23 endemic species of Colombia

The olinguito is a species of nocturnal mammal discovered by Kristofer Helgen, a zoologist at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, in 2013.

Although it remains a mysterious species, given its recent discovery, we know that it inhabits the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador and that it is considered a relative of raccoons. It is a small animal, around 900 grams in weight, and stands out for having large and tender eyes.

Its behavior stands out for its solitary character and its predominance to spend most of the time on the trees. With nocturnal habits, the olinguito basically eats fruits, although it can also feed on insects and nectar.

The Colombian spider monkey is one of the endemic species of Colombia that inhabits humid, cloud and dry forests and can live above 2,000 meters above sea level. This animal weighs up to 9 kilos and lives for about 24 years.

His physique stands out for his long limbs, his hands without thumbs and his black color all over his body. In addition, there is a part with no hair on its tail. This peculiarity is different in each specimen, which makes them unique.

The Colombian spider monkey feeds mainly on fruit, although it also takes seeds, barks, leaves, flowers, and insects. Despite the fact that in general they live in groups of about 30 individuals, they tend to be divided into small groups of about 3 or 4 individuals.

The Morrocoy tortoise or also called red-footed tortoise is a species of terrestrial reptile endemic to jungles, savannas and even grasslands of South American countries, such as Colombia.

Physically it stands out for its black color with orange spots on its shell, head and legs. They measure around 30-35 centimeters, although they present certain differences by sex, such as that males are larger than females.

With diurnal habits and a herbivorous and scavenger diet, the Morrocoy tortoise bases its diet on flowers, leaves, mushrooms, fruits, invertebrates and fresh or decomposed meat of birds, fish and lizards.

This turtle is in danger of extinction mainly due to three factors: excessive hunting for its consumption, the loss of habitat and the exploitation of the Morrocoy turtle trade as pets. Learn more about endangered Turtles in this other AgroCorrn article.

The Gorgona blue lizard is a small insectivorous reptile with a very particular bluish coloration. It is endemic to the Colombian island Gorgona , where it can be seen with difficulty in the jungle, on the trunks of the trees.

Although the number of specimens of this species has not been accurately counted, the Gorgona blue lizard is considered to be in danger of extinction mainly as a cause of deforestation and the introduction of species such as the red-headed basilisk or helmeted basilisk. ( Basiliscus galeritus ), who progressively devours this species.

If you want to know more species in this risk situation in this country, we recommend this other post about 16 animals in danger of extinction in Colombia .

The ornamented marmoset, huicoco with white hands or zocay is a primate of approximately one kilo in weight and a very particular appearance. Its white paws and hands give the impression that this marmoset is wearing gloves. In addition, the fluffy and soft fur of the species also stands out.

Endemic to the humid forests of the western department of Meta, in Colombia, the ornate marmoset makes long jumps thanks to its adapted hind legs and usually lives in groups of about 2 to 4 individuals with their monogamous partners and their young, usually one or two. .

Other peculiarities of this species, classified by the IUCN in a vulnerable state , are its vocalizations used to defend its territory and grooming activities as a way to strengthen relationships within the group.

Although it is not an exclusively endemic species of Colombia, the condor of the Andes has a great importance in this country, since it is a national bird in Colombia . It is listed as the largest non-marine flying bird in the world, reaching a wingspan of 3.4 meters with outstretched wings and weighing up to 15 kg for males and 11 kg for females.

Of colors, black stands out with some white feathers around its neck and on its wings. It is a scavenger bird, so it feeds on dead animals. In addition, it has a great visual capacity and a sustained flight that reaches up to an hour without flapping.

Finally, its population is considered in danger, mainly due to the hunting and commercialization of its feathers. Learn more about this bird in this other post about Why the condor is in danger of extinction .

The spectacled bear , also called the frontin bear, the South American bear, the Andean bear, the jukumari and the ucumari, is another famous animal from Colombia and the only current species of the Tremarctinae subfamily .

Its most special characteristic is based on the presence of yellowish or whitish spots around the eyes, although sometimes they extend through the throat and chest area or there may be a total absence of these. The spots vary in each individual, which makes them a mark of identity.

The rest of the coat is, in addition to being rough and long, fundamentally black, although it can sometimes be brown or, very rarely, reddish. In terms of its dimensions, this bear with a small snout is around 1.30 and 1.90 meters tall and weighs between 80 and 125 kilos.

This bear with diurnal, terrestrial, solitary and climbing habits lives in the Andean region and has a great hearing capacity. Although it is omnivorous, in practice it is predominantly vegetarian, and is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.

The prince of Arcabuco, the black Inca or the purple black hummingbird is a species of hummingbird about 10cm in length, black in color and endemic only to the western slope of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia.

Physically it is a bird with very particular colors. Predominantly black, it also has whitish spots on the sides of the chest and iridescent, greenish-blue colors on the shoulders and throat.

The daily activity carried out involves a large energy expenditure, like the rest of the hummingbird species, so its food demands are also very high. Thus, their diet is based on flower nectar, being able to visit around 2,200 flowers a day.

The Valle del Cauca poison frog or ruby ​​frog is endemic to Colombia, specifically it is an endemic species of the Andes region , both in the Western Cordillera of Valle del Cauca and on the western slope of the Central Cordillera of Risaralda and Quindío.

It is a very small diurnal amphibian, the male measures around 17 mm and the female 18 mm. In appearance, its black, brown, brown or purple color stands out with bright orange and red stripes on the sides. All these bright colors warn predators of the dangerous toxins found throughout their skin.

Although the species is widely distributed, the ruby ​​frog is classified as vulnerable according to the IUCN due to the decline in its habitat and wildlife trafficking.

The dotted lizard is a short-legged reptile endemic to the island of Malpejo , in the Valle del Cauca (Colombia). Its size ranges between 180 mm and 360 mm in adulthood.

Although smaller in size, the dotted lizard is as voracious as the large Komodo dragon. Of course, it does not have a toxic poison or toxic bacteria, so it is not dangerous in itself. It feeds on insects, sea crabs, worms, and even feathers.

It should be noted that, like most species of lizards, the dotted lizard can regenerate its tail when it loses it to some threat. In the same way and more surprisingly, it is also able to regenerate its teeth in case of loss.

Other endemic Colombian species and surrounding regions are the following:

• Colombian freshwater crab ( Hypolobocera gorgonensis)
• Malpelo crab ( Johngarthia malpilensis)
• Sword-billed hummingbird ( Ensifera ensifera ). In the cover image of this article you can see this species.
• Ventrizafiro hummingbird or swamp hummingbird ( Lepidopyga lilliae )
• Gorgona Island Scorpion ( Ananteris gorgonae)
• Colombian leaf-fingered gecko ( Phyllodactylus transversalis )
• Lagartija de Malpelo (Dactyloa agassizi)
• Colombian Curassow ( Crax alberti )
• Yellow-headed finch ( Atlapetes flaviceps )
• Poisonous harlequin frog or cocoi ( Oophaga histrionica )
• The frog is poisonous Dorada ( Phyllobates awesome )
• Rata espinosa ( Proechimys canicollis)
• White-headed marmoset ( Saguinus oedipus )

If you want to read more articles similar to 23 endemic species of Colombia , we recommend that you enter our Wild Animals category .