Items16The creator’s order
  1. 1Marine iguanaMarine iguanaA marine iguana grazes on algae in the sea, then comes back onto rock to warm up. Its flattened tail helps propel it through the water. Think of it first as a shoreline grazer, even if the dark animals resting together on the lava are what catch your eye.0
  2. 2Galapagos penguinGalapagos penguinA penguin can live here near the equator because cold, food-rich water reaches the islands. Much of the population lives around Fernandina and the western shores of Isabela. Follow the currents as well as the latitude to understand how the islands can support this bird.0
  3. 3Flightless cormorantFlightless cormorantThe wings are too small for flight, and the bird’s webbed feet do the work of pushing it through the water. Look at the proportions of a cormorant resting on rock and the trade-off is easy to see. The species lives on the coasts of Fernandina and western Isabela.0
  4. 4Hood Island giant tortoiseHood Island giant tortoiseEspañola’s tortoise can stretch its long neck up through the lifted front of its saddle-shaped shell. That shape is useful on a dry island where food includes cactus. The island’s restoration program raised descendants of 15 surviving tortoises and put them back on their original island.0
  5. 5Galápagos land iguanaGalápagos land iguanaA yellowish head and a heavy, spike-backed body help distinguish this land iguana from the dark marine iguanas. Cactus is an important food in the dry lowlands. You can read the difference between the two reptiles in where they feed, even when both are resting on similar dark rock.0
  6. 6Conolophus pallidusConolophus pallidusThe Santa Fe land iguana is generally paler than the other yellow land iguana and has a prominent row of spines. The island is its native home. Even among Galápagos reptiles, this is a case where the island you’re looking at helps you identify the species.0
  7. 7Conolophus marthaeConolophus marthaeThe pink land iguana has dark markings over pink skin. Its known native range is part of a single volcano on Isabela. That tiny range helps explain why it is possible to talk about this animal’s entire habitat on a map of just one island.0
  8. 8Microlophus albemarlensisMicrolophus albemarlensisThe Isabela lava lizard lives on Isabela, Fernandina, and nearby islets. A male may rise and dip on its front legs in a territorial display. Closely related lava lizards live on other islands, so the island where you saw one can be a better clue than its color.0
  9. 9Floreana mockingbirdFloreana mockingbirdThe name recalls the main island where Darwin saw this mockingbird. Its surviving populations persisted on two small offshore islets, Champion and Gardner-by-Floreana, after it disappeared from Floreana itself. That history makes the linked names on a map important to understanding this bird.0
  10. 10Galápagos doveGalápagos doveA bright blue ring around the eye stands out against this dove’s brown feathers. The red feet are another clue if you see it walking on the ground. The combination is a good reminder to look past the overall color on a bird with markings this small and sharp.0