Galapagos Islands endangered species

The Animals in the Galapagos Islands are generally classified as endemic, native or introduced. Endemic animals are the ones that are only found on the Galapagos Islands and found nowhere else in the world in a natural habitat.

A good example of this would be the Flightless Cormorant. Native animals are the ones found naturally in the Galapagos Islands, but also found naturally in other places in the world, such as the Nazca Booby. Introduced species are species in the Galapagos Islands that are not found in their natural habitat, such as rats, dogs, and goats.

Introduced species are a very important threat to the Galapagos Islands environment and ecosystem and are kept under strict watch, while endemic species are a large concern of the Galapagos National Park in order to preserve their kind and avoid extinction.

The endemic fauna includes invertebrate, reptile and bird species. There are a few indigenous mammals. All the reptiles, except for two marine tortoises, are endemic. These include the Galápagos giant tortoise, with 11 subspecies on different islands, all of which are endangered, terrestrial iguanas, marine iguana, three racer species, numerous lizards of the genus and geckos.

The native avifauna includes 57 residents, of which 26 (46%) are endemic and 31 are regular migrants. Endemic taxa include 13 species of Darwin's finches, including Floreana tree finch and mangrove finch. Other noteworthy species include dark-rumped petrel, Galápagos flightless cormorant, Galápagos penguin, lava gull, Floreana mockingbird, Galápagos hawk, lava heron, nocturnal swallow-tailed gull, Galápagos rail, thick-billed flycatcher, Galápagos martin and Galápagos dove.

The native mammalian fauna includes six species: Galápagos fur seal, Galápagos sea lion, two species of rice rat, bat and hoary bat. Marine fauna includes several species of sharks, rays and Cetaceans. Green turtle and hawksbill turtle are common in surrounding waters, with the former nesting on sandy beaches.

* Click on each animal´s name to display or hide the information

The Marine Iguana is a reptile endemic to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador; the Marine Iguana is the only iguana in the world with the unique ability to live and hunt food in the sea. This iguana can dive up to 10 meters (30 ft.) in the ocean and as a coldblooded animal, is very dark in color. This iguana is found on nearly all of the islands in the archipelago, and can often be spotted on rocky shores, in marshes, and on mangrove beaches where it basks in the sun to obtain energy. Its tail is flat, allowing it to swim easily and fast through the Galapagos waters.

The Galapagos Shark is found in the waters of the Galapagos Islands in the clear reef environments, where it is often the most abundant shark species. These sharks can grow up to 3.7 meters (12 ft.) and are often found in large groups. The Galapagos Shark is an active predator and feeds on bottom-dwelling fish and cephalopods, but the larger individuals may have a more varied diet, including other sharks, marine iguanas, sea lions, and garbage.

The Galapagos Penguin is a small penguin endemic to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. This penguin is unique, in fact it is the only penguin in the world to survive in a natural habitat north of the Equator.The cool temperatures resulting from the Humboldt Current and cool waters from great depths brought up by the Cromwell Current allow it to thrive in this tropic environment. Although the Galapagos Penguin is found primarily on Fernandina Island and the west coast of Isabela Island, smaller populations can be spotted around the archipelago. The Galapagos Penguin is one of the smallest in the world and is classified as an endangered species.

This shark is native to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador but it isalso found across the Indo-Pacific region including off coasts of China, Australia, South Africa, Hawaii, and Costa Rica. As its name suggests, this shark lives in coral reef and is typically spotted along the sea bottom in clear waters. It is small in size and although dark in color, the tips of its fins are white.