It is worldwide knowledge that there are some species of animals that are in danger of extinction, this is due to different factors that can alter their habitat, their diet and even their own lives, in this case we will talk about the animals in danger of extinction in Ecuador. We invite you to continue in the text, to know what they are.
Animals are living beings that have inhabited the planet for millions of years and even before man, today we can see how each of these species have been disappearing, causing an imbalance in the environment, since each of them comply with a function.
There are currently 15 endangered species in Ecuador, of different genera and taxonomies, but becoming extinct for the same reasons, these animals are:
Harpy eagle
Being the most dangerous eagle of its kind, it is also the largest with a size of one meter high, its wings measure approximately one meter each and can weigh up to nine kilograms.
Its color is based solely on gray on the head, white on the wings on the bottom, as well as on what would be the legs, the chest, the back, the upper part of the wings and the tail is dark gray, the legs are yellow and the color of the claws is almost black, with a size of 15 cm long.
Their vitality is forty years, they are different between young and adult birds, with a black stripe that starts from their head to their tail at the top, they are not together with other birds, they are solitary, however, when they are mates with another Harpy eagle the union is for life.
This Eagle fulfills an ecological importance since it is very jealous of the flora and fauna that surrounds it, this makes the ecosystem balance in its habitat. In Ecuador there is a program that ensures the conservation of this animal, since it is in danger of extinction and this has been since 1992.
Although little can be seen of these animals flying through the skies of Ecuador, they are found in their neotropical zones and this has made them victims of illegal hunting and the loss of their homes due to deforestation, which has helped its extinction. .
Galapagos Albatross
This bird lives on the coast of Ecuador with a lifetime condition of 80 years, its speed is 90 kilometers per hour, its wings can measure up to 3 meters long, its weight 2 kg and with a height of 89 cm, this bird is the only member of a now-extinct family of birds.
The nests of these birds are built in volcanoes, it is a seabird which is considered to be in danger of extinction, due to the way in which the planet is behaving and the way in which new species of birds are making their way, first place in the food chain.
The only birds that remain in Ecuador of the Albatross are found in the Galapagos National Park, since they can be captured in illegal fishing or damaged by waste in the sea, caused by tourism and hydrocarbon companies, these birds are victims of the little ecological conscience that the human being has.
Giant armadillo
This mammal lives in the tropical jungles of Ecuador, also called cachicamo, with a weight of 60 kg and a length of 1.6 meters measuring from head to tail, it can be said that this armadillo is the largest that exists today. .
Their diet is omnivorous and they have a tendency to be nocturnal animals, the female only gives birth to one calf, which drinks milk for two months and then begins to eat what its mother eats. This terrestrial mammal has a large set of teeth, with approximately 100 teeth.
The deforestation of the areas where it lives, are what have caused this animal to be on the list of animals in danger of extinction in Ecuador, it was selected in 2002 and until now its hunting is totally illegal, it is a species protected by the Animal Conservation Law number 4.306 of Ecuador.
They are captured by collectors, who hunt them to show them in museums, but in dissected form, it is also known that they use the shell of this animal to make decorations for the home and in Ecuador the meat of the Giant Armadillo is the most expensive.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
This is one of the endangered birds in Ecuador, has a beak like a sword that is used to extract nectar from flowers, which is its food, it only weighs 12 grams and is 15 cm tall including the beak, it is considered the bird with the longest beak in the world. planet.
Despite being on the list of animals in danger of extinction in Ecuador, it does not have a program dedicated to its conservation, this is because the number of birds of this species that still live is unknown and it is assumed that it is in danger of extinction, since previous years they were seen more frequently in the skies of this country, however, it is threatened by illegal logging that occurs in the country's forested areas.
Condor of the Andes
It is considered that this bird is the one with the longest wings on the planet, it belongs to the scavenger genus, it is a species that is threatened by illegal deforestation that occurs in Ecuador.
It is a non-aquatic bird, however, it can eat any type of food in a state of decomposition, such as soft meats, its beak helps to tear the meat, however, it can eat 5 kilos in a day and spend 5 weeks without eat again, its color is black except for its neck which has white feathers.
It is considered a cultural heritage, its name is due to the fact that it belongs to the Andes Mountains and in Ecuador there are only 120 specimens of this type of animal, as it is considered a critically endangered species, it is protected by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and was selected for the list of endangered animals in Ecuador in 1970, the few specimens that have been rescued are in captivity in zoos and they have a low birth rate.
Pink dolphin
This freshwater dolphin is considered the largest in the world, also called tonina. It is a mammal, cetacean, its size is 2 meters and a half and weighs 185 kg, it has an organ to use echolocation, originating from aquatic mammals.
It feeds on turtles and crabs and different Types of animals aquatic, it is assumed that it is in danger of extinction, since it entered the list in 2008 and the number of species that inhabit the rivers of Ecuador is unknown and for that reason those that have been rescued keep them in captivity or in aquariums qualified for conservation, they can live up to 40 years.
Their birth rate is very low since they take 3 years to give birth, this dolphin swims in pairs and they are in danger of extinction due to illegal fishing, since their skin is very beautiful and also due to the contamination of the waters, in this In this case, the manufacturing companies would have nothing to do with it, the species is in danger of extinction due to the non-channelized waters of man, who allow them to spill over into freshwater rivers.
Jaguar
It is one of the five feline mammals that live in America, with the third position in the largest cats in the world, it is an apex predator, its appearance is similar to that of the leopard, with the only difference being its size, it can reach to measure approximately 2 meters 80 centimeters long with its tail included and weigh up to 135 kg.
It is a swimming feline, it can eat marine or terrestrial animals, its bite is so strong that it can pierce the shell of turtles, it has a force at the moment in which it is marrying it can drag a 360 kilo bull for 8 meters of distance , without any exhaustion.
It is considered a nocturnal animal, since it has this behavior to hunt, they have very clear vision in the dark, and their sense of smell is highly developed.
It is in danger of extinction in Ecuador, because they are hunted for their beautiful skin, to make coats, bags, etc., their skin is extremely expensive.
black headed spider monkey
This monkey is part of the spider monkey genus, also known as the long arm spider monkey, it is native to Ecuador, it can also be found in the Colombian Andes, however, the danger of extinction is inevitable, since in Ecuador there is much hunting and illegal deforestation and this puts at risk many animal species such as the black-headed spider monkey.
The height of this mode is approximately 50 cm with 85 cm of tail and its weight is 9 kilograms, the color between gray and black in some species and others can have black, gray and white, this monkey has a frugivorous diet, since that its only element is the fruit pulp.
They live in groups of 6 to 30 specimens, this is because in this way food is found faster. In the last 45 years its population has declined by 80%, which is why it entered the list of animals in danger of extinction in Ecuador in 2001, because the country lost 80% of the habitat of this animal.
At present, the number of species that may still exist in the forests of Ecuador is not known, however, those that have been rescued remain in captivity.
Giant otter
Considered an endangered species, mainly in the Amazon, it is a kind of carnivorous mammal, measuring 80 meter 45 centimeters and weighing XNUMX kg, the giant otter is freshwater and terrestrial, it can easily have the rhythm of life of a amphibian, with a wing-shaped tail.
The color can be brown or dark brown, although they can appear black when wet, this animal usually makes a lot of noise and has a wide repertoire of sounds, although all otters emit sound, the giant otter has a higher frequency, it is very familiar, they are in groups of up to 20 otters, they are in danger of extinction in Ecuador because they are married for the sale of their skin.
Another important aspect of its extinction; It is the poor state of their habitat due to the contamination of the rivers, their diet is based on fish and crabs, in the dry season they leave the waters and travel by land looking for deeper waters.
In Ecuador currently only three groups of giant otters live, which makes an amount of 60 existing otters. Some of its predators are; the black alligators, the anacondas, the Jaguar and the Pumas. It entered the list of animals in danger of extinction in Ecuador in 1999.
It is known that some indigenous tribes have welcomed these animals to protect them and prevent them from being killed to make clothing for humans, they also tend to get entangled in fishing nets and this makes their mortality rate quite high, however, in recent years the otter has developed a survival instinct and when they see the fishing boats go away, the giant otter pups are sold on the black market as exotic animals.
Spectacled bear
Considered one of the endangered animals of the Sierra from Ecuador, this species is characterized by having a white spot around its eyes and for this its name, its height is 1,8 meters and it weighs about 140 kg, they live in western Ecuador and in much of South America. South, they usually travel to the Venezuelan Andes mountain ranges when there is heavy rain.
They are omnivorous, diurnal they do not like the dark and they are usually very fast, the origin of their danger of extinction is caused by the indigenous tribes and for this reason in 2004 it entered the list of animals in danger of extinction in Ecuador, counting that only 18.250 bears existed in South America.
Currently in Ecuador there are only 300 specimens left and despite the fact that their hunting is legally punished, their greatest threat is the destruction of their ecosystem.
parrot guayaquil
Originally from Ecuador, it entered the list of animals in danger of extinction in Ecuador in 2004, the danger of extinction is due to the fact that the reproduction capacity is not very good and four out of five species die, they live in forests wet and dry of Ecuador.
Its size is 84 cm, its characteristic colors are; the pink face with several lines under its red eyes, a black beak and red feather on it, the feathers of its wings are blue in its upper part and the lower part is olive green, its tail can reach be orange and the rest of his body is green.
As it is considered an exotic bird, its illegal traffic is very strong and even more so if you are in a relationship, its danger is also due to deforestation and for this reason the species that have been saved are in the Cayapas ecological reserve. .
Galapagos Penguin
A species that lives only in the Galapagos Islands, which are located in Ecuador, its size is 49 cm and weighs 2 and a half kilos, it is considered the second smallest species of penguin, this type of penguin has a black head, with a white rim on the eyes and around the ears.
The danger of its extinction began when the climatic phenomenon was formed El Niño, this phenomenon caused the schools of fish to move and left this species of penguin with little food, apart from being attacked by Wild animals very often, at present it is known that its population is 1500 penguins, the Government of Ecuador has kept this species in danger of extinction very closely watched and the islands where they are found are only visited by scientists, they are not tourist islands.
Its reproduction period is between January and May when there is a drought, this is to be able to shelter its eggs without being eaten by other species, this penguin is very maternal and its young are under it, to protect themselves from the sun and to keep them warm .
Central American Tapir
It is considered one of the four existing species in America, the Central American tapir lives between Mexico and Ecuador, with a size of two and a half meters long and a weight of three hundred kg, its gestation period lasts four hundred continuous days.
The danger of extinction is presented by the fragmentation of their habitat, since they have deforested the forests to make crops or urbanizations, their biggest predator is the jaguar. Currently in Ecuador there are only about five thousand species, there are several areas where it is dictated by the Organic Law of the environment state of conservation for this animal.
However, due to their social behavior, they have not been able to capture them to keep them in captivity, since their sense of smell and hearing are highly developed, their diet is based on leaves, seeds and fruits that fall from the trees, they prefer mountain forests and can inhabit at least twenty-seven specimens in the same group.
andean toucan
The Andean toucan is from Ecuador, it lives in the high forests of the Andes, it can fly two thousand six hundred meters above the sea and three thousand one hundred above the Earth, it is 53 cm long, with a 10 cm beak, They usually weigh approximately three hundred and fifteen grams.
The colors of this bird are olive-golden wings, bright blue on the chest, the upper part of the head is black, with some red spots on the tail and on the thighs, its face has yellow spots, green and red, its beak is black with red and ivory.
The deforestation that exists in Ecuador has made this species in danger of extinction, it is unknown how many birds remain today, however, it is estimated that 30% of the birds are in captivity according to the last count, when the offspring are born in captivity must be very careful, since they along with their parents are used to being in a wild life and the ways of living are not the same, however, if they are successful, the four eggs that the toucan lays may andino are born successfully.
Black-breasted Zamarrito
This species of bird is native to Ecuador, its size is from eight to nine centimeters, as its name says, its chest is black, while the rest of its body is bluish or greenish, they feed on flowers practically like the hummingbird, but this bird usually frightens away with a sound that they emit to other birds and manage to stay with the floral areas.
It is in danger of extinction in Ecuador, because the forest areas are being cut down and deforested and that is where they live, however, it is known that there are a large number of these birds of this species near the Imbabura volcano, but the exact location is unknown. Exact amount.
It entered the list of animals in danger of extinction in Ecuador in 2016 and the Environmental Law is promoting an ecological response, to keep this bird safe, it was part of the patriotic symbols of Ecuador, however, in In 2005 they changed the emblem and the national symbol is currently a hummingbird.