The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago, made up of several volcanic-type islands and islets, located approximately 1,000 km off the coast of Ecuador. The admiration of the world focuses on the fauna of the Galapagos Islands, due to the conditions of endemism (82% of mammals, 80% of land birds, 26% of seabirds and 95% of reptiles are endemic to the islands). The Galapagos fauna has its ancestors on the continent and had an evolutionary process of approximately 4 million years. Endemic species include petrels, cormorants, the Galapagos hawk, penguins, land and marine iguanas, and many more. But let’s see about Poisonous or dangerous animals in the Galapagos islands.
Variation
The great variety of flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands can be attributed to the wide range of habitats on and around the islands. The difference between the habitats of each island implies that the species have had to adapt to the specific environmental conditions of each of them. These conditions change during the life of an island due to the process of succession.
The species or categories of fauna that can be found in Galapagos are mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, marine invertebrates.
Below is a list of the fauna species of these fantastic islands.
1. Galapagos Birds
- Darwin Finches – (Geospizinae)
- Yellow Warbler – (Dendroica petechia)
- Greate Flamingo – (Phoenicopterus ruber)
- Mockingbird – (Mimus parvulus)
- Galapagos Hawk – (Buteo galapagoensis)
- Lava Heron – (Butorides Sundevalli)
- American Oystercatcher – (Haematopus palliatus)
- Red-Footed Booby – (Sula sula)
- Galapagos Barn Owl – (Tyto alba)
- Great Blue Heron – (Ardea Herodias)
2. Galapagos sea birds
- Brown Pelican – (Pelecanus occidentalis)
- Swallow-Tailed Gull – (Creagrus furcatus)
- Red-Billed Tropicbird – (Phaethon aethereus)
- Flightless Cormorant – (Phalacrocorax harrisi)
- Swallow-Tailed Gull – (Creagrus furcatus)
- Galapagos Penguin – (Spheniscus mendiculus)
- Waved Albatross – (Phoebastria irrorata)
- Frigatebird – (Fregata magnificens)
- Nazca Booby – (Sula granti)
- Blue-Footed Booby – (Sula nebouxii)
3. Galapagos Mammals
- Sea Lion – (Zalophus wollebaeki)
- Fur Seal – (Arctophoca galapagoensis)
- Dolphins – (Delphinidae)
- Whale – (Cetacea)
4. Galapagos marine life
- Whale Shark – (Rhincodon typus)
- Hammerhead shark – (Sphyrna lewini
- Silvertip shark – (Carcharhinus albimarginatus)
- Tiger shark – (Galeocerdo cuvier)
5. Galapagos reptiles
- Lava Lizard – (Microlophus)
- Santa Fe Iguana – (Conolophus pallidus)
- Giant Tortoise – (Geochelone elephantopus)
- Land Iguana – (Conolophus subcristatus)
- Marine Iguana – (Amblyrhynchus Cristatus)
- Green Sea Turtle – (Chelonia mydas)
Poisonous or dangerous animals in the Galapagos islands
What has made the Galapagos famous is its fauna. Or better yet: the proximity of its fauna. “Birds are alien to man,” Darwin also wrote. “They were so docile and trusting that they didn’t even understand what the stones we were throwing at them implied; and without stopping in our presence, they came so close to us that we could have killed a good number of them with a stick”. Centuries have passed, but the behavior of the animals of the archipelago remains the same, and that produces an incomparable fascination in the traveler. Sea lions, dolphins, finches, turtles, seahorses, pelicans or even sharks are within easy reach, they do not shy away from closeness. Iguanas crowd the paths, giant sea turtles swim alongside snorkeling tourists, and blue-footed boobies—beautiful birds—cut or mate in the presence of visitors. That absence of fear is what amazes Galapagos, what makes it a unique place in the world. So, we can say no, the animals are not dangerous or poisonous, on the contrary they are very close to tourists.
On the contrary, the huge influx of tourists is considered a threat to animals and the unspoiled beauty that attracts people to go there. Some environmentalists worry that the stampede of visitors will throw the ecosystem out of balance. For this reason, tourists who enter the archipelago are given a series of guidelines or regulations that they must comply with:
- Keep 2 meters away from animals
- Do not touch or feed the animals
- Do not remove elements from the ecosystem
- Do not smoke, drink alcohol or have campfires
- Always walk on marked trails
- Photos of animals without flash. Drones and professional filming with prior authorization
- Camping only in designated areas, with prior authorization.
- Only fish in authorized experiential fishing boats
- Do not introduce external elements to the ecosystem
- Do not use motorized water vehicles, submarines or aerial tourism
Endangered species
Currently 23 species are in danger of extinction or have already become extinct. Today, the main cause of extinction is human activity, which has changed the many ecosystems and environments of the Galapagos. For example, the land has been cleared to meet human food needs.
