Venezuela

Birds found nowhere else include the Rose-headed Parakeet (WPT), the Venezuelan Wood Quail (eBird), the Tepui Tinamou (Neotropical Birds WM), the Rusty-flanked Crake (eBird), the Golden Starfrontlet (eBird), the Venezuelan Sylph (eBird), the Groove-billed Toucanet (Cornell), the White-throated Barbtail (eBird), the Rufous-cheeked Tanager (eBird), the Handsome Fruiteater (eBird), the Rufous-lored Tyrannulet (eBird), the Tachira Antpitta (Mongabay), the Paria Whitestart (eBird), the Merida Flowerpiercer (eBird), the Merida Wren (eBird), the Orinoco Softtail (eBird), the Gray-headed Warbler (eBird), and the Green-billed Oropendola (Cornell). The Scissor-tailed Hummingbird (eBird) is an endemic genus.

Mammals unique to Venezuela include Ojasti's Slender Opossum (ResearchGate), the Tyleria Mouse Opossum (Planet' Mammiferes WM) the Orinoco Four-eyed Opossum Philander deltae (fig. 3a at ResearchGate), the Merida Small-eared Shrew (ResearchGate), Fernandez's Sword-nosed Bat (Ciencia Guayana WM), the Venezuelan Lowland Rabbit (SciELO), Pittier's Crab-eating Rat (ASM WM), the Yellow Speckled Tree-rat (iNaturalist), the Fiery Squirrel (fig. 9 at Google Books) (GBIF), the Orinoco Agouti (GBIF) (BioLib), the Overlook Spiny Pocket Mouse (ASM WM), and the Eastern Mountain Coati (IUCN) (Baghira-mammals-world). The Margarita White-tailed Deer (Margarita Verde WM) is also sometimes considered a full species. Endemic genera include Reig's Montane Mouse (ASM WM) and Osgood's Gray Brocket (ResearchGate).

Reptiles restricted to Venezuela include the Venezuela Forest Pitviper (CalPhotos), the Uracoan Rattlesnake (Joel Sartore), the Merida Coral Snake (Reptile Database), Emigdio’s Ground Snake (Reptile Database), the Margarita Cribo (fig. 7G at PLOS), the South American Pond Snake (CalPhotos), Urotheca multilineata (iNaturalist), Thamnodynastes chimanta (fig. 121C at ResearchGate), the Blotched Racer (iNaturalist), the Yellowtail Blind Snake (fig. 41 at BHL), the Venezuela Blind Snake (fig. 40 at BHL), Roze's Worm Lizard (ResearchGate), the geckos Lepidoblepharis montecanoensis (iNaturalist) and Gonatodes infernalis (GBIF), Kugler's Largescale Lizard (Reptile Database), the Sharp-snouted Sun Tegu (Reptile Database), Steyer's Anadia (CalPhotos), Oreosaurus bisbali (iNaturalist), Croizat's Skink (iNaturalist), the Tiger Anole (Anole Annals), the Margarita Whiptail (Reptile Database), and the Zulia Toad-headed Turtle (BioLib). Endemic lizard genera include Adercosaurus (p. 50 of AMNH WM pdf), Kataphraktosaurus (Species New to Science), and the Venezuelan Mountain Skink (iNaturalist).

Amphibians exclusive to Venezuela include the Rancho Grande Harlequin Frog (iNaturalist), the Scarlet Harlequin Frog (atelopus.com WM), the Yellow Harlequin Frog (CRWILD pdf), the Merida Collared Poison Frog (CalPhotos), the Rancho Grande Leaf Frog (ResearchGate), the Aragua Glass Frog (ARKive WM), the Fragile Glass Frog (IUCN), the Giant Marsupial Frog (CalPhotos), Gine's Carrying Frog (flickr), the Venezuelan Pebble Toad (ARKive WM), the Merida Rocket Frog (ARKive WM), the world's worst smelling frog - the Venezuelan Skunk Frog Aromobates nocturnus (Semantic Scholar), the Muchimuk Rain Frog (fig. A at ResearchGate), and the Guaramacal Salamander (IUCN). Endemic genera include the Marahuaka Bush Toad Metaphryniscus (p. 12 of ARC pdf), the Demonic Poison Frog Minyobates (IUCN), the Mount Duida Frogs Dischidodactylus (AMNH WM pdf), and a glass frog Celsiella (AmphibiaWeb).

Freshwater fish known only from Venezuela include the Neveri Piranha (OPEFE WM), the Diamond Tetra (Seriously Fish), a bloodfin tetra Aphyocharax yekwanae (IUCN), the Tocuyo Characin (especiesamenazadas.org), the Gransabana Rivulus (FishBase), Endler's Livebearer (Wikipedia), a glass knifefish Eigenmannia oradens (GBIF), the cichlids Guianacara stergiosi (FishBase) and Apistogramma guttata (Cichlid Room Companion), the Lake Valencia Freshwater Silverside (Libro Rojo), a pencilfish Nannostomus nigrotaeniatus (FishBase), a ghost knifefish Apteronotus ferrarisi (ResearchGate), and several catfishes: Trichomycterus spelaeus (especiesamenazadas.org), Chaetostoma nudirostre (PlanetCatfish), and Leptorhamdia aspredinoides (IUCN).

Endemic freshwater fish genera include Oscar’s Longfin (FishBase), the Saberfin Killie (It Rains Fish), the Swordtail Longfin (It Rains Fish), a characin Ptychocharax (Google Books), a bluntnose knifefish Racenisia (fishbiosystem.ru WM), and several catfishes: the Soromon Pleco (PlanetCatfish), Avalithoxus (PlanetCatfish), and Niobichthys (l-welse.com WM).

Endemic marine fish include the Gray Parrotfish (STRI WM), the Hornless Blenny (STRI WM), the Falcon Red Banner Blenny (STRI WM), the Chameleon Blenny (STRI WM), the Mago Stardrum (STRI WM), the Margarita Mullet (ResearchGate), the Maracaibo Goby (STRI WM), Blackburn's Anchovy (FishBase), and the Redstriped Clingfish (STRI WM).

Endemic butterflies include Melanis dulcis (ResearchGate), Pedaliodes prytanis (iNaturalist), Actinote alberti (Butterflies of America), Archaeogramma claritae (MIZA), Pronophila obscura (iNaturalist), Philaethria browni (Butterflies of America), Zischkaia arctoa (GBIF), Memphis salinasi (troplep.org pdf), Catasticta revancha (ResearchGate), and Ardaris eximia (iNaturalist). The females of Steromapedaliodes bordoni (iNaturalist) are one of the few flightless butterflies. Endemic moths include a saturniid moth Dirphia barinasensis (BOLD) and a flightless notodontid moth Xenomigia brachyptera (Discover Life).

Other endemic insects include a dragonfly Sympetrum evanescens (especiesamenazadas.org), a damselfly Philogenia ferox (GBIF), a dobsonfly Corydalus wanningeri (ResearchGate), a mayfly Cryptonympha tracheata (ResearchGate), a cicada Aragualna plenalinea (flickr), a grasshopper Meridacris diabolica (flickr), a semi-aquatic cave cricket Hydrolutos breweri (ResearchGate), a katydid Markia bolivarensis (fig. 9 at ResearchGate), a bee Trichommation osculans (ResearchGate), the ants Pachycondyla lattkei (AntWiki) and Pheidole pariana (AntWeb), a dung beetle Dichotomius henripittieri (GBIF), a longhorn beetle Taygayba venezuelensis (Amazilia WM), a tiger beetle Ctenostoma brevicorne (SHNAO WM), and a riffle beetle Hypsilara royi (ZooKeys). The Comb-clawed Cascade Beetle Meru phyllisae (Cornell) is the sole member of the endemic family Meruidae.

Endemic arachnids include the Pinkfoot Goliath Tarantula (Tarantupedia), the Venezuelan Red Stripe Tarantula (sklipkani.cz), the Amazon Blue Bloom Tarantula (birdspiders.com WM), the Greenbottle Blue Tarantula (iNaturalist), a jumping spider Titanattus novarai (iNaturalist), a harvestman Phareicranaus curvipes (iNaturalist), and the scorpions Neochactas orinocensis (iNaturalist) and Rhopalurus ochoai (GBIF). Other endemic invertebrates include a freshwater mussel Tamsiella tamsiana (INHS WM), the land snails Plekocheilus vlceki (GBIF) and Drymaeus extraneus (GBIF), an apple snail Pomacea falconensis (es.wikipedia), a nudibranch Learchis ignis (ResearchGate), a cone snail Conus duffyi (IUCN), a cave-dwelling isopod Zulialana coalescens (ResearchGate), the freshwater crabs Fredius cuaoensis and Microthelphusa aracamuniensis (Species New to Science), an earthworm Pontoscolex hugoi (GBIF), and a freshwater sponge Racekiela andina (Semantic Scholar).

The nearly 3000 vascular plant species occurring only in Venezuela (CJB WM pdf) include a pitcher plant Heliamphora elongata (ICPS), Drosera cendeensis (SBV), Anthurium chamberlainii (aroid pictures WM), Philodendron scitulum (aroid pictures WM), the orchids Cattleya lueddemanniana (IOSPE WM) and Masdevallia tovarensis (IOSPE WM), Celiantha imthurniana (SBV), a cactus Tacinga (or Opuntia) lilae (SBV), Podocarpus pendulifolius (RBGE), Tapeinostemon breweri (Gentian Research Network WM), Espeletia timotensis (iNaturalist), Paypayrola arenacea (ResearchGate), Rhyncholacis penicillata (MOBOT), Begonia vareschii (iNaturalist), Chimantaea mirabilis (ResearchGate), Sohnreyia maigualidensis (fig. 4 at CSIC pdf), Ledothamnus decumbens (SBV),Saxofridericia grandis (MOBOT), Pitcairnia orchidifolia (bromeliad.nl), and Bromelia flemingii (bromeliad.nl).

Trees known only from Venezuela include the palms Asterogyne yaracuyense (Palm SG) and Dictyocaryum fuscum (Palmpedia) and Socratea karstenii (BioOne), Gyranthera caribensis (Monumental Trees), Croton megalodendron (iNaturalist), Ficus maitin (Bonsais de Carlos Rubio), the Caracas Walnut Juglans venezuelensis (Agroecología), Eperua venosa (SBV), Bonnetia crassa (MOBOT), Erythroxylum undulatum (iNaturalist), and Podocarpus pendulifolius (RBGE). Endemic tree genera include Carramboa (flickr), Marcanodendron (GBIF), and Celianella (GBIF).

Other endemic vascular plant genera include a bromeliad Ayensua (FCBS WM), Chimantaea (ResearchGate), Duidaea (MOBOT), Achnopogon (fig. 12E at ResearchGate), the Neotropical blueberries Mycerinus (NYBG) and Tepuia (NYBG), Anaectocalyx (PlantSystematics.org WM), Kunhardtia (MOBOT), Aphanocarpus (Foto Audy), Ruilopezia (flickr), Pyrrorhiza (PhytoKeys), Autana (herbariovaa.org), Huberopappus (BHL), Oxycarpha (p. 219 of sbotanica.org.ve pdf), Rojasimalva (p. 296 of sbotanica.org.ve pdf), Tuberculocarpus (BHL), and the possibly carnivorous orchid Aracamunia (BHL).

Endemic fungi include Tripospora venezuelensis (IUCN WM) and Grammothele venezuelica (GBIF). Endemic lichens include Echinoplaca schizidiifera (100 New Lichens WM) and Astrothelium bullatothallinum (figs. A-C at ResearchGate). Endemic non-vascular plants include the liverworts Odontoseries chimantana (GBIF) and Pictolejeunea reginae (GBIF) and the mosses Steyermarkiella anomalodictya (GBIF) and Rhodobryum andinoroseum (p. 155 of sbotanica.org.ve pdf). Endemic seaweeds include Schimmelmannia venezuelensis (p. 136 of sbotanica.org.ve pdf) and Osmundea bolivarii (p. 144 of sbotanica.org.ve pdf).

The Venezuelan Andes Montane Forests terrestrial ecoregion (EoE) forms part of the Tropical Andes biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). Other areas rich in endemic species include the Tepuis terrestrial ecoregion (EoE), and the Maracaibo (FEOW WM) and the Orinoco Llanos (FEOW WM) freshwater ecoregions. Illustrations and descriptions of many of Venezuela's threatened endemic species can be found in "Libro Rojo de la Fauna Venezolana" (ResearchGate) and "Libro Rojo de la Flora Venezolana" (sbotanica.org.ve pdf).