Mexico
Mammals
unique to
Mexico include the Vaquita (eco),
the
Yucatan Brown Brocket (CONABIO),
the
Pygmy Spotted Skunk (CONABIO), the Cozumel Raccoon (iNaturalist),
the
Fish-eating Myotis (ARKive
WM),
Nelson’s
Small-eared Shrew (EDGE WM),
the
Mexican Agouti (iNaturalist),
the Mexican Prairie Dog (iNaturalist),
the Plateau Kangaroo Rat (iNaturalist),
the
Tehuantepec Jackrabbit (ARKive
WM),
and,
as a breeding species, the Guadalupe Fur Seal (ARKive
WM).
Mammals
representing endemic genera include the Volcano Rabbit (CONABIO),
the Gray Mouse Opossum (CONABIO),
the Ring-tailed Ground Squirrel (iNaturalist),
Buller’s
Pocket Gopher (CONABIO), the Oaxacan Giant
Deermouse (iNaturalist),
the Magdalena Woodrat (iNaturalist),
the Mexican Shrew (iNaturalist),
and the Banana Bat (IUCN).
Birds found nowhere else include the White-tailed
Hummingbird (eBird), the Short-crested
Coquette (eBird),
the Citreoline Trogon (eBird),
the Bearded
Wood-partridge (Neotropical
Birds WM),
the
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca (eBird),
the Elegant Quail (eBird),
the
Thick-billed
Parrot (ARKive
WM),
the Mexican Parrotlet (CONABIO),
the Socorro
Dove (Joel
Sartore),
the
Tufted Jay (eBird),
the Red Warbler (eBird),
the Crimson-collared Grosbeak (iNaturalist),
Nava's
Wren (eBird), the Red-breasted Chat (eBird), the Orange-breasted
Bunting (eBird),
and several probably
extinct species: the Imperial Woodpecker (Wikipedia),
the
Cozumel
Thrasher (Robert
Curry), and the Guadalupe
Storm-petrel (Wikipedia).
Mexico has an exceptional endemic reptile fauna (second only to Australia) including an
endemic family, the Bipedidae (iNaturalist),
that includes
the Five-toed Worm Lizard (California
Herps). Other reptiles restricted to Mexico
include the Oaxacan Dwarf Boa (Reptile
Database), the Santa Catalina Rattlesnake (SDNHM),
Dunn’s Hog-nosed Pitviper (CONABIO),
the Slender-horned Pitviper (iNaturalist),
the Balsas Coral Snake (CONABIO),
the
Giant Hook-nosed Snake (CONABIO),
the
Ridge-headed Snake (CONABIO),
the
Oaxaca
Spiny-tailed Iguana (iNaturalist),
the
Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard (flickr),
the
San Luis Potosi Knob-scaled Lizard (iNaturalist),
the Mexican Blind Lizard (iNaturalist),
the Transvolcanic Alligator
Lizard (CalPhotos),
the San Esteban Chuckwalla (ARKive
WM),
the Coahuilan Box Turtle (DFC),
the Mexican Spotted Wood Turtle (Joel
Sartore), and the Bolson Tortoise (nytts.org).
Amphibians found nowhere else include the Shovel-headed Tree
Frog (CONABIO),
the
Mexican Leaf Frog (iNaturalist),
the
Dwarf Mexican Tree Frog (CONABIO),
the Oaxacan Yellow Tree Frog (AmphibiaWeb),
the Yellow-bellied Voiceless Tree Frog (EDGE),
Schultze's Stream Frog (CONABIO),
the Axolotl (ARKive
WM),
the Dancing Robber Frog (CONABIO),
the Big-footed Leopard Frog (CONABIO),
the Jeweled Toad (CONABIO),
the Golden Minute
Salamander (ARKive
WM),
the Bigfoot Splayfoot
Salamander (CalPhotos),
the
Dwarf False Brook Salamander (AmphibiaWeb),
Townsend’s
Dwarf Salamander (AmphibiaWeb),
and
the Oaxacan Caecilian (CONABIO).
Endemic
freshwater fish include the Blind Swamp Eel (mexfish.info),
the
Mexican Blind Brotula (ARKive
WM),
the Oaxaca Cave Sleeper (ResearchGate),
the La Lucha Blind Catfish (iNaturalist),
the Rio Verde Catfish (mexfish.info),
the Sarabia Cichlid (FishBase),
the Cuatro Ciénegas Cichlid (CONABIO),
the Blind Cave Tetra (CONABIO),
the Cuatro Ciénegas Pupfish (DFC),
the Checkered Pupfish (iNaturalist),
the Opata Sucker (iNaturalist),
the Tequila Splitfin (GWG),
the Golden Skiffia (GWG),
the Mezquital Silverside (mexfish.info),
the Conchos Darter (mexfish.info),
the Montezuma Swordtail (FishBase),
the Cuatro Cienegas Killifish (FishBase),
the Oaxaca Killifish (iNaturalist),
the Mexican Rivulus (It
Rains Fish), the Olmec Priapella (mexfish.info),
the Ornate Shiner (mexfish.info),
the Mexican Golden Trout (ResearchGate), and the Mexican Brook Lamprey (iNaturalist).
Endemic
marine fish include the Gulf
Flashlightfish (STRI),
the
Plume Tube-blenny (STRI),
the Bluespotted Jawfish (STRI),
the Gecko Goby (STRI),
the
Leopard
Grouper (CONABIO),
the
Clarion Damselfish (STRI),
the Socorro Wrasse (STRI),
the
Totoaba (FishBase),
the Naked Puffer (STRI),
the Clarion Angelfish (iNaturalist), the Spotted Round Stingray (CONABIO),
the Yucatan Pipefish (iNaturalist),
the Spadenose Guitarfish (Species
New to Science), the Veracruz White Hamlet (STRI),
the Lucas Barracuda (STRI), the Gulf Opal Eye (iNaturalist), the Reticulated Toadfish (STRI), the Cortez Halibut (Mexican Fish.com), the Cortez Garden Eel (CalPhotos), and the Lollipop Catshark (twitter WM).
Butterflies known only from Mexico include the Archaic Swallowtail (Butterflies
of America), the White-dotted Cattleheart (CONABIO),
the Social White (Social
Caterpillars), Murphy's Metalmark (Dave Powell), the White-rayed Patch (iNaturalist), the West Mexican Eighty-eight (iNaturalist),
and Minerva's Owl Butterfly (Butterflies
of America). Endemic moths the Mexican Luna Moth (CONABIO), a tiger moth Poliopastea jalapensis (iNaturalist), a sphinx moth Xylophanes damocrita (iNaturalist), and a wasp moth Cyanopepla griseldis (iNaturalist).
Other endemic insects include a damselfly Paraphlebia zoe (iNaturalist), a dragonfly Erpetogomphus liopeltis (CONABIO), a dung beetle Phanaeus daphnis (iNaturalist), the scarabs Chrysina macropus (CONABIO) and Calomacraspis splendens (CONABIO), an elephant beetle Megasoma nogueirai (iNaturalist), the Mexican Harcules Beetle (iNaturalist), a firefly Photinus palaciosi (iNaturalist), the longhorn beetles Ochraethes dimidiaticornis (iNaturalist) and Crioprosopus basileus (iNaturalist), a net-winged beetle Xenomorphon baranowskii (Species New to Science), the ants Pheidole tolteca (iNaturalist) and Acanthostichus quirozi (AntWiki), the bee genera Paragapostemon (iNaturalist) and Aztecanthidium (iNaturalist), Steindachner's Bumblebee (iNaturalist), a cicada Diceroprocta tepicana (iNaturalist), a stick insect Diapheromera kevani (iNaturalist), the katydids Insara oaxacae (OSF) and Brachycaulopsis jovelensis (GBIF), a grasshopper Liladownsia fraile (iNaturalist), and an endemic grasshopper family, the Xyronotidae (iNaturalist) (p. 17 of WBA pdf).
A rich cave fauna includes a freshwater shrimp Creaseria morleyi (CaveBiology.com WM), a freshwater isopod Creaseriella anops (iNaturalist), a freshwater amphipod Mayaweckelia troglomorpha (iNaturalist), a venomous remipede crustacean Xibalbanus tulumensis (ResearchGate), a harvestman Minisge sagai (ResearchGate), an endemic scorpion family, the Typhlochactidae (iNaturalist) (AMNH pdf), and an endemic millipede family, the Typhlobolellidae (FMNH) (iNaturalist). Endemic marine molluscs include the Black Murex (iNaturalist), a chiton Lepidozona clathrata (WoRMS), a nudibranch Diaulula nivosa (Slug Site), a cone shell Conus rainesae (IUCN), and the Red Octopus (CONABIO).
Other endemic invertebrates include the Blue Cloud Forest Millipede (iNaturalist), a velvet worm Oroperipatus eisenii (iNaturalist), the Mexican Rustleg Tarantula (ARKive WM), a baldlegged spider Paratropis tuxtlensis (iNaturalist), a wandering spider Califorctenus cacachilensis (CONABIO), a jumping spider Habronattus empyrus (ResearchGate), a whip spider Phrynus garridoi (iNaturalist), a vinegaroon Mastigoproctus vandevenderi (iNaturalist), a crayfish Cambarellus montezumae (Crayfishworld WM), a freshwater crab Pseudothelphusa belliana (iNaturalist), the freshwater mussels Anodonta impura (iNaturalist) and Friersonia iridella (MUSSELp), the freshwater snails Coahuilix hubbsi and Mexipyrgus carranzae (both at DFC), the land snails Humboldtiana durangoensis (Bram's snailblog WM) and Tryonigens remondi (ResearchGate), an earthworm Ramiellona wilsoni (BOLD), and a coral Porites sverdrupi (BMC).
Endemic
invertebrate families include a semi-slug Echinichidae (Bram's
snailblog WM) (WLT WM),
an endemic millipede Hoffinanobolidae (VMNH
WM
pdf), and an endemic shrimp Anchialocarididae (ResearchGate)
(ResearchGate).
Among about 11,600 vascular plant species unique to Mexico is an
endemic
family, the
Setchellanthaceae (Flora
of the World WM) (iNaturalist).
Another endemic family, the Pterostemonaceae (Kew
WM) (iNaturalist),
is also sometimes recognized. Cacti found only in Mexico include the
Old Man Cactus (CONABIO),
the Chende (iNaturalist),
the Artichoke Cactus (CONABIO),
Acharagma (CONABIO),
the Cardón (iNaturalist),
and Mammillaria
guelzowiana (ARKive
WM).
Other endemic plants include
the Boojum Tree (ASDM WM),
Hinton's Oak (GTC WM),
Magnolia
dealbata (ARKive
WM),
the Baja Elephant Tree (iNaturalist),
the Chihuahua Spruce (CONABIO),
the Guadalupe Cypress (CONABIO),
Iostephane (iNaturalist),
Pachyphytum (iNaturalist),
Eucodonia (iNaturalist),
Xylonagra (iNaturalist),
Bessera (iNaturalist),
Xochiquetzallia
(PhytoKeys),
and several
orchids: Mexipedium
(SlipperOrchids.info WM),
Alamania (CONABIO),
Hintonella (flickr),
and
Artorima (iNaturalist).
Endemic fungi include Flammulina
mexicana (IUCN WM),
Psilocybe aztecorum
(IUCN WM),
Tuber itzcuinzapotl (ResearchGate), and Omphalotus mexicanus
(IUCN WM).
Endemic lichens include Eremithallus
marusae (100
New Lichens) and Fissurina
astroisidiata (100
New Lichens). Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Acritodon nephophilus
(Irekani
WM) (SLU
WM
pdf) and Curviramea
mexicana (GBIF)
and the liverworts Lophocolea
parca (upper right at BHL)
and Asterella rugosa
(GBIF).
Endemic marine macroalgae includes Pyropia
raulaguilarii (ResearchGate),
Chondracanthus
squarrulosus (CONABIO),
and Hapterophycus
anastomosans (BHL).
Mexico includes part of the Western Caribbean coral reef
hotspot (Columbia
Univ. WM pdf)
and portions of four biodiversity hotspots: the Madrean
Pine-Oak Woodlands (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM),
the Mesoamerica (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM),
the
North American Coastal Plain (CEPF),
and
the California Floristic Region (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM).
Important regions of Mexico for endemic
species include the Gulf of California (ResearchGate),
the the Lerma-Chapala (FEOW WM)
and Panuco freshwater ecoregions (FEOW WM),
the Sierra Madre del Sur Pine-oak Forests (EoE),
the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt Pine-oak Forests (EoE),
the Islas Revillagigedo Dry Forests (EoE), and the
Cuatro Ciénegas (DFC).
An overview of Mexican endemic species can be found at (CONABIO).