What species live on Galapagos Islands?
The best known are the Galapagos giant tortoise, land iguana and lava lizard. At sea, one finds Galapagos penguins, marine iguanas, fur seals, sea lions, whales, sharks, marine turtles and many fish species. The archipelago is also home to some of the world’s largest colonies of seabirds.
How many species of animals are on the Galapagos Islands?
9,000 species
The Galapagos is home to over 9,000 species. These are all recorded in the datazone produced by the Charles Darwin Foundation. The list is always growing – despite scientists studying the wildlife on and around Galapagos for three centuries; new species are still being discovered every year.
What is special about the animals on Galapagos Islands?
Animals on the Galapagos islands are unique because they have evolved without fear of humans. Most of the land animals endemic to these islands evolved without natural predators for millions of years. Humans did not arrive until 1535, less than 500 years ago.
What kind of animals live on an island?
Other island animals that are found nowhere else in the world, include the lemurs found on the island of Madagascar, the kiwi found on New Zealand, the tree kangaroo found in Papua New Guinea and the orang-utan which is found on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra.
How did animals get to Galapagos?
BY SEA. It is likely that the ancestors of present-day Galapagos animals that are good swimmers (sea lions, sea turtles, penguins) actually swam their way to the islands with the help of some swift ocean currents.
What is the most recognized animal in the Galapagos?
Giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) Perhaps the most famous species of the Galápagos, the giant tortoise is endemic, meaning they aren’t found anywhere else in the world.
How animals were adapted for their specific environments on the Galápagos Islands?
Because there were no large predators on these two Galapagos Islands, having wings was a disadvantage that prevented them from finding food easily. They’re wings therefore adapted to be smaller while they developed powerful legs and webbed feet to dive into the water to hunt for fish, eels and small octopus.
What famous animal is Galápagos?
Galapagos Giant Tortoise This is one of the most famous animals only found on the Galapagos Islands. Actually, that’s how the Galapagos got its name.
What is the most recognized animal in the Galápagos?
Why are Galapagos animals not afraid of humans?
It is likely that due to the absence of predators on the islands, the animals of the Galapagos are not afraid of humans. The Galapagos Islands rose to fame due to the work of Charles Darwin, who, during his visit to the islands in 1835, left his mark on the archipelago and on science in general.