Colombia adds hundreds of species to list of threatened flora and fauna

The Ministry of Environment updated a list of threatened species in Colombia for the first time since 2017, adding hundreds of species facing a wide range of threats, from deforestation and mining to illegal hunting and fishing.The country now has 2,106 species listed as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable, up by about 800 species from the last time the analysis was carried out.Colombia has over 56,000 species in total, making it one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, according to WWF.

The number of threatened species in Colombia is much higher than previously thought, after officials carried out a study to reevaluate the state of the country’s flora and fauna.

The Ministry of Environment updated a list of threatened species in Colombia for the first time since 2017, adding hundreds of species facing a wide range of threats, from deforestation and mining to illegal hunting and fishing.

“[The list will] allow us to adopt the necessary measures to ensure the protection of wild flora and fauna species,” minister of environment Susana Muhamad said.

The country now has 2,103 species listed as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable, designations that indicate how close a species is to extinction. The list grew by about 800 species from the last time the study was carried out, according to the ministry.

The Quindío wax palm. (Photo courtesy of Flickr)

There are now 465 critically endangered species, 801 endangered species and 837 vulnerable species, according to the ministry.

Of the 794 amphibians evaluated, 93.8% are at risk of extinction, including emblematic species like the Harlequin Toad (Atelopus varius).

A cotton-top tamarin (Photo courtesy of Flickr)

Other emblematic species on the list include the Venezuelan troupial (Icterus icterus), Magdalena River turtle (Podocnemis lewyana), Cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) and Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis). Many of the species on the list are endemic to the region.

Fauna on the list include the Quindío wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense), Mountain Papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) and Frailejón de Cabrera (Espeletia cabrerensis), among others.

The Venezuelan troupial. (Photo courtesy of Flickr)

Colombia has over 56,000 species across numerous biomes, making it one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, according to WWF. The ministry said agriculture, mining, pollution from dumping, urban development and the decline of wetlands are the main drivers of many species’ population decline.

Mongabay has reported on community-based monitoring programs for threatened manatees, land purchases by private conservation groups to save Cotton-top tamarins and the creation of tree nurseries to save endemic plant species.

But the ministry called for local and regional authorities to do more to strengthen strategies to protect threatened species.

Banner image: A Cotton-top tamarin. Courtesy of Wikimedia. 

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