, the Marshall Islands and Nauru. Its habitats include montane forests, secondary forests, forests on beaches, and mangroves. It is threatened by hunting and deforestation, and the IUCN has assessed it as a near-threatened species. Taxonomy The species was first described as ''Columba oceanica'' in 1826. The binomial authority was formerly considered to be Lesson & Garnot, but it is now given as Desmarest. Five subspecies are recognized: ''D. o. monacha'' in Palau and Yap, ''D. o. teraokai'' on Chuuk, ''D. o. townsendi'' on Pohnpei, ''D. o. oceanica'' on Kosrae, and ''D. o. ratakensis'' in the Marshall Islands. Description The Micronesian imperial pigeon is about long and weighs . The head and neck are ashy grey. The back and wing coverts are dark green, reflecting dark blue. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lakes Of Palau
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger oceans, they do form part of the Earth's water cycle. Lakes are distinct from lagoons, which are generally coastal parts of the ocean. Lakes are typically larger and deeper than ponds, which also lie on land, though there are no official or scientific definitions. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams, which usually flow in a channel on land. Most lakes are fed and drained by rivers and streams. Natural lakes are generally found in mountainous areas, rift zones, and areas with ongoing glaciation. Other lakes are found in endorheic basins or along the courses of mature rivers, where a river channel has widened into a basin. Some parts of the world have many lakes formed by the chaotic drainage patterns left over from the last ice ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ngerulmud
Ngerulmud () is the seat of government of the Republic of Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. It replaced Koror City, Palau's largest city, as the capital in 2006. The settlement is located in the state of Melekeok on Babeldaob, the country's largest island, located northeast of Koror City and northwest of Melekeok City. It is the least-populous capital city of a sovereign nation in the world. Etymology The name Ngerulmud precedes the area's designation as capital. It refers to the hill, overlooking the ocean, that dominates the site. ''Ngerulmud'' is derived from a Palauan phrase meaning "place of fermented angelfish". The last syllable, ''mud'', is the Palauan word for '' Centropyge tibicen'', also known as the keyhole angelfish. In the past, under a local tradition, women gathered on the hill to offer fermented angelfish to the gods. History The previous capital of Palau was located provisionally in Koror. The country's constitution, ratified in 1979, direct ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fruit Bat
Megabats constitute the family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera (bats). They are also called fruit bats, Old World fruit bats, or—especially the genera ''Acerodon'' and ''Pteropus''—flying foxes. They are the only member of the superfamily Pteropodoidea, which is one of two superfamilies in the suborder Yinpterochiroptera. Internal divisions of Pteropodidae have varied since subfamilies were first proposed in 1917. From three subfamilies in the 1917 classification, six are now recognized, along with various tribes. As of 2018, 197 species of megabat had been described. The leading theory of the evolution of megabats has been determined primarily by genetic data, as the fossil record for this family is the most fragmented of all bats. They likely evolved in Australasia, with the common ancestor of all living pteropodids existing approximately 31 million years ago. Many of their lineages probably originated in Melanesia, then dispersed over time to mainland Asia, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palau Flycatcher
The Palau flycatcher (''Myiagra erythrops'') is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is endemic to Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the .... Taxonomy and systematics Some authorities consider the Palau flycatcher to be a subspecies of the oceanic flycatcher. Alternate names include mangrove flycatcher, Micronesian broadbill, Palau broadbill, Palau Myiagra flycatcher, rufous-faced flycatcher and rufous-faced Myiagra flycatcher. References External linksPhoto on Flickr Myiagra Birds of Palau Endemic birds of Palau Birds described in 1868 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Monarchidae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pacific Black Duck
The Pacific black duck (''Anas superciliosa''), commonly known as the PBD, is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the north and French Polynesia in the east. It is usually called the gray duck in New Zealand, where it is also known by its Maori name, . Taxonomy The Pacific black duck was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's ''Systema Naturae''. He placed it with all the other ducks, geese and swans in the genus ''Anas'' and coined the binomial name ''Anas superciliosa''. Gmelin based his description on the "Supercilious duck" that had been described in 1785 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his ''A General Synopsis of Birds''. The naturalist Joseph Banks had provided Latham with a water-colour drawing of the duck by Georg Forster who had accompanied Jam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Moorhen
The common moorhen (''Gallinula chloropus''), also known as the waterhen or swamp chicken, is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World. The common moorhen lives around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals and other wetlands. The species is not found in the polar regions or many tropical rainforests. Elsewhere it is likely the most common rail species, except for the Eurasian coot in some regions. The closely related common gallinule of the New World has been recognized as a separate species by most authorities, starting with the American Ornithologists' Union and the International Ornithological Committee in 2011. Name The name ''mor-hen'' has been recorded in English since the 13th century. The word ''moor'' here is an old sense meaning ''marsh''; the species is not usually found in moorland. An older name, common waterhen, is more descriptive of the bird's habitat. A "watercock" is not a male "waterhen" but the rail ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palau Fantail
The Palau fantail (''Rhipidura lepida'') is a species of bird in the fantail family Rhipiduridae. It is endemic to Palau. Taxonomy and systematics The species is closely related to and forms a superspecies with the long-tailed fantail of the Tanimbar Islands, the Sulawesi fantail of Sulawesi, the tawny-backed fantail of Buru and the streak-breasted fantail of Seram, all in Indonesia. The specific name, ''lepida'', was given to the species when it was described by Hartlaub and Finsch in 1868, and is Latin, ''lepidus'' for 'charming'.Boles, W. (2017). Palau Fantail (Rhipidura lepida). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/59158 on 26 March 2017). Description The Palau fantail is a typical fantail, short-bodied and long-tailed, measuring . The , , back and upper tail are cinnamon. The throat and are white and the breast is black ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ngerdorch River
The Ngerdorch River is a river in Palau that runs from Lake Ngardok to the sea through the states of Melekeok and Ngchesar Ngchesar also known as Oldiais is one of the sixteen states of the nation of Palau in Oceania. History The terraces in the village of Ngerngesang are examples of archaeological sites in the area, through radiocarbon dating, are believed to da .... The Ngerdorch River serves as a route that connects crocodiles with the sea. Rivers of Palau Melekeok Ngchesar {{Oceania-river-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palau Fruit Dove
The Palau fruit dove (''Ptilinopus pelewensis'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Palau and it is also Palau's national bird. Description The Palau fruit dove is long and weighs around . The species has a grey head, neck and breast with a purple cap and yellow line. There is an orange band across the lower breast and belly and olive-green back, wings and tail. Both sexes are alike. Juvenile birds resemble the adults but lack the purple cap, the green upperparts are lined with yellow and the belly is yellow. Distribution and habitat The Palau fruit dove is endemic to Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ..., where it is common in all habitats across the island. The species declined due to hunting prior to 1945, but has rebounded with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saltwater Crocodile
The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 1996. It was hunted for its skin throughout its range up to the 1970s, and is threatened by illegal killing and habitat loss. It is regarded as dangerous to humans. The saltwater crocodile is considered to be the largest living reptile. Males can grow up to a length of , rarely exceeding , and a weight of . Females are much smaller and rarely surpass . It is also called the estuarine crocodile, Indo-Pacific crocodile, marine crocodile, sea crocodile, and informally as the saltie. A large and opportunistic hypercarnivorous apex predator, they ambush most of their prey and then drown or swallow it whole. They are capable of prevailing over almost any animal that enters their territory, including ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
