LAMBAYEQUE FAUNA: MOST RELEVANT CHARACTERISTICS - BIOLOGY - 2025

The fauna of Lambayeque is conditioned by different geographical, orographic and climatic factors. This causes that there is a great biodiversity in this relatively small department of the Republic of Peru.

Some of these factors are its proximity to the equator, the presence of the Humboldt current, the variability in temperatures, among others.

This department belongs to the dry forest ecoregion, which is characterized by being highly endemic but with very fragile ecosystems.

90% of its territory is in the coastal region. The two exceptions are the Inkawasi district, located in the mountain range; and Cañaris, located in the high jungle.

Lambayeque fauna has a unique diversity in its different ecosystems. On the one hand there is the Andean zone whose forests are home to several endemic species.

Then the ichthyological wealth typical of the Peruvian coast must be added. The coast is predominantly desert areas with many species that have known how to adapt to this hostile environment.

Rivers that irrigate fertile valleys flow through these arid zones, thus increasing the number of biomes in this department.

Representative species of the fauna of Lambayeque

Birds

The marine and continental birds of Lambayeque constitute a large group. Among these, the Humboldt penguin stands out.

These belong to the group of banded penguins and look a lot like African penguins. It is one of the threatened species in this region.

In addition to this, other threatened birds are the bearded turkey, the white-winged turkey, the Peruvian potoyunco, the Peruvian pelican, the Peruvian booby and the red-footed cormorant.

Otherwise, the Lambayecan sky is crossed by partridges, ducks, herons, hawks, eagles, Andean condors, hawks, parrots, pigeons and many more.

Mollusks, crustaceans and

As is usual in the Peruvian sea, the fauna of Lambayeque includes a large number of mollusks, fish and crustaceans.

Among the mollusks there are snails, sea hares, clams, abalones, mussels, octopuses and squid. Also part of the crustaceans are oysters, crabs, hermits and lobsters.

Among the fish in the area are the round sole, the white anchovy, the grouper, the chalaco, the white fish, the silverside, the corvina, the cachema, the marlin, the seahorse and the angelfish, among others.

Mammals

Lambayeque's group of marine mammals is made up of dolphins, humpback whales, chusco wolves, and marine pigs.

Rice mice, anteaters, foxes, pumas, spectacled bears, white-tailed deer and bobcats can be found on the mainland. The last four species on the list are in danger of extinction.

Reptiles and amphibians

In the continental zone there is a great diversity of snakes: blind snake, rattlesnake, coral snake, green snake, cat snake, macanche (boa constrictor) and sun snake, among others.

With regard to amphibians, the area is inhabited by various kinds of toads and frogs, such as the cololo and the hey-hey.

In addition, there are lizards, iguanas, bluebirds, jump (species of lizard), pacaso (kind of iguana) and chameleons, among other animals.

References

1. Lambayeque Regional Government. (2010). Lambayeque continental biodiversity study. Retrieved on November 21, 2017, from ot.regionlambayeque.gob.pe
2. Congress of the Republic (Peru). (2001). Knowing the Lambayeque Region. Retrieved on November 21, 2017, from congreso.gob.pe
3. Lambayeque Regional Government. (2010). Lambayeque Regional Strategy for Biological Diversity. Retrieved on November 21, 2017, from cbd.int
4. Lambayeque - Flora and Fauna. (s / f). In Peru-Info. Retrieved on November 21, 2017, from peru-info.net
5. Humboldt Penguin. (s / f). In Penguins-World. Retrieved on November 21, 2017, from penguins-world.com