Living National Treasures: Colombia

Checklists of Endemics

Families & Orders 0

Colombia is second only to Brazil in its richness in endemic species of amphibians. Endemic genera of frogs include Walker’s Sierra Frog Geobatrachus walkeri (ARKive), the Sonson Frog Atopophrynus syntomopus (AMNH Digital Library pdf file), the Palm Rocket Frog Rheobates palmatus (CalPhotos), a glass frog Ikakogi tayrona (p. 84 of Zootaxa 5 MB pdf file), and the backpack frogs Cryptobatrachus (AmphibiaWeb). Harlequin frogs include Atelopus simulatus (ARKive), Atelopus ebenoides (BBC), and the recently rediscovered San Lorenzo Harlequin Frog Atelopus nahumae and Santa Marta Harlequin Frog Atelopus laetissimus (both at CBC). Also endemic are the Magdalena Giant Glass Frog Centrolene tayrona (ARKive), the Red-banded Poison Frog Dendrobates (or Oophaga) lehmanni (AmphibiaWeb), the Santa Marta Poison Arrow Frog Colostethus ruthveni (ARKive), the Golden Poison Frog Phyllobates terribilis (AmphibiaWeb), and the Pandi Mushroom-tongue Salamander Bolitoglossa pandi (ARKive).

Reptiles known only from Colombia include the Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle Phrynops dahli (Turtles of the World), the Magdalena River Turtle Podocnemis lewyana (Turtles of the World), the Cauca Coral Snake Micrurus multiscutatus (Snakes of Colombia), the Chocoan Toadheaded Pitviper Bothrocophias myersi (Snakes of Colombia), a recently described snail eater Dipsas baliomelas (p. 3 of HL pdf file), the Blue Anole Anolis gorgonae (Mongabay), Anadia bogotensis (Rufford), the Dotted Galliwasp Diploglossus millepunctatus (Fundacion Malpelo), and a whorltail iguana Stenocercus lache (Le Monde Réel).

Endemic mammals include the Cotton-top Tamarin (Proyecto Titi), the White-footed Tamarin (Durrell), the Ornate Titi (ARKive), the recently described Caquetá Titi (ARKive), the Colombian Woolly Monkey (ARKive), Hernández-Camacho's Night Monkey (p. 6 of Primate SG pdf file), Brumback's Night Monkey (ARKive), Handley’s Slender Mouse Opossum (EDGE), the Brown Hairy Dwarf Porcupine (p. 7 of AMNH Digital Library pdf file), and the Andean Squirrel (IUCN Red List).

Among a dozen hummingbirds unique to Colombia are the Blossomcrown (BirdLife Int'l), the Colorful Puffleg (ABC), the Black Inca (ARKive), the Santa Marta Sabrewing (Wildlife Extra), the Gorgeted Puffleg (ARKive), and the Colibrí del Sol (ProAves). Other endemic birds include the Blue-billed Curassow (Cracid Specialist Group), the Cauca Guan (IBC), the Bogota Rail (ARKive), Fuertes’s Parrot (Zero Extinction), the Yellow-eared Parrot (ARKive), the White-mantled Barbet (ARKive), the Red-bellied Grackle (ARKive), the Santa Marta Antpitta (IBC), the Baudo Oropendola (BirdLife Int'l), Niceforo's Wren (ARKive), the Multicolored Tanager (Mangoverde), and the recently described Fenwick's Antpitta (ProAves pdf file).

Freshwater fish genera found only in Colombia include the Emperor Tetra Nematobrycon (Malawi Cichlid Homepage), Carlastyanax (Humboldt), Alloheterandria (Hippocampus Bildarchiv), and two catfish: Centrochir (ACSI) and Eremophilus (PlanetCatfish). Additional endemic freshwater fish include the Bandit Corydoras Corydoras metae (PlanetCatfish), an armored catfish Sturisoma aureum (PlanetCatfish), a knifefish Apteronotus magdalenensis (Check List pdf file), the Yellowhump Eartheater Geophagus pellegrini (FishBase), and Macmaster's Dwarf Cichlid Apistogramma macmasteri (FishBase). Among the marine fish found only around Malpelo Island are the Twinspot Triplefin (STRI), the Malpelo Wrasse (STRI), Rubinoff’s Triplefin (STRI), the Malpelo Barnacle Blenny (STRI), and the Pretty Goby (STRI).

Butterflies restricted to Colombia include Reliquia santamarta (Lepidopterology.com), Anthirraea isabelae (Gonzalo-Andrade C.), Actinote iguaquensis (Gonzalo-Andrade C.), Heliconius heurippa (Tree of Life), Splendeuptychia ackeryi (Wildlife Extra), and Idioneurula donegani (NHM-London). Other invertebrates unique to Colombia include a tarantula Pseudhapalopus spinulopalpus (Ondrej Rehak), a parthenogenetic scorpion Tityus columbianus (SciELO Brazil), a land crab Gecarcinus malpilensis (Fundacion Malpelo), a termite Rhynchotermes bulbinasus (Zootaxa pdf file), and two silk moths: Leucanella nyctimene (Colombian Insects) and Copaxa sapatoza (silkmoths.bizland.com). An earthworm Tumak hammeni (p. 9 of Redalyc pdf file) is the sole member of an endemic family, the Tumakidae.

Colombia's rich endemic flora includes the national tree, the Quindío Wax Palm (PACSOA), and the national flower, Cattleya trianae (orchidspecies.com). Psittacanthus gigas (Tropicos) has the world’s largest simple leaves of any tree. Other plants found only in Colombia include the Queen Anthurium (Int'l Aroid Soc.), Kohleria bogotensis (Gesneriad Reference Web), Passiflora antioquiensis (Passiflora Online), and Espeletia uribei (Flickr) . Endemic genera include Kirkbridea (p. 16 of Humboldt pdf file), Chigua (Cycad Pages), Cremospermopsis (Genera of Gesneriaceae), and Condylago (orchidspecies.com).

Colombia includes portions of two biodiversity hotspots: the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena (Biodiversity Hotspots) and the Tropical Andes (Biodiversity Hotspots). Colombia also forms part of the Western Caribbean coral reef hotspot (Reef Guardian pdf file). Important freshwater ecoregion for endemic species include the North Andean Pacific Slopes-Rio Atrato (FEOW) and the Magdalena-Sinu (FEOW). Red books of threatened Colombian species can be found at (Humboldt).