How many vertebrate species have been recorded on the Galapagos Islands?
In Galapagos, 109 endemic and native vertebrate species have been recorded, of which 13 are considered Extinct. Seven of the extinct species are known from records of live specimens, while the remaining six are only known from the fossil record2 (Table 1).
How many species are there on the Galapagos Islands?
9,000 species
How many species are endemic to the Galapagos?
There are 19 resident species of which 5 are endemic. One endemic species is the Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) and the only species of penguin to exist north of the equator and nest in the tropics (Jackson 1999).
Are there sea lions in the Galapagos?
The Galapagos sea lion is a species that primarily breeds in the Galapagos Islands, although some breeding colonies also occur on Isla de la Plata just off of mainland Ecuador. They are one of two types of seal found in Galapagos and are part of the eared seal family – having external ear pinnae.
What is the smallest sea lion?
Galapagos BIG15
Why do sea lions arch their backs?
The “true seals” have no external ear flaps, smaller front flippers and rearward facing hind limbs that are fused together into one scalloped flipper. They move across land by stretching their upper bodies out and arching their backs to pull themselves forward.
What is baby sea lion?
When a baby sea lion, called a pup, is coming into this world it brings changes to the family that it’s born in. A group of sea lions living at one place on land is called a colony; but when babies are coming; it is called a rookery! But baby sea lions don’t even eat until they are six months old.
Do sea lions drink milk?
For the first two months of nursing a new pup, a mother sea lion’s milk contains 32% fat, about 9% protein, and 0.6% lactose (milk sugar). Some Galápagos sea lions have been documented nursing as long as three years. In addition to nursing, pups begin eating fish at about two months.
How many babies can a sea lion have at one time?
Sea lions mate approximately 20 – 30 days after the birth of their pup, leaving only about one month out of the entire year that she is not pregnant. In the Northern Hemisphere, pups tend to be born in mid-June. Each mother usually gives birth to a single pup. Twins are rare and mothers seldom adopt other pups.