The twenty-two species of Galapagos reptiles belong to five families: tortoises, marine turtles, lizards/iguanas, geckos and snakes. Twenty are endemic to the archipelago and many are endemic to individual islands.

The Islands are well-known for their giant tortoises ever since their discovery and play an important role in the development of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The name "Galapagos" originates from the Spanish word “galapago” meaning “saddle.”

Topics

• Reptiles Species
• Shore Birds Species
• Mammal Species
• Marine Life
• Fishes

REPTILE SPECIES IN THE GALAPAGOS

Giant tortoise * (11 subspecies)
Pacific Green Sea Turtle
Marine Iguanas * (7 subspecies)
Galapagos land Iguana *
Santa Fe Land Iguana *
Lava lizard (7 species) *
Gecko (5 species) *
Galapagos snake (3 species) *
* Endemic species

SEA BIRD SPECIES IN THE GALAPAGOS

The Galapagos archipelago is surrounded by thousands of miles of open ocean which provide seabirds with a prominent place in the fauna of the Islands. There are 19 resident species (5 are endemic), most of which are seen by visitors. There may be as many as 750,000 seabirds in Galapagos, including 30% of the world's blue footed boobies, the world's largest red footed booby colony and the largest concentration of masked boobies in the world (Harris, 1984).

Galapagos Penguin *
Waved Albatross *
Blue-footed Booby
Masked (white) Booby
Red footed Booby
Flightless Cormorant *
Great Frigatebird
Magnificent Frigatebird
Swal tailed gull
Lava Gull *
Brown Pelican
Red-billed Tropic
Audubon's Shearwater
White-vented Storm Petrel (Elliot's)
Band-rumped Storm Petrel (Madeiran)
Wedge-rumped Sotrm Petrel (Gaiapagos)
Dark-rumped Petrel (Hawaiian)
Sooty Tern
Brown Noddy

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SHORE BIRD SPECIES IN THE GALAPAGOS

The coastline of Galapagos, comprising of beaches, rocky shores, mangrove lagoons and tidal salines, provide habitats for the resident shorebirds species listed here. Migrant species, those that breed in North America during the summer months, are not listed here.

Great Blue Heron
Lava Heron *
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Striated Heron
Oystercatchers
Greater Flamingo
Common Egret
White cheeked Pintail duck
Common Stilt
* Endemic species

LAND BIRD SPECIES OF GALAPAGOS

Galapagos Hawk *
Galapagos Rail *
Barn Owl
Short eared Owl
Painted billed Crake
Common Gallinule
Galapagos Dove *
Galapagos Mockingbird *
Charles Mockingbird
Hood Mockingbird
Chatham Mockingbird *
Galapagos Martin *
Varmillion Flycatchers
Large-billed (Galapagos) Flycatcher *
Yellow Warblers
Dark-billed Cuckoo
Small Ground Finch
Medium Ground Finch *
Large Ground Finch *
Sharp-beaked Ground Finch *
Cactus Finch *
Large Cactus Finch *
Vegetarian Finch *
Small Tree Finch *
Medium Tree Finch *
Large Tree Finch *
Woodpecker Finch *
Mangrove Finch *
Warbler Finch *

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MAMMAL SPECIES IN GALAPAGOS

Oceanic Islands are typically lacking in mammals and the Galapagos are no exception. Only six species of mammals are native to the Islands. The absence of large predators probably accounts for the fearlessness of the other native species towards humans. Most mammals arrived on either rafts, vegetation or by swimming.

Sea Lions
Galapagos Fur Seal *
Whales (7 species)
Dolphins (3 species)
Galapagos Bat *
Santa Fe Rice Rat *
Fernandina Rice Rat *

TERRESTRIAL INVERTEBRATES

PLANTLIFE IN THE GALAPAGOS

The Islands lie in the Pacific Dry Belt, so most of the archipelago's land area is covered by semi-desert or desert vegetation. Only the higher parts of the larger Islands receive enough rain to be considered tropical and lush. There are roughly 600 native taxa (species, subspecies and varieties) of vascular plants (42% are endemic) and some 190 species introduced by humans. It is easier to identify most plant species and also makes it easier to understand evolutionary relationships because the flora is so species poor. Here we list the more common and better known plant species, grouped together according to ecological zones.

LITTORAL (COASTAL) ZONE
Mangroves (Red, Black, White, Button)
lpomoea Beach Morning Glory Crypocarpus
Salt Bush
Sesuvium

THE HUMID ZONES: SCALESIA ZONE
Scalesia peclundulata
Peperomia
Tillandsia (bromeliad)
Bracken (ferns)

ARID ZONE
Candelabra Cactus
Lava Cactus
Prickley Pear Cactus * Opuntia
Cutleaf Dasy Leocorpus
Lantana Leather Leaf Maytenus
Manzanillo (poison apple)
Mollugo Cordia Lutea
Palo Verde Porkinsonia
Tiquilia

TRANSITION ZONE
Palo Santo (Burseracece)
Pega-Pega Guyabilio *
Matazarno
* Endemic species

ZANTHOSYLUM (BROWN) ZONE
Mostly mosses, liverworts and ferns

THE MICONIA ZONE
Miconia shrub

PAMPA ZONE
Ferns, grasses and sedges
Tree fern - Cyathea

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MARINE LIFE IN GALAPAGOS

A snorkeling or diving opportunity in Galapagos should not be missed. Here you'll find a bizarre mixture of cold and warm water species. The main concentration of fish species occurs between the surface and 60 feet! Snorkelers should be good swimmers and know basic snorkeling techniques. Divers must be experienced and frequent divers. Some sites may have strong currents. Water temperatures will be cooler July to November when a wet suit would be practical. Sharks are common in Galapagos, however, there is no record of a shark attack on a human being in Galapagos waters.

Almost 300 species of fish have been identified in Galapagos. This is by no means a comprehensive list. You will find the most commonly seen species in abundance and of ecological importance. Most of Galapagos fish species (54%) have their closes affinity from the Panamic province. Fishes from the Indo-west Pacific area amount to about 12%, 7% from Peru-Chile province, 5% from the East Pacific offshore Islands and 23% are endemic to Galapagos.

INTERTIDAL MARINE LIFE

Echinoderms - Sea Urchins, sea star, sea cucumbers, sand dollars
Crustaceans - barnacles, crabs (Sally lightfoot), lobsters, shrimp
Molluscs - snails, chitons, shellfish, squid and octopus
Cnidarians - Sea Anemones, Jelly fish and Corals
Porferans - sponges Corals - yellow-black coral *

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FISHES

Galapagos (Requiem) Shark *
White-tipped Reef Shark
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark
Whale Shark
Horn Shark
Blacktip Shark
Silvertip Shark

Spotted Eagle Ray Raya aquila Diamond Stingray Raya Sorten Manta Ray Manta Rayo Golden cowray Manto
Jewel Moray Morenc Panamic Conger eel * Galapagos Garden eel

BONY FISHES: (Classified by shapes and look of the more commonly seen fishes). King Angelfish, Barberfish, Yeilowtailed Surgeonfish, Convict Tang, Moorish Idol, Butterfly fish.

Green Jack, pacific Crevalle Jack, Black Skipjack, Rainbow Runner, Steel Pampano, Pilot Jack, Yellowfinned Tuna, Bonito, Sierra Mackrel, Wahoo, Barracuda, Galapagos Mullet, Cortez Chub, Dusky Chub, Galapagos Progy, Dolphinfish.

Blue striped snapper, Yellowtailed snapper, Barret Pargo, Goldeneyed grunt, Galapagos grunt, Yellowtail grunt, Black striped Salema, White Salema.

DAMESELFISH: Giant, Bumpehead, White-taiied, Yellowtailed, Panamic Sargeant Major, Night Sargeant, Brown Chromis.

SEABASS: Bacalao, Golden, Camotillo, Panamic Graysloy, Flag Cabrilla, Barred Serrano, Creole Fish (Gringo).

PARROTFISH: Bumphead, Blue chin, Bicolor, Azure.

WRASSE: Rainbow, Harlequin, Cnameleon, Sunset, Spinser, Streamer Hogfish, Goldspot Sheepshead, Hawkfish.

Blacktip Cardinal fish, Sabertooth Blenny, Bravo Clinid Red light Goby, Blue-banded Goby, Four eyed Bienny.
Bullseye puffersish, Guineafowl Puffer, Black Triggerfish, Finescale Triggerfish, Yellow-tailed Goatfish, Trumpetfish, Reef Cornetfish, Spotted Porcupinefish, Scorpionfish, Red lipped Batfish, Galapagos Clingfish, Night Lizardfish, Rainbow Scorpionfish, Coral hawkfish. Thread Herring, Anchovy, Milkfish, Lizard fish, Flying fish, Pacific Seahorse.

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