The Galápagos Islands are a part of the South American nation of Ecuador situated off the western coast of the country. It is an archipelago consisting of volcanic islands on both sides of the equator. The islands are well-known for the diverse range of endemic fauna that can be found there. Let us take a look at the various animals that inhabit the Galápagos Islands.
Galapagos Islands Animals
List of animals found on the Galápagos Islands
Mammals
Birds
- American flamingo
- American yellow warbler
- Blue-footed booby
- Brown noddy
- Cattle egret
- Española cactus finch
- Sharp-beaked ground finch (Vampire finch)
- Medium ground finch
- Small ground finch
- Large ground finch
- Common cactus finch
- Large tree finch
- Medium tree finch
- Small tree finch
- Woodpecker finch
- Mangrove finch
- Green warbler-finch
- Grey warbler-finch
- Cocos finch
- Vegetarian finch
- Brown pelican
- Flightless cormorant
- Galápagos dove
- Galápagos flycatcher
- Galápagos hawk
- Galápagos penguin
- Great blue heron
- Great egret
- Great frigatebird
- Lava gull
- Lava heron
- Magnificent frigatebird
- Nazca booby
- Osprey
- Peregrine falcon
- Red-billed tropicbird
- Red-footed booby
- Striated heron
- Swallow-tailed gull
- Waved albatross
- Yellow-crowned night heron
- Galápagos mockingbird
- Short-eared owl
Reptiles
Insects
- Beetles
- Ants
- Wasps
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Praying mantis
- Crickets
- Locusts
- Grasshoppers
- Galapagos scorpion
- Centipedes
- Sally lightfoot crab
- Giant crab spider
Fish
- Galápagos damsel
- Whitetip reef shark
- Scalloped hammerhead shark
- Galápagos batfish
- Spotted eagle ray
- Golden cownose ray
- Razor surgeonfish
- King angelfish
- Galápagos reef fish
Animals in the Galapagos Islands
Animals on Galapagos Island
Conservation
Continued illegal fishing and introduction of non-native species have had its impact on the endemic population of animals in the Galápagos Islands. The World Wide Fund for Nature has headed the conservation efforts on the Islands for over 50 years to ensure that the unique wildlife is preserved.
Pictures of Galapagos Islands Animals
Animals on the Galapagos Islands
Did you know?
- One of the most recognizable animals of the Galapagos Islands is the Galapagos tortoise. It is also where the archipelago gets its name, as early Spanish settlers identified the island with these giant tortoises, which can live for up to 170 years.
- These islands are home to the green sea turtle, one of the oldest species on earth that has watched dinosaurs evolve and go extinct.
- Mammals most common in the Galapagos Islands are the sea lions.
- The Galapagos penguin is the only one of its kind to live north of the equator.
- Darwin’s finches, a group of 15 tanagers found in the Galapagos Islands, are unique in their similarities in skin color and body formation, but each with a differently shaped beak.
