An endemic species is found naturally in a limited geographical area.
An endemic species is one that is distributed in a small geographical area and is not found naturally in other parts of the world . Endemism , therefore, refers to a species that can only be found naturally in one place.
Before moving forward, what we are going to do is find the etymological origin of the two words that give shape to the concepts:
- Species is a word that comes from Latin and more specifically from species , which is equivalent to “image or appearance” .
- Endemic , for its part, has its origin in Greek. And this is confirmed when analyzing the structure it has: the prefix en- , which is synonymous with “within” ; the noun demos , which can be translated as “people” ; and finally the suffix -ico , which means “relative to” .
endemism
Species are, for zoology and botany , the groups into which genera can be divided. When integrating the same species, individuals share generic characters and other factors that make them similar to each other and different from members of other species.
Endemic , on the other hand, is that belonging to or relating to endemicity . This concept is usually used to name a disease that reigns in a region or era.
In this sense we can say that there are very different types of endemism: paleoendemism , patroendemism , cryptoendemism , schizoendemism and apoendemism , among others.
The consideration of endemism can vary at different scales. It is possible to speak of a species endemic to a mountain range, a lake, an island, a country or a continent, which demonstrates the breadth of the concept. Although it usually refers to species, endemism can also apply to subspecies, genera, families or other taxa.
Endemic species are usually found on islands.
Examples of endemic species
The Iberian lynx is an example of an endemic species, in this case to the Iberian Peninsula . It is a carnivorous mammal of the Felidae family that is in danger of extinction since its population is estimated at less than four hundred individuals.
The aforementioned lynx is currently being the subject of special care and attention by the authorities, who have managed to establish two important populations, one in Andalusia and another in the Toledo area.
It is interesting to know that Mexico is one of the countries that has the most endemic species, especially at the animal level. Specifically, among those are the harpy eagle , the Pacific green sea turtle , the whooping crane , the naked-tailed armadillo and the anteater known as the honeysucker .
In other American countries there are also endemic species of great value and recognition at an international level. Thus, for example, in the Dominican Republic there is the selle thrush , in Ecuador there is the Galapagos penguin , in Peru we find the rat Pattonomys occasius and in Colombia lives the bat that receives the scientific name Artibeus jamaicensis coryi .
Most of the endemic species are found on the islands , since geographical isolation contributes to the preservation of endemism. Australia , thus, has numerous endemic species, both of flora and fauna.