Ecuador is a country located in the northeast of South America, on the planet's equatorial line and has mainly three types of relief: coastal plains, the Andes mountain range and Amazonian plains, this being related to a large presence of rivers and climatic variety. But, in addition, the country has the Galapagos Islands, an archipelago of 13 islands that, in addition to being the place where the scientist Chales Darwin carried out part of his transcendental research, have been declared a World Heritage Site, because it is one of the the main reserves of biodiversity in the world. A large number of unique species live in them, which naturally are not found elsewhere. In response to this, on our site, we present to you this time an article on +25 endemic animals of Ecuador
Giant Tortoise Complex
There are cases of species that are closely related and, because their evolution has been relatively recent, the line of separation is not so clear These cases are known as species complex. An example is found in the giant tortoises of Galapagos, which has been designated as the Chelonoidis nigra complex, and is made up of several species, which had previously been considered subspecies, but studies have allowed their position to be changed in this regard.
These are undoubtedly one of the most attractive endemic animals of Ecuador. They have terrestrial habits, can exceed 450 kg in weight and 2 meters in length and are very long-lived, living for more than 100 years.
Among the species of live turtles we have:
- San Cristobal Tortoise (Chelonoidis chathamensis).
- Santiago Tortoise (Chelonoidis darwini).
- Finch Tortoise (Chelonoidis duncanensis).
Unfortunately, the existing species are in a vulnerable state or in danger of extinction. The extinct turtles correspond to:
- Pinto Turtle (Chelonoidis abingdonii).
- Floreana Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra).
You may be interested in taking a look at the following article about the Animals of the Galapago Islands.
Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)
This species of iguana is unique as it is another species endemic to Ecuador, specifically to the insular area, in the Galapagos archipelago. Dimensions range from 60 cm to about 1.3 meters, with males being larger than females. The coloration is dark gray to black and it is perfectly adapted to remain up to 45 minutes under water It is classified in the vulnerable category.
We leave you the following file on the Marine Iguana so you can have more information about it.
Colorado Dwarf Frog (Engystomops coloradorum)
Within Ecuador's endemic biodiversity, we also find amphibians, such as the Colorado dwarf frog. It measures from about 1.8 to 2.6 cm, with females being larger than males It is brown in color and may have orange or lighter stripes. It is a very rare species. In fact, classified in the category of insufficient data, it has only been identified in the Pacific lowlands and Andean areas in the northeast of the country.
How are frogs born? Don't miss the explanation in the next article on our site.
Emerald Hummingbird (Chaetocercus berlepschi)
This is a rare species of hummingbird, native to Ecuador. It has a tiny size that reaches 6 cm. The females are yellowish-brown in color on the lower part of the body, the head and tail, they are black or grayish and have green spots on the sides, chest and tail.
Meanwhile, male is bright bluish-green on upper body, with white below. Additionally, it has a green chest band, with a bright purple throat. It is restricted to western Ecuador and is classified as vulnerable
Get to know the types of hummingbirds that exist, here.
Ecuadorian Viscacha (Lagidium ahuacaense)
This species corresponds to a rodent that only lives in the Province of Loja, in rocky areas. There is not much information about this animal endemic to Ecuador, so it is classified in the category of insufficient data It is medium in size, with grayish-brown fur and a long bushy tail. It has a curious look between a squirrel and a rabbit
Finchfinches
Finches are several endemic species of birds that inhabit the Galapagos Islands. Actually they are not related to the true finches, which belong to the Fringillidae family, while the former belong to the Thraupidae family, which are the tanagers.
One particularity of these birds is that they were the fundamental basis for the studies of the scientist Charles Darwin. They vary in size from 10 to about 20 cm, and weigh from about 10 to 40 grams; In addition, they differ in the shapes and uses of their beaks. Several of the species are classified as endangered or vulnerable
Galapagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)
Within the endemic fauna of Ecuador, we also find a species of penguin, without a doubt, very peculiar birds. It lives exclusively in the Galapagos Islands and associated islets. It measures around 50 cm, and weighs between 1.7 to 2.6 kg, being the smallest of the group of ringed penguins The coloration is mainly black and white on the front of the body, on the head. It is classified as critically endangered
Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki)
It is a species belonging to the Otariidae family and exclusively inhabits all the islands of the archipelago, making it endemic to the region. It is smaller than its relatives, measuring between 1.5 to 2.5 meters, and can weigh between 50 and 400 kg, with males generally being larger than the females. It is classified as critically endangered
Galapagos hawk (Buteo galapagoensis)
This is a species of bird of prey, present only on some islands of the Galapagos archipelago, since it has become extinct from certain of these island formations. It can measure between 45 to 60 cm and weigh around 1 kg, although this trait varies from one island to another, so they can exceed this value. The coloration is brown, grayish and some black. It is classified as vulnerable
Other endemic animals of Ecuador
As we have mentioned, the endemic fauna of Ecuador is very variable, where we find unique species. Therefore, in addition to the above, we want to introduce you to other native animals of this country.
- Lava Gull (Larus fuliginosus).
- Black-breasted Puff (Eriocnemis nigrivestis).
- Pale-headed Finch (Atlapetes pallidiceps).
- Grey Warbler Finch (Cu rthidea fusca).
- Genovese ground finch (Geospiza acutirostris).
- Spanish Mockingbird (Mimus macdonaldi).
- Galapagos rice rat (Aegialomys galapagoensis).
- San Cristobal lava lizard (Microlophus bivittatus).
- Galapagos Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus nanus).
- Flightless cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi).