Endemic Animals of Canary Islands

The La Palma chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs palmae ), also known as the Palman chaffinch or, locally in Spanish as the pinzón palmero or pinzón hembra, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is a subspecies of the common chaffinch that is endemic to La Palma in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago that forms part of Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean. Less

The dune shearwater (Puffinus holeae ), also known as the Canarian shearwater or Hole's shearwater, was a relatively large shearwater which bred in the Canary Islands archipelago of the North Atlantic Ocean. Fossils have also been found in the Figueira Brava cave archaeological site on the western coast of Portugal. The specific epithet honours Mrs Jean Hole, who collected fossil material of the species on the Jandia Peninsula of Fuerteventura. ...
It was intermediate in size between the Manx and Cory's shearwaters. Its breeding colonies were in dune fields, in contrast to those of the smaller and sympatric lava shearwater which bred in lava fields. Extinction of the species occurred about 2000–3000 years ago, contemporaneously with the first human settlement of the islands by the Guanches, with the cause likely to be human predation. Less

The Trias greenfinch (Chloris triasi ) is an extinct passerine from the family of finches (Fringillidae). The fossil remains were unearthed in the Cuevas de los Murciélagos near San Andrés y Sauces in the north of La Palma, Canary Islands. The species epithet commemorates Spanish palaeontologist Miquel Trías who collected the holotype together with Josep Antoni Alcover in July 1985. Less

The western Canary Islands chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis canariensis ) is a small bird in the family Phylloscopidae. It is a subspecies of the Canary Islands chiffchaff found on the islands of El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, Spain.Both the western and the now extinct eastern (Phylloscopus canariensis exsul ) subspecies of the Canary Islands chiffchaff were formerly considered subspecies of ...
the common chiffchaff but were separated (Clement & Helbig, 1998; Sangster et al., 2001) due to their morphological, bioacoustical, and mtDNA sequence differences (Helbig et al., 1996). Less

The Canary Islands quail (Coturnix gomerae ) is an extinct quail species that once occurred on the islands of El Hierro, La Palma, Tenerife and Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain). Less

The Canarian houbara, Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae, is a large bird in the bustard family. It is a houbara bustard subspecies which is endemic to the eastern Canary archipelago, in Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean, where it is a scarce and threatened non-migratory resident. It is the animal symbol of the island of Fuerteventura. Less

The Barolo shearwater (Puffinus baroli ), also known as the North Atlantic little shearwater or Macaronesian shearwater, is a small shearwater which breeds in the Azores and Canaries of Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean. The English name and the specific baroli refers to Carlo Tencredi Falletti, marquis of Barolo. Less

The lava shearwater (Puffinus olsoni ), or Olson's shearwater, was a species of shearwater that bred on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. It is known from fossil remains, and was only described in 1990. It was intermediate in size between the Manx shearwater and the little shearwater. The remains of the species are particularly common in lava fields.The species is thought to have survived the arrival of the first settlers in the ...
Canary Islands, and become extinct after the arrival of European settlers in the 15th century. It is suspected that the species became extinct due to hunting pressures and possibly the arrival of introduced species such as rats. Less

The eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff or Lanzarote Island chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis exsul ) is an extinct subspecies of the Canary Islands chiffchaff endemic to the island of Lanzarote – and possibly also Fuerteventura – in the Canary Islands, Spain.The eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff was more chestnut-backed and shorter-winged than the western Canary Islands chiffchaff, Phylloscopus canariensis canariensis. These birds were for ...
merly considered subspecies of the common chiffchaff but separated due to their morphological, bioacoustical, and mtDNA sequence differences.Apparently this subspecies was already very rare at the moment of its description. A number of specimens were collected at the beginning of the 20th century in the valleys of Haría (Lanzarote). There it could be observed in broom thickets in the high and fresh zones. Since then there are only some doubtful records. The presence of this subspecies in Fuerteventura is merely hypothetical, as no specimen was ever collected there, nor are there reliable records from that island.The cause of extinction is unknown. Perhaps its final disappearance is related to the destruction and/or transformation of the vegetation in the high zones of the Macizo de Famara. Less

The Tenerife goldcrest, Regulus regulus teneriffae, (sometimes considered a separate species, R. teneriffae ) is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family, closely resembling the goldcrest but with a broader black band across the forehead, slightly darker underparts and a longer bill. It breeds in the Canary Islands of Tenerife and La Gomera, where it is a non-migratory resident. It prefers Canary Island Pine forests, but also occurs in ...
laurisilva forests.The populations on La Palma and El Hierro, previously thought to belong to this taxon, are now recognized as, at least, a distinct subspecies, the Western Canary Islands goldcrest R. (r.) ellenthalerae (Päckert et al., 2006), which evolved from an independent colonisation of the islands. Less

The Western Canary Islands goldcrest, Regulus regulus ellenthalerae, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. It is restricted to the western Canary Islands of La Palma and El Hierro where it is a non-migratory resident.Previously thought to be the same taxon as the Tenerife Goldcrest Regulus regulus teneriffae, it was separated as a distinct subspecies of the goldcrest which apparently evolved from an independent colonisation of ...
the islands 1.3–1.8 million years ago. Less

The Tenerife giant tortoise (Centrochelys burchardi ) is an extinct species of cryptodire turtle in the family Testudinidae endemic to the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. Less

The Roque Chico de Salmor giant lizard (Gallotia simonyi simonyi ) was the nominate subspecies of the lacertid (wall lizard) Gallotia simonyi. It was once present on a small islet near El Hierro in the Canary Islands.Gallotia simonyi simonyi was only known from Roque Chico de Salmor off northwestern Valverde municipality, El Hierro. It disappeared around the 1930s through unsustainable collecting of animals for scientific institutions and ...
commercial interests, as well as predation by feral cats and possibly herring gulls (Diaz & Bischoff 1994, Miras & Pérez-Mellado 2005). Less

The Gran Canaria giant tortoise (Centrochelys vulcanica ) is an extinct species of cryptodire turtle in the family Testudinidae endemic to the island of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands. Less

Phorcus turbinatus, common name the turbinate monodont, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Less

Steromphala cineraria is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Less

Phorcus sauciatus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. It is native to the Eastern North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Macaronesia and the Iberian Peninsula. Less

Mitromorpha engli is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mitromorphidae. It is found around the Canary Islands. The length of the shell varies between 4 mm and 5 mm. Less

Alvania subcalathus is a species of minute sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Rissoidae. Less

Granulina canariensis is a species of very small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Granulinidae. Less

Jorunna efe is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Discodorididae. Less

Jujubinus striatus, common name the grooved top shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Jujubinus striatus delpreteanus Sulliotti, 1889Jujubinus striatus striatus (Linnaeus, 1758) Less

Putzeysia franziskae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Eucyclidae. Less

Mitromorpha gofasi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mitromorphidae. Less

Aldisa puntallanensis is a species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cadlinidae. Less

Leufroyia erronea is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae. Less