List of reptiles of Colombia

Last updated

Colombia is the sixth richest country in the world for reptiles, and third richest in the Western Hemisphere. [1] [2]

Contents

Turtles

The turtles (order: Chelonii or Testudines) number thirty-three species from nine families. Fifteen species are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. [3] Three turtle species are listed as endemic.

Snapping turtles - Chelydridae
Scientific nameCommon nameDistributionStatus
Chelydra acutirostris South American snapping turtlePacific & Caribbean lowlands
Sea turtles - Cheloniidae
Scientific nameCommon nameDistributionStatus
Caretta caretta Loggerhead sea turtleCaribbeanendangered
Lepidochelys kempii Kemp's ridley sea turtleCaribbeancritically endangered
Lepidochelys olivacea Olive ridley sea turtlePacific & Caribbean coastsvulnerable
Chelonia mydas Green sea turtlePacific & Caribbean coastsendangered
Eretmochelys imbricata Hawksbill sea turtlePacific & Caribbean coastscritically endangered
Sea turtles - Dermochelyidae
Scientific nameCommon nameDistributionStatus
Dermochelys coriacea Leatherback sea turtlePacific & Caribbean coastscritically endangered
Mud turtles - Kinosternidae
Scientific nameCommon nameDistributionStatus
Kinosternon dunni Colombian mud turtle Pacific lowlands (Chocó)Endemic; vulnerable
Kinosternon leucostomum White-lipped mud turtlePacific lowlandsvulnerable
Kinosternon scorpioides Scorpion mud turtlePacific lowlands, Amazon basin
Pond turtles - Emydidae
Scientific nameCommon nameDistributionStatus
Trachemys callirostris Colombian slider
Trachemys venusta Meso-American slider
Wood turtles - Geoemydidae
Scientific nameCommon nameDistributionStatus
Rhinoclemmys annulata Brown wood turtle
Rhinoclemmys diademata Maracaibo wood turtle
Rhinoclemmys melanosterna Colombian wood turtle
Rhinoclemmys nasuta Large-nosed wood turtle
Tortoises - Testudinidae
Scientific nameCommon nameDistributionStatus
Chelonoidis carbonaria Red-footed tortoise Amazon basinvulnerable
Chelonoidis denticulata Yellow-footed tortoise Amazon basinvulnerable
Side-necked turtles - Podocnemididae
Scientific nameCommon nameDistributionStatus
Peltocephalus dumerilianus Big-headed Amazon River turtle Amazon basinvulnerable
Podocnemis erythrocephala Red-headed Amazon River turtle Amazon basinvulnerable
Podocnemis expansa Giant South American turtle Amazon basin
Podocnemis lewyana Magdalena River turtle Magdalena RiverEndemic; endangered
Podocnemis sextuberculata Six-tubercled Amazon River turtle Amazon basinvulnerable
Podocnemis unifilis Yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle Amazon basinvulnerable
Podocnemis vogli Savanna side-necked turtle Orinoco basin
Side-necked turtles - Chelidae
Scientific nameCommon nameDistributionStatus
Chelus fimbriata Mata mata Amazon & Orinoco basins
Mesoclemmys dahli Dahl's toad-headed turtle Northeast Colombia (Bolivar)Endemic
Mesoclemmys gibba Gibba turtle
Mesoclemmys raniceps Amazon toad-headed turtleAmazon basin
Phrynops geoffroanus Geoffroy's side-necked turtleAmazon basin
Phrynops tuberosus Cotinga River toad-headed turtleAmazon basin
Platemys platycephala Twist-necked turtleAmazon & Orinoco basins
Rhinemys rufipes Red side-necked turtle Amazon basin

Crocodilia

Alligators & caimans - Alligatoridae
Scientific nameCommon nameDistributionStatus
Paleosuchus palpebrosus Cuvier's dwarf caiman
Paleosuchus trigonatus Smooth-fronted caiman
Caiman crocodilus Spectacled caiman
Melanosuchus niger Black caiman
Crocodiles - Crocodylidae
Scientific nameCommon nameDistributionStatus
Crocodylus acutus American crocodilevulnerable
Crocodylus intermedius Orinoco crocodilecritically endangered

Squamata

See also

Related Research Articles

Marine reptile Reptiles which have become secondarily adapted for an aquatic or semi-aquatic life in a marine environment

Marine reptiles are reptiles which have become secondarily adapted for an aquatic or semiaquatic life in a marine environment.

Madras Crocodile Bank Trust

The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology (MCBT) is a reptile zoo and herpetology research station, located 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of the city of Chennai, in state of Tamil Nadu, India. The centre is both a registered trust and a recognized zoo under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and comes under the purview of the Central Zoo Authority, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. It was established with the aim of saving three Indian endangered species of crocodile—the marsh or mugger crocodile, the saltwater crocodile, and the gharial, which at the time of founding of the trust were all nearing extinction.

Out of the total 1,092 km² of Hong Kong land, three-quarters is countryside, with various landscapes including beaches, woodlands and mountain ranges within the small territory. Most of Hong Kong's parks have natural diversity, usually containing over 1,000 species of plants

Golden coin turtle Species of turtle

The golden coin turtle or Chinese three-striped box turtle is a species of turtle endemic to southern China.

<i>Terrapene ornata</i> Species of turtle

Terrapene ornata is a species of North American box turtle sometimes referred to as the western box turtle or the ornate box turtle. It is one of two recognized species of box turtle in the United States, having two subspecies. The second recognized species of box turtle is the eastern box turtle,Terrapene carolina. T. carolina has six subspecies, two of which are endemic to Mexico.

<i>Graptemys</i> Genus of turtles

Graptemys is a genus of freshwater turtles containing 14 species, commonly known as map turtles. Graptemys are small to medium-sized turtles that are sexually dimorphic, with females attaining as much as twice the length and ten times the mass as males in some species. Depending on the species, adult males range from 7–16 cm (2.75–6.25 in), adult females 10–29.5 cm (4–11.62 in), and hatchlings 2.5–3.8 cm (1–1.5 in), although some sources indicate female Barbour's map turtles grow to 33 cm (13 in) in length. Most species have a distinctive dark pigmented keel that is often notched or serrated running down the center of the carapace and serrated scutes on the rear margin. The head, neck, and limbs exhibit bold patterns of yellow lines and spots against darker green, olive, or black base colors. The patterns on the head can be important characters in identifying the various species. The common name "map turtle" is derived from the intricate patterns on their shells that are suggestive of topographical maps, although the patterns are more apparent in some species than others, and often become obscure in older specimens. Some species are occasionally called "sawbacks", in reference to the serrated keels on their shell.

Mary River turtle Species of turtle

The Mary River turtle is an endangered short-necked turtle that is endemic to the Mary River in south-east Queensland, Australia. While, the Mary River Turtle was first formerly discovered in 1994, they eluded discovery in their natural environment for nearly 30 years. There has been a dramatic decrease in their population due to low reproduction rates and an increase of depredation on nests.

Wildlife of Cambodia

The wildlife of Cambodia is very diverse with at least 162 mammal species, 600 bird species, 176 reptile species, 900 freshwater fish species, 670 invertebrate species, and more than 3000 plant species. A single protected area, Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, is known to support more than 950 total species, including 75 species that are listed as globally threatened on the IUCN Red List. An unknown amount of species remains to be described by science, especially the insect group of butterflies and moths, collectively known as lepidopterans.

Wildlife of Cape Verde

The wildlife of Cape Verde is spread over its archipelago of ten islands and three islets, which all have parks under their jurisdiction by decree promulgated by the Cape Verde government. Located off the west coast of Africa, the total land area of the island nation is 4,564 square kilometres (1,762 sq mi). The wildlife consists of many tropical dry forest and shrub land, endemic flora and fauna, and rare breeding seabirds and plants, which are unique to this group of islands.

Wildlife of Sierra Leone

The wildlife of Sierra Leone is very diverse due to the variety of different habitats within the country. Sierra Leone is home to approximately 2090 known higher plant species, 147 known species of mammals, 172 known breeding bird species, 67 known reptile species, 35 known amphibian species and 99 known species of fish.

Wildlife of South Africa Flora and fauna of the country

The wildlife of South Africa consists of the flora and fauna of this country in southern Africa. The country has a range of different habitat types and an ecologically rich and diverse wildlife, vascular plants being particularly abundant, many of them endemic to the country. There are few forested areas, much savanna grassland, semi-arid Karoo vegetation and the fynbos of the Cape Floristic Region. Famed for its national parks and big game, 297 species of mammal have been recorded in South Africa, as well as 858 species of bird and over 20,000 species of vascular plants.

Chinese pond turtle Species of turtle

Mauremys reevesii, commonly known as the Chinese pond turtle, the Chinese three-keeled pond turtle, or Reeves' turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae, a family which was formerly called Bataguridae. The species is endemic to Asia.

Zhous box turtle Species of turtle

Zhou's box turtle is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. The species is apparently endemic to China.

Yellow-blotched map turtle Species of turtle

The yellow-blotched map turtle, or yellow-blotched sawback, is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. It is part of the narrow-headed group of map turtles, and is endemic to the southern United States.

The Sulawesi forest turtle is a critically endangered species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. The species is monotypic within the genus Leucocephalon. It is endemic to Sulawesi in Indonesia.

Magdalena River turtle Species of turtle

The Magdalena River turtle, or Rio Magdalena river turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Podocnemididae, which diverged from other turtles in the Cretaceous Period, 100 million years ago. It is endemic to northern Colombia, where its home range consists of the Sinú, San Jorge, Cauca, and Magdalena river basins.

Wildlife of Cyprus


The wildlife of Cyprus includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. Cyprus has a rich flora and a diverse fauna albeit with relatively few mammals. Like most modern countries, the natural habitats in Cyprus have been steadily disappearing, currently retaining only 20% of its original habitat due to rapid urbanization, usage of forests for commercial purposes, tourism and various other reasons. One of the unique features of Cyprus' habitats is the wild and sharp differences in elevations and habitats in different parts of the island as well as different climate conditions, all of which supply a diverse habitat for a unique array of fauna and flora. Terra Cypria was established as a trust in 1992 to conserve the Cypriot environment and its biodiversity.

Wildlife of the Philippines Flora and fauna of the Philippines

The wildlife of the Philippines includes a significant number of endemic plant and animal species. The country's surrounding waters reportedly have the highest level of marine biodiversity in the world. The Philippines is considered one of the seventeen megadiverse countries as well as global biodiversity hotspot. In the 2000 Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), 418 of the country's 52,177 species were listed as threatened.

Biodiversity of Colombia Variety of indigenous organisms

The biodiversity of Colombia is the variety of indigenous organisms in the country with the second-highest biodiversity in the world, behind Brazil. As of 2021, around 63,000 species are registered in Colombia, of which 14% are endemic. The country occupies worldwide the first position in number of orchids, birds and butterflies, second position in plants, amphibians and fresh water fish, third place in species of palm trees and reptiles and globally holds the sixth position in biodiversity of mammals.

<i>Leyvachelys</i> Extinct genus of turtles

Leyvachelys is an extinct genus of turtles in the family Sandownidae from the Early Cretaceous of the present-day Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Eastern Ranges, Colombian Andes. The genus is known only from its type species, Leyvachelys cipadi, described in 2015 by Colombian paleontologist Edwin Cadena. Fossils of Leyvachelys have been found in the fossiliferous Paja Formation, close to Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, after which the genus is named. The holotype specimen is the oldest and most complete sandownid turtle found to date.

References

  1. "Countries with the most number of reptile species".
  2. "The Reptile Database".
  3. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species".