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With a territory that runs along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean, El Salvador presents an exceptional biodiversity characteristic of a tropical region despite its small extension of territory. However, three-quarters of the national territory is used for livestock and agricultural activities. This, together with the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, means that there are numerous species of animals in danger of extinction in El Salvador; specifically there is 77 endangered species according to the Environmental Ecological Unit (UNES) in this country.
If you want to know what they are and learn more about this topic, we encourage you to read this article that we present to you from Green Ecologist, where we show you these 20 animals in danger of extinction in El Salvador.
Graceful eagle
Given almost disappeared, the graceful eagle o Spizaetus ornatus it had not been detected since 1980. It is a typical eagle of lowland tropical forests. Juveniles are characterized by white plumage on the head and belly, while adults are medium to large in size with orange plumage on the sides of the head and a black and white striped belly. Also, these raptors have a black and brown crest. Since it is a rare species that is in danger of extinction in El Salvador, a special treatment is required in order to guarantee procreation and promote the next generations of this species.
Snail cambute
The cambute snail or Lobatus galeatus is another of the endangered animals in El Salvador. It has a strong and thick shell and is of an average size of 15 cm and a characteristic yellow color. Its outline is oblong and presents a typically eroded small needle. In recent years, a very high number of empty shells have been detected, so it is known that the number of these mollusks has been declining greatly and is of particular concern.
Quetzal
The quetzal or Pharomachrus mocinno It is a common and well-known bird in several Central American countries, in recent decades it has been attributed a commercial objective which has led to the serious reduction of their populations in El Salvador, as well as in other countries that it inhabits naturally, such as Mexico and Guatemala. It is characterized by a vivid green and blue plumage color and a very long feathered tail. Females may have some variation in plumage color, with dark spots and a red breast.
In this other article we talk about why the quetzal is in danger of extinction.
Leatherback turtle
The leatherback turtle, leatherback turtle or Dermochelys leathery it is the only species in its family and is the largest tortoise known today. This reptile can reach more than 2 meters in length and weigh more than 600 kg. It is present in most tropical and subtropical seas and its diet focuses especially on jellyfish and seaweed. Even if in El Salvador it is in danger of extinctionAt a global level, it is not in critical danger of extinction, as is the case with other species of sea turtles, and it is classified as a vulnerable species.
Here we talk more about the question: Is the leatherback turtle in danger of extinction?
Sawfish
Scientific name Pristis pectinataThis species of fish is characterized by a flattened body, pectoral fins that resemble wings, a mouth located below and a very long and narrow snout like a saw, hence its name. The sawfish They can reach an average length of about 600 cm at most in their adult stage, while when they are born they measure 60 cm. Typically inhabits the first 10 m of both fresh and marine waters.
This species is not only found in critical danger of extinction in El Salvadorbut all over the planet.
Hawksbill turtle
The hawksbill turtle or Eretmochelys imbricata is listed as critically endangered species. It is a species example of the great efforts that El Salvador dedicates to its conservation. The bad interest of humans that has led to this species of sea turtles being in this state, lies in their shell which is used to make different products, and also in the consumption of their eggs.
Common hawk
Another species of Salvadoran endangered animals is he common hawk or Accipiter nisus, which is characterized by a small size, long round wings and a long tail. In this species, the females are usually larger than the males, and can be up to 25% larger. They live in temperate and subtropical areas and their typical prey are small forest birds.
Other endangered animals in El Salvador
As a curious fact, El Salvador has a flora made up of more than 800 species of trees and more than 400 varieties of orchids. On the other hand, as components of the fauna of this country, there are more than 1,000 species of butterflies, more than 500 species of birds, about 800 species of fish and about 200 species of mammals. Some of the most outstanding species of fauna exist the arboricultural Mexican fox-spine or porcupine (Sphiggurus mexicanus), the white-nosed coati (Nasua narica), the nasal leaf viper (Porthidium nasutum), the green toucan (Aulacorhynchus prasinus) or white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).
However, as we have already cited some examples above, there are many species in danger of extinction. Then, focusing again on species that are in serious conservation status, we expand the list of endangered animals in El Salvador to raise awareness of the seriousness of the situation:
- Real duck (Anas platyrhynchos)
- White-breasted hawkAccipiter chionogaster)
- Striped Hummingbird (Eupherusa eximia)
- Yellow-naped Lora (Amazona auropalliata)
- Mountain lion (Puma concolor)
- Tiger leopard or tigrillo (Leopardus tigrinus)
- Black turtle or black turtle (Chelonia agassizii)
- Little toad (Incilius coccifer)
- Cuvier's Cayman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)
- King zope or condor of the jungle (Sarcoramphus papa)
- Yellow-backed iguana or rumination (Ctenosaura flavidorsalis)
- Chipe cachetidorado (Setophaga chrysoparia)
- Montecristo salamander (Bolitoglossa heiroreias)
In the same order of this list you can see here the images of these animals from El Salvador that are in danger of extinction.
How to help endangered animals in El Salvador
Once we have commented on some of the endangered animals in El Salvador and their causes, it is necessary to explain how we can contribute to the improvement of these animals. These are some ideas about how we can help endangered animals in El Salvador:
- Avoid or reduce and control deforestation of forests, since El Salvador is one of the countries with the highest rate of deforestation in Central America.
- Prohibit hunting of animals.
- Avoid overexploitation of resources.
- Prohibit entry to nature reserves and delimit protected areas with restricted access.
- Promote the restoration of ecosystems that have experienced, among others, habitat destruction.
- Volunteer programs to take care of the fauna of El Salvador. This country offers volunteer programs for all those interested in saving endangered species and promoting respect for nature.
We tell you more in this other Green Ecologist article about Why it is important to protect endangered animals. In addition, after knowing which are the animals of El Salvador that are in danger of extinction and how to help them, we recommend that you also read about:
- Animals in danger of extinction in the world.
- 32 animals in danger of extinction in Spain.
- 25 animals in danger of extinction in Mexico.
If you want to read more articles similar to Endangered animals in El SalvadorWe recommend that you enter our category of Endangered Animals.
