Animals in Ecuador

Ecuador is a country in South America. It is bordered by Colombia to the north and Peru to the south. The west coast of Ecuador borders the Pacific Ocean. The Galapagos Islands that are more than 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean are also part of Ecuador.

The climate of Ecuador is very diverse. The Pacific coast is tropical. Inland from the coast is subtropical and extremely humid. The Andes mountain range runs through the middle of the country. Most of the climate in the area of the Andes is moderate without extreme temperatures. The Amazon rain forest covers the eastern part of Ecuador. This diverse climate plus the unique Galapagos Island make Ecuador home to many animals that are only found in this area.

The Galapagos Tortoise is a prehistoric animal unique to this area. They belong to the Geochelone elephantopus family.

Marine Iguanas are abundant in the Galapagos. These are the only lizards that live in the ocean.

Land Iguanas are endemic to the Galapagos Islands. They like to eat cactus and are able to eat it without removing the prickly spines.

There are seven species of Lava Lizards found only in the Galapagos Islands. The males appear to be doing pushups when trying to attract a mate.

The Cormorant of the Galapagos is the only cormorant in the world that is not able to fly. This bird is a very good swimmer.

Thirteen different finches are endemic to the Galapagos. Some of these birds will sometimes eat out of your hand.

The capybara which is the largest rodent in the world can be found in Ecuador. Tapir, jaguar, ocelot, puma, and the howler monkey are also unique to this area