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The Galápagos Islands are home to a remarkable number of endemic species. The stark rocky islands (many with few plants) made it necessary for many species to adapt to survive and by doing so evolved into new species. It was after visiting the Galápagos and studying the wildlife that a young Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution. [2]
This is a list of animals that live in the Galápagos Islands. The fauna of the Galápagos Islands include a total of 9,000 confirmed species. Of them, none have been introduced by humans, and seventeen are endemic. [citation needed] Due to amphibians intolerance of saltwater, no amphibians naturally occur on the Galapagos Islands.
Galapagos wildlife arrived here in one of three ways: flying, floating or swimming. Birds might have flown there by accident and decided to settle there due to favourable conditions. Mammals or reptiles might have floated on a piece of wood and drifted to the islands. Some animals like marine iguanas, might have swum there.
A UNESCO mission arrived in Galapagos on 29 April to study the progress made since 2007. A favorite of visitors to the Galapagos is Tortuga Bay, located on the Santa Cruz Island, about a 20-minute walk from the main water taxi dock in Puerto Ayora. The walking path is 1.55 miles (2,490 m) and is open from six in the morning to six in the evening.
The devastating El Niño of 1982–83 saw almost six times as much rain as normal in the Galapagos and created a wildlife catastrophe. [91] The 1997–98 El Niño adversely affected wildlife in the waters surrounding the islands, as the waters were 5 °C (9 °F) warmer than normal.
Coastal lakes, moist soil and areas where freshwater and seawater mix contain unique species still to be studied. Cold, hot and warm marine currents come together here, generating a wide diversity of animal life: from small coloured fish to large mammals: [3] marine iguanas, Galapagos land iguanas, galapagos crabs, Galápagos sea lion, Sharks, Blue footed boobie, swallow-tailed gulls, ducks ...
Galapagos dove. Pigeons and doves are medium to large mostly plump birds. Most are arboreal species descending to the ground to feed but some are terrestrial like the quail-doves of South America or the pheasant-pigeon of New Guinea. They are found worldwide except near the poles and in a wide variety of habitats including urban.
Endemic species include the Galapagos hawk (Buteo galapagoensis), Galapagos dove (Zenaida galapagoensis), Galapagos rail (Laterallus spilonota), Galápagos martin (Progne modesta), and four species of mockingbirds from genus Nesomimus. [1] There are about 18 distinct species of endemic tanagers on the island, collectively known as Darwin's finches.