Some animals are so unique, that they are found in only one country in the whole world! These animals are called endemic species, as they are found nowhere else in the world. Can you imagine a bird, lizard, or mammal that only has one home, in one nation! What a strange concept! But what makes this possible, and why don’t they move? In this article, we will see the simple reasons that some animals are endemic to one country. We will consider, their unique homes, isolations, food requirements, climate and humans. Let’s begin!
What Are Endemic Animals?
Before we start, let’s understand what endemic means. An endemic animal is one that naturally lives in only one specific area, like a country or even a single island. For example, the kiwi bird is endemic to New Zealand, and the giant panda is endemic to China. These animals don’t exist in the wild anywhere else. Endemic species are special because they show how unique a place’s nature can be.
Now, let’s explore the reasons why some animals stay in just one country.
1. Special Homes
Every animal needs a home that is right for it. A home is called a habitat. Some countries are home to animals with clearly defined habitats that are suitable for those animals, but not the ideal home they live in in another country that is similar. Animals can thrive in one country, their native habitat, but simply die in another country, without the right habitat.
An example for this is the kiwi bird. The kiwi bird is the native bird of New Zealand. The kiwi only lives in New Zealand forests. Specifically, dense wet forests on the islands included in New Zealand, as these are ideal habitats. The wooded forests provide the right soil for kives to dig for their favorite foods, insects and worms. The forests also provide burls and fallen trees that provide some cover for the kiwi to hide from natural predators, e.g. ferrets and cats. You could not successfully relocate kiwi birds to places like deserts, cities, etc. Their habitats do not exist in those unnatural environments.
The Philippine Tarsier is an example of a clearly defined habitat. The Philippine tarsier can be found only in the Philippines. They are tiny primates that live in dense jungles with lots of trees to leap between (to catch or evade) and lots of insects to eat. The Philippines has jungles dense enough to maintain their populations, but other countries do not provide the right habitats. If the Philippine tarsiers left the habitat of their native country, they could not survive to live in another country without the same habitat.
Special homes aren’t just about forests or jungles. Some animals need mountains, rivers, or coral reefs. For instance, the Gooty sapphire tarantula, a bright blue spider, lives only in a small forest in India. Its home has the perfect mix of humidity and trees for building webs. This makes it impossible for the spider to survive in other places.
2. Isolated Places
Many endemic animals live in places that are isolated from the rest of the world. Those places are often islands, or other areas cut off by mountains, valleys or various natural barriers of an isolating nature. The result is that animals living in those regions have trouble migrating out to other regions, and equally trouble migrating into them, while there exists a difficulty with animals adapting to both circumstances from outside those barriers. With all the isolated physical environments the animals remained unique and distinct from their relatives elsewhere through time as they evolved over time.
Islands are just one example of that. For example, the largest lizard in the world is not going to swim to another land, because the Komodo dragon only lives on a handful of islands in Indonesia, surrounded by deep ocean. Those islands do not give the Komodo dragon an opportunity to leave. Over time, as the Komodo dragon – like many animals – adapted to its environment, it became big enough to eat the deer and pigs living on those islands, and to the extent where no other portion of land will offer those attributes to succeed.
Another island example is the lemur, which is a primate that inhabits only one landmass (Madagascar[1]) that broke free from Africa millions of years ago and left the animals inhabiting Madagascar isolated from Africa. Over time, as the lemur evolved to fit into Madagasy forests with big eyes to see in the dark and long tails to facilitate climbing trees, which are appear to keep lemurs from promptly migrating beyond Madagascar as well.
[1] Peruvian exonomist science.com “dreamin in the rain forest-about lemurs” in Africa
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[1] “Lemurs: Madagascar’s Endemic Treasures”-Southern Africa if the subject in the video may be able to change/or impact lemur migration through “man made interventions”, (eg. -which tropical experiences do intervene with travels to Madagascar).
Mountains can also isolate animals. The snow leopard, found only in the high mountains of countries like Nepal and Bhutan, is adapted to cold, rocky peaks. The steep cliffs and freezing weather keep it separate from other big cats, making it unique to this region.
Isolation doesn’t just trap animals—it changes them. Over time, they become so different that they can’t survive in other places, even if they could get there.
3. Climate and Food Needs
Animals require the right climate and food source in order to survive. Some countries have a certain climate or food source that certain animals depend on. If those climate or food source are not available somewhere else, that animal cant survive in other places.
The giant panda is a perfect example. Pandas only live in China because they are bamboo eaters, which only grows in cool, misty mountains in China. Bamboo makes up 99% of a panda’s diet! Other countries may have forests, but none have the correct species of bamboo that pandas depend on, and they have the mild climate that pandas depend on. This direct creates a relationship between pandas and China.
Quokkas also example to give. Quokkas are a small marsupial that is found on several islands off of Australia. Quokkas are grazers however quokkas only eat grasses and leaves that are only found in the mild climate, coastal islands. The islands lack major predators, which also helps the quokkas. However if you were to move a quokka to a hot or cold place that didn’t have its favorite plants, a quokka would not last long.
Climate also matters for animals like the okapi, a shy, zebra-like creature found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Okapis live in dense rainforests with warm, wet weather. They eat leaves, fruits, and fungi that grow in this specific climate. Other countries might have forests, but they don’t have the same mix of plants or the constant rain okapis need.
When an animal’s food or climate is unique to one country, it becomes endemic because it can’t find what it needs anywhere else.
4. Human Impact
Humans can also stifle the ability of some animals to live in more than one country. Deforestation, urban development, and agriculture can destroy habitats, and, on the best of days, leave the animals confined to very small areas of habitat and make it impossible for animals to migrate. Lastly, some may be driven out by hunting them or introducing new hunting species (or predators) to the area and make it impossible for the animal to migrate.
A good example of this is the Philippine eagle which is a large eagle that exists only in the Philippines because the rainforest that it inhabits is being diminished. Humans have chopped down many of these forests to accommodate farm and urban growth, and now the eagle cannot find large enough trees to build nests or find hunting grounds. The eagle cannot migrate from the Philippines because its habitat is disappearing.
A similar example is the Javan rhinoceros or Rhinoceros sondaicus, which exclusively lives on, you guessed it, the island of Java (Indonesia). At one time the Javan rhinoceros lived over Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam), but could only survive in this small park on Java due to hunting and the destruction of their rainforest habitat. Due to human driven activities such as clearing of forests for forest products, urban expansion, and the building of roads, there were simply no other places on Java for the Javan rhino to migrate. They are effectively stuck!
Humans can also accidentally bring new animals to a country, which hurts endemic species. For example, rats brought by ships to islands like New Zealand harmed the native kakapo, a flightless parrot. The kakapo is now found only on a few protected islands because rats ate its eggs and food. Human actions made its world smaller.
5. Why Endemic Animals Matter
Endemic animals are valuable because they give each country its own personality. They are like jewels that represent the distinctiveness of a place. For example, the kangaroo embodies the rugged terrain of Australia, while lemurs tell the story of the ancient island of Madagascar. If endangered or endemic animals were lost, then part of that country would also be lost.
Endemic animals can also help their ecosystems. The kiwi bird in New Zealand eats fruit and spreads the seeds, allowing the forest to thrive. The Komodo dragon (found only in Indonesia) keeps a check on the deer population, allowing for a balance within its island ecosystem. If endemic animals were lost, the place they occupy would likely be in trouble as well.
To protect endemic animals is, simultaneously, to protect the place they reside. This would effectively preserve organic environments for the living things, including other plants and animal species. It would contribute to the continued richness and beauty of world diversity so that others will still have a chance to experience and appreciate these amazing animals in the future.
Examples of Endemic Animals
Here are a few more endemic animals and why they’re tied to one country:
- Kangaroo (Australia): Kangaroos are built for Australia’s open plains and dry climate. They hop to save energy and eat tough grasses other animals avoid.
- Aye-aye (Madagascar): This odd-looking lemur uses its long finger to find insects in trees, a skill perfect for Madagascar’s forests.
- Iberian Lynx (Spain): This small cat lives in Spain’s scrublands, hunting rabbits in a warm, dry climate.
How We Can Help
To keep endemic animals safe, we need to protect their homes. This means saving forests, cleaning rivers, and fighting climate change. We can also support parks and laws that keep habitats safe. By learning about these animals, we can share their stories and inspire others to care.
Conclusion
Some animals are only located in one specific country because they have special habitats, unique habitats, particular foods or climate, and human effects. These endemic species are a wonder of nature and also a reminder of how rich diversity is. They’re a window into the world, from the kiwi of New Zealand to the panda of China, animals all have a story pertaining to their home. Recognizing the reasons they’re restricted to one spot can help us better appreciate these animals and more importantly could help us preserve them and keep the world vibrant in life.
