10 ANIMALS IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION IN COLOMBIA - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The main animals in danger of extinction in Colombia are the golden frog, the gold-spotted marsupial frog, the llanero caiman, the sawfish, the Creole grouper and the Boshelli snake. The hawksbill sea turtle, the white-headed marmoset, the Cundinamarca chameleon and the tarpon are also endangered.

The species that are considered critically endangered (CR) are those determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) after conducting an exhaustive investigation and subsequent classification.

Golden frog, one of the critically endangered species in Colombia

Species with a population of less than 250 mature individuals are included in this category. These are those populations that have been decimated between 80 and 90% in the last 10 years or in the last 3 generations, with high fluctuations in terms of their geographical distribution.

Reptiles are one of the most threatened populations. Eleven types of reptiles that make life in Colombia are in critical danger of extinction. This is relevant given that this South American country is one of the richest in terms of reptile diversity, only surpassed by Brazil, Australia and Mexico.

10 species in critical danger of extinction in Colombia

1- Golden frog

The golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis) or poison dart frog, as it is also known, is an endemic amphibian that lives on the Pacific coast of Colombia. It is considered the most poisonous vertebrate amphibian in the world, capable of killing up to 10,000 mice.

Its body is small, the size of an almond, although it is one of the largest poison dart frog species that exists: it can reach 55 mm in adulthood.

It lives in the humid jungles of the Cauca, Chocó and Valle del Cauca departments, located on the Colombian Pacific coast and in the Darién jungle in Panama.

It is a diurnal animal and its optimal natural habitat is the rainforest, with an altitude between 100 and 200 meters, with a temperature of about 26 ° C and between 80% and 90% relative humidity.

2- Llanero alligator

Half of Colombia's crocodiles are threatened, but this species is on the list among those that are critically endangered. It is also known as the Orinoco crocodile.

Its decrease has been caused by the contamination of the rivers where it lives, due to mining, industrial and agricultural activities. Poaching, the extraction of eggs from nests or the capture of newborn alligators to sell to tourists have also influenced their decline.

Another risk factor for this species is fishing with nets, since some of these alligators are accidentally caught in the nets of fishermen and are not released later, but are sold alive or skinned, to take advantage of their skin.

3- sawfish

Marine species of the Colombian Caribbean, such as the small tooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) and the large tooth sawfish or guacapá, are critically endangered. According to studies dating from 2002, its population has had a drastic decline.

Recent assessments show that artisanal fishers have not caught more small tooth sawfish for at least 25 years.

This indicates that their population has decreased to alarmingly low levels. It has even been thought that this fish could have already become extinct locally.

The sawfish is an animal that has a long, saw-shaped face. Its mouth is transverse and contains a row of large teeth on each side.

It has two large dorsal fins quite far apart. Its coloration is between brown and blue-gray in its dorsal part, and it has a white belly. It measures between 4 and 5.5 meters, and can weigh more than 300 kilos.

4- Creole grouper

This fish is also known by the name of cherna. It was distributed throughout the Colombian Caribbean and is currently threatened due to overfishing and the progressive deterioration of its natural habitat.

It was placed in the category of critically endangered species because marine studies indicate that its population declined considerably. It has not been located in underwater visual censuses in the last two decades.

Lives on coral reefs. It is large in size and has a robust body, reaching sizes that exceed 1 meter, with a weight of approximately 25 kilos. It is brown and light greenish in color, and has oblique dark bands on its head.

5- Boshelli snake

This snake, like 11 other species of Colombian reptiles, are in critical danger of extinction.

It is a relatively small snake: it measures just 45.2 cm snout-vent. Its tail measures 26 cm and is split. Only three specimens of this species are known.

Its body is dark gray, with smooth dorsal scales in the first two rows, followed by a third slightly aquilated. The rest of the body has aquilated scales.

It lives in the mountain range of the department of Cundinamarca, but its population has been brought to critical levels due to the deforestation of forests for use for agricultural and livestock purposes.

Other species of this same genus in critical danger of extinction are the San Andrés snake and the Caño del Dagua snake.

6- tarpon, sabalete or tarpon

This fish is listed among the marine species in critical danger of extinction since 2002. Its main threats are the pollution of the waters where it lives and develops. It is also threatened by catches with dynamite and nets, which have led the species to an alarming decline in its population.

The large tarpon (Megalops atlanticus), since it grows up to 2.5 meters and can weigh about 130 kg. This makes it very desirable to take advantage of its meat. It has a shiny silver dorsal fin and a grayish back.

7- Hawksbill sea turtle

This marine species, along with five others that inhabit beaches and seas of Colombia, is in danger of extinction. The hawksbill species (Eretmochelys imbricata) is the only one in the CR category.

The contamination of the waters, together with the destruction of their habitat, the commercial use of hawksbills and the looting of their eggs, are their greatest threats.

It is a turtle of great beauty due to its colorful shells. It lives in the vicinity of coral reefs, in oceanic lagoons and islands, in rocky areas and in shallow Colombian Caribbean coasts.

It has a narrow head and a fine beak like that of a bird; these characteristics allow him to hunt among the rocks and marine crevices. An adult turtle of this species can weigh between 45 and 90 kilos, and can measure between 50 cm and 1 meter in length.

8- White-headed titi

This species of monkey (Saguinus oedipus) had already been declared in danger of extinction in 1973. But currently, the decrease in its population has led to its categorization among critically endangered species, due to the difficulties to reproduce due to the destruction of their habitat and illegal trade.

In Colombia it lives mainly between the Magdalena River and the Atrato River, along the departments of Atlántico, Sucre, Bolívar and Córdoba. It can also be found in the northeast of Antioquia.

9- Gold-spotted marsupial frog

This endemic species from Colombia (Gastrotheca aureomaculata) was included in the red list of critically endangered species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. For four decades it had been in the threatened category.

Its population has decreased due to the destruction and deterioration of its natural habitat, due to the expansion of the agricultural frontier, the timber industry and water pollution.

It lives in some areas of the departments of Huila and Cauca, and in the Colombian Central Cordillera.

10- Chameleon of Cundinamarca

This large lizard can grow to between 98.5 and 118mm in length, and is also on the brink of extinction.

Because the natural habitat of the Anolis inderenae is located in areas dedicated to livestock and agriculture, its population has been decreasing.

He lives in the Central Cordillera, in the department of Cundinamarca. It is a diurnal animal that feeds on insects, leaves and fruits, and lives among trees and small shrubs.

Articles of interest

Animals in danger of extinction in the world.

Animals in danger of extinction in Mexico.

Animals in danger of extinction in Peru.

Animals in danger of extinction in Venezuela.

Animals in danger of extinction in Argentina.

Animals in danger of extinction in Spain.

References

1. These are the ten most threatened animal species in Colombia (PDF). Retrieved on February 4, 2017 from wwf.org.co
2. Colombia has 11 species of reptiles in critical danger of extinction. Consulted of elpais.com.co
3. 5 animals in danger of extinction in Colombia. Consulted of publimetro.co
4. Species in Colombia threatened by extinction. Consulted of eltiempo.com
5. Luis Chasqui Velasco, Andrea Polanco F., and others: Red Book of the Marine Species of Colombia 2017. (PDF) Invemar. Recovered from minambiente.gov.co
6. Boshelli's snake. Consulted of report.humboldt.org.co
7. Sea turtles. Consulted of turtlesmarinas.net