Colombia

Colombia is second only to Brazil in its richness in endemic species of amphibians. Endemic genera of frogs include Walker’s Sierra Frog Geobatrachus (ARKive WM), the Sonson Frog Atopophrynus (ARKive WM), the Palm Rocket Frog Rheobates (iNaturalist), and the Magdalena Giant Glass Frog Ikakogi (AmphibiaWeb). Harlequin frogs include Atelopus eusebianus (IUCN), Atelopus ebenoides (BBC WM), and Atelopus spurrelli (Atelopus.com WM). Also endemic are the Golden Poison Frog (ARKive WM), the Red-banded Poison Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Yellow-striped Poison Frog (iNaturalist), Boulenger's Backpack Frog (CalPhotos), the Pandi Mushroomtongue Salamander (PeerJ), the San Gil Mushroomtongue Salamander (Santander Herpetológico), and the El Centro Caecilian (iNaturalist).

Reptiles unique to Colombia include the Magdalena River Turtle (TFTSG), the Dahl’s Toad-head Turtle (iNaturalist), the Colombian Mud Turtle (Reptile Database), the Chocoan Toad-headed Pitviper (iNaturalist), a snail-eating snake Dipsas sanctijoannis (iNaturalist), the San Andres Snake Coniophanes andresensis (p. 5 of Field Museum pdf), the Santa Marta Ground Snake (flickr), Daniel's Keelback (iNaturalist), the Gambote Mock Viper Thamnodynastes gambotensis (p. 8 of Field Museum pdf), the Santander Coral Snake (iNaturalist), Miyata's Scaly-eyed Gecko (ResearchGate), Gaige's Rainbow Lizard (iNaturalist), the Blue Anole (Mongabay), a largescale lizard Alopoglossus romaleos (Reptile Database), Anadia bogotensis (Rufford), the Providencia Skink (ResearchGate), the Malpelo Galliwasp (iNaturalist), the Santander Whorltail Lizard (Santander Herpetológico), and a worm lizard Amphisbaena elbakyanae (ResearchGate). Magdalenasaura (Species New to Science) is an endemic genus of lizards.

Endemic mammals include the Cotton-top Tamarin (Proyecto Titi), the White-footed Tamarin (iNaturalist), the Ornate Titi (iNaturalist), the Caquetá Titi (ARKive WM), Brumback's Night Monkey (iNaturalist), the Santa Marta White-fronted Capuchin (iNaturalist), the Nariño Cat (MDPI), Handley’s Slender Opossum (SalvaMontes) (EDGE WM), the Brown Hairy Dwarf Porcupine (Cambridge), the Andean Squirrel (iNaturalist), the Santander Dwarf Squirrel (iNaturalist), the Colombian Speckled Tree-rat (iNaturalist), O'Connell's Spiny-rat (iNaturalist), the Red-crested Tree-rat (Mongabay), the Ashy-bellied Oldfield Mouse (iNaturalist), the Bogota Tapeti (iNaturalist), Thomas' Small-eared Shrew (iNaturalist), the Antioquian Sac-winged Bat (twitter WM), and Marinkelle's Sword-nosed Bat and the Quechuan Yellow-eared Bat (both at ResearchGate).

Among a dozen hummingbirds known only from Colombia are the Santa Marta Blossomcrown (eBird), the Santa Marta Sabrewing (Mongabay), the Black Inca (eBird), the Gorgeted Puffleg (eBird), and the Glittering Starfrontlet (eBird). Other endemic birds include the Blue-billed Curassow (eBird), the Cauca Guan (eBird), the Chestnut Wood Quail (eBird), the Bogota Rail (eBird), the Indigo-winged Parrot (eBird), the Yellow-eared Parrot (eBird), the Beautiful Woodpecker (eBird), the White-mantled Barbet (eBird), the Red-bellied Grackle (eBird), the Sooty-capped Puffbird (eBird), the Multicolored Tanager (eBird), the Gold-ringed Tanager (eBird), the Sooty Ant-tanager (eBird), the Baudo Oropendola (eBird), the Urrao Antpitta (eBird), and the Santa Marta Screech Owl (eBird).

Freshwater fish genera found only in Colombia include the Emperor Tetra Nematobrycon (Seriously Fish), Argopleura (flickr), Carlastyanax (ResearchGate), Genycharax (p. 62 of EPA Cartagena pdf), Parastremma (p. 139 of ResearchGate pdf), Chocoheros (p. 31 of repositorio.unal.edu.co pdf), Yssolebias (ResearchGate), and several catfishes: Rhyzosomichthys (Shoal) (PlanetCatfish), Cruciglanis (PlanetCatfish), and Eremophilus (PlanetCatfish). Additional endemic freshwater fish include the Bandit Cory Corydoras metae (PlanetCatfish), an armored catfish Sturisomatichthys aureus (PlanetCatfish), a knifefish Apteronotus magdalenensis (SciELO), a killifish Cynodonichthys elegans (FishBase), a scrapetooth Parodon magdalenensis (p. 14 of Univ. Antioquia pdf), the Magdalena Freshwater Stingray (iNaturalist), a cave-dwelling pencil catfish Trichomycterus santanderensis (Subterranean Fishes), Macmaster's Dwarf Cichlid Apistogramma macmasteri (FishBase), and the Yellowhump Eartheater Geophagus pellegrini (FishBase).

Among the marine fish found only around Malpelo Island are the Twinspot Triplefin (STRI WM), the Malpelo Wrasse (STRI WM), Rubinoff’s Triplefin (STRI WM), the Malpelo Barnacle Blenny (IUCN), the Malpelo Clingfish (Fundacion Malpelo), and the Pretty Goby (Springer). Other endemic marine fish include the Tayrona Goby (STRI WM), the Plaincheek Puffer (STRI WM), the Colombian Dwarf Numbfish (FishBase), and the Mapale Sea Catfish (p. 158 of EPA Cartagena pdf).

Butterflies restricted to Colombia include Heraclides anchicayaensis (flickr), Pteronymia medellina (flickr), Reliquia santamarta (Butterflies of America WM), Morpho rhodopteron (iNaturalist), Heliconius heurippa (GrrlScientist), Callicore ines (SciELO WM), Neruda godmani (iNaturalist), Splendeuptychia ackeryi (Learn About Butterflies WM), Lucillella aphrodita (flickr), Mesosemia vemania (flickr), Pseudohaetera mimica (Learn About Butterflies WM), Lymanopoda caeruleata (iNaturalist), Mesosemia vemania (p. 37 of Butterfly Catalogs pdf), and Idioneurula donegani (GBIF). Endemic moths include a sphinx moth Xylophanes colombiana (iNaturalist), a wasp moth Chrysocale uniformis (iNaturalist), a prominent moth Lyces andosa (ResearchGate), and the silk moths Copaxa sapatoza (Kirby Wolfe WM) and Winbrechlinia sinjaevi (ZooKeys).

Other endemic insects include the grasshoppers Opaon varicolor (iNaturalist) and Homeomastax dereixi (iNaturalist), the katydids Arachnoscelis arachnoides (Sci-News WM) and Docidocercus pehlkei (IUCN), the stick insects Decidia magnifica (iNaturalist) and Mirophasma erinaceum (iNaturalist), a mantis Pseudopogonogaster iguaquensis (iNaturalist), a termite Rhynchotermes bulbinasus (GBIF), a longhorn beetle Plagiohammus colombiensis (ResearchGate), an elegant canopy beetle Agra eowilsoni (Smithsonian), a stag beetle Sphaenognathus bellicosus (iNaturalist), an ant Acanthognathus laevigatus (AntWiki), a cicada Orellana castaneamaculata (GBIF), the bees Melipona nigrescens (iNaturalist) and Anthophora walteri (iNaturalist), and a dragonfly Rhionaeschna caligo (iNaturalist). Mesagrionidae (ResearchGate) is an endemic family of damselfly.

Other arthropods unique to Colombia include the tarantulas Pseudhapalopus spinulopalpus (Tarantupedia) and Pamphobeteus verdolaga (Tarantupedia), a jumping spider Amphidraus zaque (Species New to Science), a parthenogenetic scorpion Tityus columbianus (iNaturalist), the harvestmen Avima tuttifrutti (ResearchGate) and Rhaucus serripes (iNaturalist), a solifuge Eutrecha belenensis (GBIF), a whip spider Jorottui ipuanai (Species New to Science), the land crabs Phallangothelphusa tangerina (Mongabay) and Johngarthia malpilensis (flickr), a centipede Newportia shelleyi (ResearchGate), a millipede Plusioporodesmus bellicosus (iNaturalist), and a woodlouse Armadilloniscus luisi (fig. E at ResearchGate).

Other endemic invertebrates include a land planarian Amaga becki (iNaturalist), the land snails Columbinia columbiana (ResearchGate) and Drymaeus iris (p. 3 of ResearchGate pdf) and Malpelina labiata (ResearchGate), a freshwater snail Biomphalaria edisoni (ResearchGate), a freshwater mussel Acostaea rivolii (p. 28 of Shoal pdf) (MUSSELp), and a marine cone snail Conasprella tayrona (Eddie Hardy) (p. 8 of DCBD WM pdf). Tumakidae (SciELO) is an endemic family of earthworms.

Colombia has over 6000 endemic vascular plant species (ResearchGate pdf) including the national flower Cattleya trianae (iNaturalist). Other plants found only in Colombia include the Queen Anthurium (IAS), Odontoglossum crispum (IOSPE WM), Kohleria grandiflora (Gesneriad Reference Web), Passiflora antioquiensis (iNaturalist), Psittacanthus gigas (Tropicos WM), Huilaea macrocarpa (ARKive WM), Cavendishia adenophora (iNaturalist), Espeletia uribei (iNaturalist), Aiphanes leiostachys (iNaturalist), Agave cundinamarcensis (iNaturalist), Puya goudotiana (iNaturalist), Paepalanthus alpinus (iNaturalist), Monochaetum magdalenense (iNaturalist), Stenocereus humilis (iNaturalist), and a cycad Zamia restrepoi (IUCN).

Endemic vascular plant genera include Sanguisuga (ResearchGate), Nephopteris (ResearchGate), Paramiflos (Plantas de Colombia), Plagiolirion (iNaturalist), Acrobotrys (BHL), Araracuara (ResearchGate), Purdieanthus (iNaturalist), Lintersemina (iNaturalist), Macarenia (SCIplanet), Mahechadendron (ResearchGate), and an orchid Notyliopsis (IOSPE WM).

Trees known only from Colombia include Ceroxylon sasaimae (Palmpedia), Croton coriaceus (iNaturalist), Garcia nutans (ARKive WM), Magnolia jardinensis (IUCN), Meriania colombiana (iNaturalist), Zygia lehmannii (iNaturalist), Brownea enrici (iNaturalist), Matisia serpicostata and Melicoccus antioquensis (both at Mongabay), Bucquetia glutinosa (iNaturalist), Cavendishia nitida (iNaturalist), Cecropia multisecta (iNaturalist), Godoya antioquiensis (iNaturalist), and Ficus tequendamae (iNaturalist). Endemic genera include Allomaieta (iNaturalist), Brachycylix (Fig. H at ResearchGate), Kirkbridea (GBIF), Pseudomonotes (ResearchGate), Isidodendron (GBIF), Phyllanoa (GBIF) (p. 2 of UNAL pdf), Orphanodendron (ResearchGate), and Romeroa (UIS WM).

Endemic fungi include Phylloporus fibulatus (IUCN), Ramaria chocoensis (fig. 4G at ResearchGate), and Amanita sepultipes (IUCN). Endemic lichens include Dictyonema hirsutum (100 New Lichens), Cora gigantea (fig. 6N at ResearchGate), Lobariella sipmanii (Guardian), and Gyalideopsis chicaque (100 New Lichens). Endemic non-vascular plants include the liverworts Micropterygium longicellulatum (ResearchGate) and Cyclolejeunea glimeana (GBIF), a hornwort Nothoceros renzagliensis (ResearchGate), and the mosses Brymela antioquiana (ABPA pdf) and Fissidens cylindrothecus (BHL) and Bryum innovans (GBIF).

Colombia includes portions of two biodiversity hotspots: the Tropical Andes (Biodiversity Hotspots WM) and the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). Colombia also forms part of the Western Caribbean coral reef hotspot (Columbia Univ. WM pdf). Important freshwater ecoregion for endemic species include the North Andean Pacific Slopes-Rio Atrato (FEOW WM) and the Magdalena-Sinu (FEOW WM).