What types of wildlife, including reptiles, are found on the Galápagos Islands?
All plants and animals that live in the Galápagos Islands today are descendants of those that arrived from elsewhere. Native mammals are rare in the Galápagos, and include only those that could make the journey from Central or South America. There are 23 species of land reptiles that live in the Galápagos Islands: 3 species of iguana, 7 lava lizards, 9 geckos, 3 snakes and 1 species of giant tortoise with 14 described subspecies of which 11 still exist, some with only small populations. Marine iguanas are the only sea-going lizards in the world, living on land but who graze on seaweed on coastal rocks or in the sea. Native mammals include the Galápagos red bat, rice rats and the Galápagos sea lion. What kind of marine life is found around the Galápagos Islands? The Galápagos Marine Reserve was established in 1998 to protect the waters around the Galápagos Islands and the many species of animals and fish that live there. There is a natural abundance of marine species in Galápagos becaus
