One of the most persistent introduced pests in the Galapagos Islands has been the Cottony Cushion Scale (Icerya purchasi), which has been present in Galapagos since 1982. Charles Darwin discovered thirteen species of finches that largely formed the basis for his Theory of Evolution. The Galápagos fur seals have the lowest reproductive rate among all seal species. The Galápagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis) lives in the Galapagos Island and a small colony lives in Peru. Here are just a few examples of astounding adaptations in Galapagos animals that have served them well. Lacking defensive mechanisms due to the relative isolation for thousands of years, the marine iguanas are highly susceptible to attacks by the invasive species on the island. Mothers are extremely protective of their own offsprings and tend to them with great care. The Galapagos Islands are a group of volcanic islands which lay in the Pacific Ocean close to the Equator line. In the 1800’s, thousands of these seals were culled for their fur by poachers. The warbler-finches are the smallest of the Galapagos finches and the vegetarian finches are the largest. In order to control the scale, an Australian ladybug called the Vidalia Beetle (Rodolia cardinalis) was introduced in 2002. A popularly held belief is that the original species that evolved into the unique Galapagos variety found their way to the islands on flotation rafts of vegetation and other waste and were carried to the island via wind and sea currents. Spot these animals on our tour to the Galapagos Islands. Larger, flightless animals like sea lions and penguins likely arrived on the islands having drifted away from their homes in storms. Endemic species are ones that evolved from something else. The Galápagos Islands, an archipelago with islands distributed on either side of the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, 906 km west of mainland Ecuador, is famous for the vast number of endemic species housed on the islands of the archipelago. The ladybug has been eating the Scales, reducing their impact on local plant life. With a treasure trove of endemic species, the Galapagos Islands are renowned for natural wonders and unique wildlife. Though protected by law, the sea lions are still susceptible to certain threats such as the el Niño events and predation by sharks and killer whales. The results are very positive. Because of a large number of endemic animals, specific climatic conditions on different islands and isolation from the outside world, he could systematically study the impact of specific factors on the morphology […] Endemic species, by their nature, are considered at-risk. For obvious reasons, its the endemic species that people come to see! 1. This huge expanse of inhospitable ocean in-between makes it very difficult for new kinds of plants and animals to reach the islands. Galapagos Animals . Finches evolved to fill an available environmental niche on different islands. Here are 10 of our favourite […] Once on the island, the reptiles took the environmental niches usually reserved for mammals: giant tortoises are large herbivores because animals like goats and horses do not naturally exist there. On the other hand, birds and bats could, of course, fly to the islands. This insect eats many plants, both invasive and native, and is particularly hard on citrus trees. However, the 1982 to 1983 El Niño weather event was another tragic blow to the Galapagos seal conservation. Strict laws were introduced in 1959 by Ecuador to protect the animals. The Galapagos hawk is an apex predator with excellent vision. 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