Brazil
Brazil
has more unique species of amphibians and freshwater fish than any
other country in the world and is one of the main contenders (along
with Australia and Indonesia) for most species
of endemic life. Brazil has several distinctive regions rich in animals
and
plants
found nowhere else including the Caatinga ecoregion (EoE),
the Atlantic Forest (CI) and Cerrado (CI)
biodiversity hotspots, the Abrolhos Coral Reefs (SIGEP),
and, most famously, the Amazon (WWF). Freshwater ecoregions especially rich in endemic species include the Tocantins - Araguaia (FEOW) and the Northeastern Mata Atlantica (FEOW),
Primates found exclusively in Brazil include the Golden Lion Tamarin (Smithsonian
National Zoo), the Northern Muriqui (ARKive),
the
White-whiskered
Spider Monkey (ARKive),
the
Red-handed Howler (ARKive),
Coimbra
Filho's Titi (flickr),
the
Pied Tamarin (ARKive),
Ayres
Black Uakari (ARKive),
the
Black-bearded Saki (ARKive),
and the Blonde Capuchin (ARKive).
Other mammals unique to Brazil include the Maned Sloth (EDGE),
the Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo (ARKive),
the Hoary Fox (canids.org),
the Atlantic Forest Long-nosed Bat (Species New to Science), the
Thin-spined Porcupine (ICMBio),
the Rock Cavy (eol),
the Painted Tree Rat (ARKive),
Karimi's Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (ARKive),
and Santa Catarina’s Guinea Pig (EDGE),
the mammal with the smallest natural range.
Brazil's endemic parrots include the critically endangered
Spix’s Macaw (ARKive),
the Golden Conure (WPT),
Lear's Macaw (ARKive),
and the Blue-bellied Parrot (BirdLife
Int'l). Other birds found only in Brazil include
Kaempfer’s Woodpecker (ARKive),
the Hooded Visorbearer (Arthur
Grosset's Birds), the Frilled Coquette (IBC),
the
Alagoas Curassow (BirdLife
Int'l), the White-necked Hawk (CEO),
the
Crescent-chested Puffbird (IBC),
the Banded Cotinga (IBC), the Pin-tailed
Manakin (Neotropical
Birds), the White-browed Antpitta (IBC),
the Ferruginous Antbird (Neotropical
Birds), the White-naped Jay (IBC),
the
Black-legged Dacnis (IBC),
the
Gray-hooded Attila (Neotropical
Birds), and the Seven-colored
Tanager (ARKive).
Among endemic reptile genera are a worm lizard Bronia
(ADW), a gymnophthalmid lizard Psilophthalmus
(Check
List), a gecko Gymnodactylus (flickr),
and several colubrid snakes: Tropidodryas
(Biodiversidade
RS), Gomesophis
(Check
List), and Sordellina
(CalPhotos).
Other reptiles unique to Brazil include the Golden Lancehead
Bothrops insularis
(ARKive),
the Brazilian Coral
Snake Micrurus decoratus
(flickr),
the Caatinga Rainbow Boa Epicrates
assisi (flickr),
Cropan's Tree Boa Corallus
cropanii (Serpentes
Brasileiras), the
Yellow Tegu Tupinambis
duseni (Repteis
Squamata do Cerrado), a fathead anole Enyalius bibronii (Anfíbios
e Répteis do Brasil),
and the Brazilian Snake-necked
Turtle Hydromedusa
maximiliani
(ARKive).
Brazil's exceptional amphibian fauna includes the Pumpkin Toadlet Brachycephalus epphipium
(AmphibiaWeb),
the Caatinga Horned Frog Ceratophrys joazeirensis (Anfíbios
e Répteis do Brasil), the Fruit-eating Frog Xenohyla
truncata (POYi), the Splash-backed
Poison Frog Dendrobates
galactonotus (DendroBase),
the Itatiaia Highland
Frog Holoaden
bradei (ARKive),
Frostius erythrophthalmus
(globo.com), Scythrophrys
sawayae (AmphibiaWeb),
Phyllomedusa oreades (Anfíbios
e Répteis do Brasil),
Paratelmatobius
poecilogaster (AmphibiaWeb),
a salamander Bolitoglossa paraensisa
(CalPhotos),
a caecilian Atretochoana
eiselti (NHM-London),
and a number of recently described species (amphibia.ufba.br). Some classifications include only Cycloramphus (CalPhotos) and Thoropa (AmphibiaWeb) in Cycloramphidae, resulting in an endemic family.
Brazil's unrivaled richness in endemic freshwater fish species includes
the Brazilian Blind Characid Stygichthys
typhlops (BBC),
the Green Piranha (piranha-info.com),
the Santa Catarina Sabrefin (ARKive), the Lyrefin Pearlfish Simpsonichthys boitonei (WWF Brasil),
the Royal Tetra (FishBase),
the Gold Tetra Rachoviscus
crassiceps (FishBase),
the Slender Pike Cichlid (FishBase), the Blue-bellied Night Wanderer (NHM - London),
Isbrueckerichthys
duseni (Loricariidae), the Long-finned Cambeva Trichogenes
longipinnis (ICMBio),
an eyeless banjo
catfish Micromyzon
akamai (PlanetCatfish),
Maratecoara
lacortei (Killifische),
and the White-blotched River Stingray (eol). Among
marine fish found only off Brazil are the Oblique
Butterflyfish (ARKive),
the Striped Parrotfish Scarus
zelindae (Osmar Luiz
Júnior), the Brazilian Basslet (eol), a wrasse Halichoeres penrosei (flickr),
the Saint Pul Gregory (ARKive),
the Brazilian Large-eyed Stingray (Osmar Luiz
Júnior),
the Brazilian Snapper (Wildlife
Extra),
and a grunt Haemulon
squamipinna (flickr).
Invertebrates found solely in Brazil include the Fluminense Swallowtail
Parides ascanius
(flickr),
Morpho
anaxibia (ButterflyCorner.net),
Morpho athena
(flickr),
Charonias theano
(ICMBio),
Heliconius
nattereri (Lepidoptera
Brasilienses), an endemic genus of bee Protomeliturga (SciELO
Brazil), the primitive ant Martialis heureka (Myrmecos
Blog), the strepsipteran family Bahiaxenidae (Wikipedia),
the isopod family Brasileirinidae (Zootaxa
5 MB pdf file), a land snail Megalobulimus parafragilior (Wikipedia), and one of the world's largest spiders, the Brazilian
Salmon Pink
Tarantula (ARKive).
Endemic marine invertebrates include the corals Mussismilia hispida
(ARKive)
and Favia leptophylla
(FAPERJ), a nudibranch Tambja stegosauriformis (Sea Slug Forum),
and the molluscs Conus
abrolhosensis (Conquiliologistas
do Brasil) and Voluta
ebraea (Conquiliologistas
do Brasil).
According to the Lista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil over
18000
species of vascular plants are endemic to Brazil (lists of endemic
genera and endemic species can be generated at Lista de
Espécies da Flora do Brasil). Plants exclusive to
Brazil include the national tree Pau Brasil (Global
Trees Campaign), the Brazilian Rosewood (ARKive),
the roundworm digesting Philcoxia
minensis (Mongabay),
and the Empress of Brazil Worsleya
procera (Pacific
Bulb Society). Duckeodendron
cestroides (JSTOR)
is sometimes considered the sole species in an endemic family,
Duckeodendraceae (DELTA).
Among over 1600 orchid species unique to
Brazil are Chytroglossa
marileoniae (CPO),
Grobya amherstiae
(CPO),
and Pseudolaelia
vellozicola (CPO).
A spectacular endemic bromeliad flora includes Quesnelia arvensis (CPO),
Orthophytum eddie-estevesii
(Paradise),
and Nidularium rutilans
(FCBS).
Cacti genera found only in Brazil include Hatiora (Paradise),
Cipocereus (ARKive),
Stephanocereus
(Paradise),
and Espostoopsis
(Paradise).