The Galapagos Islands
Geography:
The Galapagos islands are ~1000km west of the Ecuadorian coast. There are 13 islands with a surface area >10km² and many smaller islets and emerging rocks. The largest island, Isabella, has >70% of the total land area. The distance from Darwin in the NW to Española in the SE is 430km. The highest point is Wolf Volcano on Isabella at 1707m. Five of the islands (Isabella, Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana and Baltra) are inhabited, with a total resident population of ~17000. Broadly there are 6 habitat types each with its own variety of wildlife:
The Galapagos islands are ~1000km west of the Ecuadorian coast. There are 13 islands with a surface area >10km² and many smaller islets and emerging rocks. The largest island, Isabella, has >70% of the total land area. The distance from Darwin in the NW to Española in the SE is 430km. The highest point is Wolf Volcano on Isabella at 1707m. Five of the islands (Isabella, Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana and Baltra) are inhabited, with a total resident population of ~17000. Broadly there are 6 habitat types each with its own variety of wildlife:
- Open sea - seabirds and cetaceans
- Rocky islets - sparsely vegetated, seabird colonies, marine iguanas, lava lizards
- Shore - sea cliffs, rocky shores, sandy beaches, mangroves, saline lagoons - seabirds, waders, some landbirds, sea lions, marine iguanas, turtles
- Arid zone - dry lowlands with cacti and deciduous trees - most of the landbirds, some seabirds, land iguanas, lava lizards
- Transition zone - wetter than 4. drier than 6. - lichens, perennials, agriculture and tortoises
- Humid zone - divided into 3 by vegetation type, altitude and increasing rainfall - a) Scalezia (endemic trees to 20m) - cloud forest with moss, liverwort, ferns, bromeliads, many landbirds, breeding Galapagos Petrel; b) Miconia (shrubs to 2m) (Santa Cruz & San Cristobal only) treeless - grass, liverwort, fern, few landbirds; c) Pampa (>500m) grass, sedge, fern, Galapagos tree fern, Galapagos Rail, few other birds.
Birds:
There are 61 resident species, 29 of which are endemic to the Galapagos Islands and a further 15 are represented by endemic subspecies.
Another 25 species occur as annual migrants and a further 68 species have occurred as vagrants. Total species recorded =154
To put this into perspective, 1669 bird species have been recorded in Ecuador.
Reptiles:
There are 21 indigenous resident species of reptile: Giant Tortoise, Black Turtle, 3 species of Iguana, 7 species of Lava lizard, 6 species of Gecko (and a further 3 introduced species of Gecko) and 3 species of snake.
Mammals:
There are 8 species of land/shore mammal: Galapagos Fur Seal, Galapagos Sea Lion, 4 rodents and 2 bats - and 25 species of cetacean have been recorded in Galapagos waters
There are 61 resident species, 29 of which are endemic to the Galapagos Islands and a further 15 are represented by endemic subspecies.
Another 25 species occur as annual migrants and a further 68 species have occurred as vagrants. Total species recorded =154
To put this into perspective, 1669 bird species have been recorded in Ecuador.
Reptiles:
There are 21 indigenous resident species of reptile: Giant Tortoise, Black Turtle, 3 species of Iguana, 7 species of Lava lizard, 6 species of Gecko (and a further 3 introduced species of Gecko) and 3 species of snake.
Mammals:
There are 8 species of land/shore mammal: Galapagos Fur Seal, Galapagos Sea Lion, 4 rodents and 2 bats - and 25 species of cetacean have been recorded in Galapagos waters
During our tour we saw 56 of the resident bird species, 11 migrants and 4 species which the field guide classes as vagrants - total 71 species. 33 of these were new for me (including 14 species of Darwin's Finch). There were 3 endemic resident species that we did not see: Galapagos Rail (heard only), Española Mockingbird and Mangrove Finch.
We saw the tortoise, the turtle, all the iguanas and 4 species of Lava Lizard, but no geckos or snakes.
And we saw the Sea Lion, the Fur Seal, one bat and probably 4 species of cetacean.
We saw the tortoise, the turtle, all the iguanas and 4 species of Lava Lizard, but no geckos or snakes.
And we saw the Sea Lion, the Fur Seal, one bat and probably 4 species of cetacean.