Mount Shungol


Mount Shungol is an ultra-prominent summit to the west of Lae, in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. It is in the Herzog Mountain Range and has an elevation of. The Buang people claim ownership to the top of Mount Shungol.

Locale

Dambi Peak is located to the South West, Snake River along the South East base, Aria and Tuoima Creeks to the North West and Wampit River to the West. Omalia and Bupa Missions are West of Mount Shungol while Wago Mission is to the East.

Endemic fauna

Albericus frog

A new species of Albericus from Mt. Shungol has been discovered and inhabits lowland hill forest from the slopes of Mt. Shungol. Albericus is a genus of microhylid frogs endemic to New Guinea. These are small frogs with maximum body length around 27 mm. The genus name Albericus is the Latin form of Alberich, shape-shifting dwarf in the epic poem Nibelungenlied.

Cophixalus frog

The Cophixalus albolineatus whose habitat is the northwestern slope of Mount Shungol. Cophixalus is a genus of microhylid frogs. These are arboreal species with expanded toe-pads, endemic to Moluccan Islands, New Guinea and northeastern Queensland, Australia.

Citrogramma

is a genus of hoverfly of the insect family Syrphidae whose habitat is on Mount Shungol.

Solanum

is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, including two food crops of the highest economic importance, the potato and the tomato. Hartleya Sleum is only known from Mount Shungol.

Birds-of-Paradise

Many species of Birds-of-Paradise are endemic to the area. Among one of these is the brown sicklebill. The brown sicklebill is a dark blue and green bird-of-paradise with highly iridescent plumages, a sickle-shaped bill, pale blue iris and brown underparts. Mount Shungol and Mount Missim comprise a centre of endemism for many bird subspecies.