What is an endemic species?
An endemic species occurs in only one geographic location. A species could be endemic to a forest. A species could be endemic to an island.
This video gives examples of endemic species:
Endemic species featured in the video:
- Blue-billed curassow, found only in Colombia
- Caquetá titi monkey, found only in Colombia
- Patagonia frog, found only in Southern Argentina
- Rhinoceros iguana, found only in the Dominican Republic
Key points from the video:
- Endemic species occur in only one location. For example, the Patagonia frog is endemic to southern Argentina. It is found in southern Argentina and it lives nowhere else on Earth.
- A megadiverse country has a high number of endemic species.
- Endemic species are important to the ecosystems in which they live.
- Endemic species are like environmental thermometers – they indicate the health of the environment in which they occur.
- Endemic species are extremely vulnerable because they are only found in restricted, and sometimes small, areas.
Research project:
Find out if there are any endemic species of plant, animal, or fungus where you live. You can research online or visit a local nature center or library.
What did you find out? Did you find one, two, or maybe more species that are endemic to your area? Draw a picture of one species and write a short 1-page story about it. Or create a colorful poster to share with classmates, family, and friends.
