It is likely that you have heard or read that the Iberian lynx is an endemic animal of the Iberian Peninsula or that the Galapagos tortoise is endemic to the Galapagos Islands, but what is meant specifically when we speak of Endemic Animals? Throughout this article we will give you the answer to this question and some more that may arise.
What are Endemic Animals?
These are animal species that can only be found in a specific region or area of the planet, unless they are transferred to a zoo or water park. It is common to find specimens of endemic animals on the islands, because they live in complete isolation within a certain ecosystem, a circumstance that is particularly relevant in Madagascar, where the vast majority of the species that live there are exclusive to that country.
What does the term endemic mean?
According to the concept, an endemic animal or plant species is one that has only lived in a certain place in its wild state. Which also means that it is native to a specific area or region and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Because of this, it is only possible to find it in a specific habitat, except, of course, if it is moved to a zoo, a reserve or protected area, or an aquarium or water park or similar place.
The phenomenon of endemism can be based on various geographical scales, due to which it is possible that, for example, we find animals that are endemic to high mountains, an archipelago, a continent or a certain lake.
The islands are ideal places for the phenomenon of endemism to occur, in fact the rate of endemic species on the islands is very high, due to the isolation in which the animals found there live. It is due to this reason that the species of animals that inhabit New Guinea, the Galapagos archipelago and Australia usually turn out to be native to those places and are not found anywhere else.
One of the most relevant cases is that of the island of Madagascar, where the rate of endemism is incredibly high, in fact, all amphibians, 90% of reptiles, 55% of mammals and 50% of birds that live there are endemic, so to meet them you have to travel to Madagascar.
Examples of Endemic Animals
With the idea that the concept of endemism in animal species can be better understood, it would be convenient to go to some specific examples of them, such as those listed below:
Marine iguana
This species of reptile lives only in the Galapagos Islands, around the rocky coasts of the archipelago and between the mangroves and the beaches of the islands. Its food is made up of seaweed, and it is an outstanding characteristic that only the adult males are the ones that know how to swim; so all the other specimens of the species have to wait for the tide to go out in order to get their food.
Another of the differences between the sexes of this species, also called sexual dimorphism, is the size of the individuals, since males are twice the size of females. Although they do have many habits in common, such as lying in the sun for much of the day, to warm up, because they are cold-blooded animals, as well as the black coloration of their skin, which allows them to absorb heat more efficiently. .
Iberian lynx
This animal is a carnivorous mammal that has a short tail and long legs that only lives in the Iberian Peninsula. His ears are pointed and his hair is black, but with three different patterns that allow him to camouflage himself. These are also the main physical characteristics of this feline.
Unfortunately, the Iberian lynx is at risk of extinction, and today it only lives in Andalusia, in the Sierra de Andújar, Doñana and Sierra de Cardeña y Montero natural parks, where it is protected by having been declared reserves. of the biosphere. The Iberian lynx prefers forests and bushes, which allows it to hunt rabbits, which is the food that makes up 90% of its diet.
Lemur
If we mention Madagascar, it is almost immediately that this species of primate comes to mind that has a long black and white tail, and a face with a very curious appearance, due to its enormous eyes and high ears.
The lemur is one of the many endemic animals of this island, its habits are nocturnal and it relies entirely on its sense of smell to be able to find its food among the trees and grasslands. It has abilities that allow it to establish communication with the other members of its group, because it is a gregarious animal.
Polar Bear
In this case, we are referring to the only predator that lives in the Arctic, so that its habitat is the polar and icy areas of the northern hemisphere, and it is classified, along with the Kodiak bear, as one of the largest land mammals in the world. planet.
The polar bear has very well developed legs, which allow it to walk between the ice sheets, but, at the same time, allow it to swim great distances, in search of its food, basically made up of baby seals.
The white color of its fur, which is actually translucent, gives it the ability to camouflage itself with the environment in which it lives, going unnoticed most of the time, and because it has a thick layer of fat, it is possible for it to withstand low winter temperatures.
Kiwi
It is a small bird that is one of the countless species that are endemic to New Zealand. Its characteristics are its small size and circular shape, as well as the fact that it does not have wings, so, like penguins, it cannot fly. However, it has adapted evolutionarily to live life on land very well, although it is quite shy and it is a nocturnal animal.
It has a large beak, which allows it to feed on all kinds of small animals, particularly earthworms and insects. A rarity of these little animals is that it is the male who is in charge of laying the eggs for ten weeks, after he has built an underground nest. Another characteristic of the behavior of this bird is that from the moment the young develop, they leave the dug nest to feed themselves.
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